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Hi Seb and Cath,
Thanks so much for your detailed reply.
It is great that she is waking around 6am consistently now, that’s a good sign that her body clock is getting into a rhythm.
To help with her daytime naps there are a few things that you can try:
1. Focus on the First Nap
I know you’ve been thinking about letting her nap in the carrier for the first nap and then trying the crib for later naps. However, I’d recommend trying the first nap in the crib instead. Babies tend to find it easier to fall asleep for that first nap. As the day goes on, naps can get trickier as they become more tired and sometimes overstimulated.
So, starting with the first nap in the crib makes you more likely to succeed. For the other naps, you can still offer contact naps or use the carrier if that works for her.
Once she’s comfortable sleeping in the crib for the first nap, you can try the same approach with the second nap, using the settling pyramid. Little by little, you can extend this to the third, fourth, and fifth nap as well, until she’s napping in the crib for all of her naps when you’re home.
2. Set A Consistent Time For Her First Nap
Now that her morning wake-up time is more predictable, it’s an excellent opportunity to set a consistent time for her first nap. Having this first nap at the same time daily will encourage a more structured overall nap schedule, helping the rest of her naps naturally fall into a predictable rhythm.
To ensure she builds up enough sleep pressure to easily fall asleep for that first nap, consider gradually extending her wake window from 1 hour and 15 minutes (6:00am – 7:15am) to 2 hours (6:00am – 8:00am).
If you feel that stretching her wake window all at once would be too much for her, try adjusting it more gradually. Start by moving the first nap from 7:15am to 7:30am for 3-4 days. Once she adjusts and is comfortable with the new timing, you can move it to 7:45am for another 3-4 days and finally to 8:00am.
3. Consider Having Her Nap in the Crib Instead of the Bassinet
Since she’s already comfortably falling asleep independently in the crib at night, it might be worth considering her nap there, too, especially for the first nap of the day. I know you might be worried that moving naps to the crib could disrupt her ability to fall asleep at night, but this is unlikely. Her circadian rhythm and sleep pressure will still work together to help her fall asleep at night, and since she’s already familiar with the crib, this could actually make naps smoother as well.
Also, just a quick note—if she’s started rolling over, it’s recommended to move her from the bassinet to the crib for safety. This way, she’ll have more room to move around and sleep securely.
4. Make Sure She’s Genuinely Tired
I know you mentioned that her tired signs can be tricky to spot, and that’s totally understandable! A little tip that might help is that “I’m tired” signs can sometimes look like “I’m bored” signs. One thing you can try is switching up the activity or changing the scenery when you first notice the “I’m tired” sign. If she’s still fussy or unsettled afterwards, it’s a good sign that she’s actually tired. But if she perks up and seems happy, she is probably just a bit bored.
This can help you get a better sense of when she’s really ready for sleep!
5. Tweak the Nap Time Routine Slightly
One minor tweak that could really help is starting to make the room dark at the beginning of the nap routine. Dimming the lights or closing the blinds right from the start will cue her that it’s time to wind down for sleep. A dark environment can also help her fall asleep quicker because it reduces the number of distractions in the room. Babies can be easily stimulated by things around them, so having fewer things to look at while you read her a story or do calming activities will help her relax more easily. Plus, the darkness triggers the body to produce melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep, which can make it even easier for her to drift off.
Of course, you’ll still need some light to read, so consider using a soft night light. If possible, position the light behind her head, and a lamp that emits a red hue on a low setting is ideal since red light is less likely to interfere with her ability to fall asleep.
6. Don’t Worry About Using the Pacifier When Settling Her to Sleep in the Crib
You mentioned that she tends to wake up when the pacifier falls out, even though you don’t use it often. Given this, I’d suggest avoiding using the pacifier when putting her down in the crib. This way, she can learn to self-soothe without needing the pacifier, which means fewer wake-ups when it falls out.
7. Settling her to Sleep In the Crib
When it’s time to settle her for the first nap of the day, there are two approaches you can try:
The Settling Pyramid
If you’re feeling up for it, you can use the settling pyramid, which helps her practice falling asleep in the crib with your support. If you need to pick her up (climbing to the top of the pyramid), check in with yourself. If you have the energy, you can calm her in your arms and then place her back in the crib, following the pyramid steps back down as she cues you. But if you’re low on energy or she becomes too distressed, settling her fully in your arms is perfectly fine.
The Gradual Approach
If you’re not quite ready to use the settling pyramid, you can settle her in your arms after finishing the nap routine, but aim to gradually reduce the movement you’re using to help her fall asleep. For example, start by gently rocking her while patting her bottom and softly “shushing.” As she starts to calm down, stop the rocking and just stand still, continuing to pat and shush. Then, when she’s even calmer, stop the patting and just shush. Finally, stop shushing so she falls asleep in your arms without movement.
At this point, you can gently place her in the crib.
By gradually reducing the movement before she falls asleep, you’re helping her become comfortable with falling asleep without needing the rocking or bouncing. This gradual approach makes it easier to eventually transition to the settling pyramid when you both feel ready.
8. Still Do Part of the Nap Routine When You’re Planning for Her to Sleep in the Carrier or Pram
Even when you’re planning for her to nap in the carrier or pram, I’d recommend keeping part of the familiar nap routine in place to help signal to her that it’s time to sleep. For instance, you can still sing her the same lullaby that you use during her regular nap routine. Hearing that song will cue her that sleep is coming, no matter where she’s napping. This consistency will help her associate the lullaby with sleep, making it easier for her to settle down, whether she’s in her crib, carrier, or pram.
Do these suggestions seem doable?
Emma