Sleep/nap help please

so DS is 6 months old and takes 3 naps a day. He needs to be rocked for all of them. Lately it has been so difficult to even do that as he moves so much and arches his body while we are holding/rocking him. I am thinking its time to start getting him to go down on his own or I am afraid hes going to hurt someone or hes going to get hurt with all the moving around he does.
I am wondering if anyone has any advice/methods they used or can recommend any good books.
Also, what age can you do CIO with a baby? Right now i am not sure i can do it as i hate hearing him cry for long periods of time. I just feel like we developed bad habits with the rocking him and i want to nip it now while hes still young. Also if you put your child straight down for their naps, how old is your DC and how long does it take them to fall a sleep? Today he stayed in his crib for 20 min when it was nap time with only mild whining but started to cry soon after. and i took out all the toys/mobile as he loves them and it keeps him up/stimulates him.
TIA!

Re: Sleep/nap help please

We are sooooo in the same place!

Jack needs to be rocked for all of his naps. When we put him to bed at night - 90% of the time he goes to sleep with the mobile on - the other 10 he needs to be rocked.

He 22 pounds now - and honestly - my back is breaking. I have been throwing him in the car for the morning nap bc it's just easier then to stand there and get beat up by him for 20 minutes until he passes out.

I personally can never see him falling asleep on his own for naps - never have - never will. My cousins baby sleeps anywhere - without so much as a whine - never has to be rocked ever - I'm so jealous!

I would love to hear some tips also.

Re: Sleep/nap help please

I a so glad we are not alone its so frustrating b/c my DS is a sleeper and needs the naps. At night he pretty much gets a bottle and then as soon as hes done, passes out and we put him right in his crib, however, the times he doesn't fall right asleep we have to rock him too. He's in a sleep sack now at night and i found in the miracle blanket we were able to put him in the crib drowsy and he would fall asleep, now in the sleep sack, he wont go to sleep on his own

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Posted by bayla

I a so glad we are not alone its so frustrating b/c my DS is a sleeper and needs the naps. At night he pretty much gets a bottle and then as soon as hes done, passes out and we put him right in his crib, however, the times he doesn't fall right asleep we have to rock him too. He's in a sleep sack now at night and i found in the miracle blanket we were able to put him in the crib drowsy and he would fall asleep, now in the sleep sack, he wont go to sleep on his own

Re: Sleep/nap help please

yes we have the tiny love mobile, we haven't tried it yet to put him to bed but i think i will after the new year, thanks!

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Re: Sleep/nap help please

By rocking, do you mean standing up holding him and rocking?? If so, DD (6 mos.) needed that until very recently. I decided that I just could NOT do it any longer - my back was literally aching beyond belief. I now "glide" her to sleep in the glider. I go through our whole routine - music, sleepsack, read to her in the glider - and then I turn off the light (day or night), give her her pacifier, pull her in close, and glide.
It is SOOOOOOOOOO much better than when I was rocking her. She would also arch her back and squirm and it was just BAD (I *dreaded* bedtime) - but now it's something I even look forward to! I am totally not ready for CIO and I know one day she will need to fall asleep on her own - but for right now, I think we're headed in the right direction.

Maybe you can try the same thing ..?

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Posted by InShock

By rocking, do you mean standing up holding him and rocking?? If so, DD (6 mos.) needed that until very recently. I decided that I just could NOT do it any longer - my back was literally aching beyond belief. I now "glide" her to sleep in the glider. I go through our whole routine - music, sleepsack, read to her in the glider - and then I turn off the light (day or night), give her her pacifier, pull her in close, and glide.
It is SOOOOOOOOOO much better than when I was rocking her. She would also arch her back and squirm and it was just BAD (I *dreaded* bedtime) - but now it's something I even look forward to! I am totally not ready for CIO and I know one day she will need to fall asleep on her own - but for right now, I think we're headed in the right direction.

Maybe you can try the same thing ..?

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Re: Sleep/nap help please

yes we stand and hold him, he wont let us sit with him to put him down for naps and that included when we tried using the rocker. He will let us when its time to go to bed though, if we need to, i think b/c hes so tired, he doesnt care as long as me or my DH is near

I dont use the sleep sack for naps, only for bed time

Message edited 12/30/2007 10:45:51 PM.

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Posted by InShock

Posted by Diana1215

You do this for naps too? Do you put her in the sleepsack for naps also?

Yes and yes.

Message edited 12/30/2007 10:47:01 PM.

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Posted by Diana1215

Posted by InShock

Posted by Diana1215

You do this for naps too? Do you put her in the sleepsack for naps also?

Yes and yes.

VERY interesting. I may have to try this.

Oh - and - Bayla - what works for me now too - is channel 819 - the Lite Hits station. I swear. Once a Neil Diamond song comes on Jack is out within seconds. I am thinking about buying a Neil Diamond CD (and I'm not kidding )
ETA: Jack has gotten so bad with naps that when I just put him into rocking position - he flips out.

Message edited 12/30/2007 10:49:45 PM.

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Ok, Im gonna be honest and say that if he is doing that, he is not yet at the point where he is ready for sleep.

I was misinterpretting my sons sleepy signs for Boredom. Whiel they were sleepy signs at 3 months old, they are now just boredom...he changed but I didnt change my perception....

I dont think at 6 months you should need to rock him for more then a few minutes.

That said, my son is similair and we were doing the same thing, then recently I said, fine if your gonna arch etc, then sit up...and he would and he would rub his eyes etc and yet crank and play at the same time.

15 minutes later I would try again and most times ( 80%) he falls asleep as soon as I hold him. Other times it was just me thinking he was tired and he was fine for another hour-two.

Sometimes they need to tell you, I am tired, but just 5 more minutes.

I also started putting him in that state down to nap on his own.

He never full out CRIES...if he did I would pick him up. He cranks and sometimes for 15-20 minutes and then will just go out on his own.

Some kids are sleepers, some arent.

I know a LOT of 6 month olds who dont have more then 1 nap a day.

Sometimes they will fight off a nap they should have and then take a longer one later...

I think its trial and error really.

Re: Sleep/nap help please

p.s Diana lite music station worked for us too

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Posted by bayla

yes we stand and hold him, he wont let us sit with him to put him down for naps and that included when we tried using the rocker. He will let us when its time to go to bed though, if we need to, i think b/c hes so tired, he doesnt care as long as me or my DH is near

I dont use the sleep sack for naps, only for bed time

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Posted by dm24angel

p.s Diana lite music station worked for us too

Re: Sleep/nap help please

thanks everyone for the advice, i really appreciate it all
please keep it coming!

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Oh and as for the sleepsack - it's really just a glorified blanket, so I figure there's no reason to "save" it just for nighttime (which is what I did with the Miracle Blanket!).

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Posted by bayla

thanks everyone for the advice, i really appreciate it all
please keep it coming!

Re: Sleep/nap help please

Re: Sleep/nap help please