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Hi Natalee,
I hope you enjoyed your holiday!
Now that you’re back into the routine of everyday life, you can certainly return to having your little one nap in a crib.
Applying the settling pyramid techniques is the best way to help him learn to nap in a crib. However, a slower approach could be implementing a nap routine, which you do even if you plan for him to fall asleep on you. Part of this nap routine should include a calming activity as the last activity (e.g. singing a song as you rock him in your arms) before letting him fall asleep on you or in the crib. The idea is that these activities will become a sleep cue for your baby so that when you are ready to practice laying him down in the crib for naps, he will know what is expected of him and find it easier to fall asleep.
When he does fall asleep while napping on you, you could also consider laying him down in the crib to finish his nap. But know that he will likely have a short nap. This is because catnaps are normal. At this age, babies wake between sleep cycles (which are every 30 – 45 minutes), and if they need help falling asleep or their sleeping environment has changed (so he is no longer lying on you), they are likely to wake fully.
Another option is to only apply the settling pyramid for his first nap of the day. Babies tend to find it easier to fall asleep for this first nap, so you are more likely to have success with this one. Then, for the other naps, you can continue offering contact naps. Once he starts to sleep in the crib for the morning nap, you could apply the settling pyramid for the second nap of the day and continue contact napping for the other naps. Then, once he is sleeping in the crib for the first and second nap, you can apply the settling pyramid for the third nap and so on, until he is sleeping in the crib for all of his naps (when you’re at home, of course!)
I hope this helps!
Emma