Naps

So what's the secret to getting your baby to nap? No idea, I still can't seem to get my kid to do it on her own.

In the first few weeks she would sleep a little here and there during the day, but as she gets older, it has been really hard to get her to nap let alone get her into a routine. A few weeks ago someone told me that the baby should be awake for only 1.5 - 2 hours, then it's time for them to take a nap. Well this is helpful! I wish I knew this earlier. Now that I know this, I can tell when it is time for a nap, figure out the cues my daughter gives me that she's ready for a nap - even though she doesn't want to take one. And once I was told this, I saw a pattern forming with my daughters behavior and her naps became more 'scheduled.'

Still we fight the nap. My daughter was born with her eyes wide open ready to explore the world. She doesn't want to miss anything, that's why she doesn't like napping. Or so I keep telling myself. So when that two hours is up, I know that I've got to force her to nap. I can do that several ways... Driving or walking in the stroller is a sure way to get her to sleep the fastest. Putting her in her swing or bouncy seat also is a good way. Holding her and bouncing or rocking her works but it tends to take longer to get her to sleep because she's at the age (4 months) where she is realizing her actions cause a reaction from me, so she wants to interact with you while you're' holding her and trying to rock her to sleep. I try to avert my eyes and pretend that she's not there, and this seems to work most of the time, but sometimes I can't help looking at her!

The same someone also told me that sleep begets sleep. So the more naps they take during the day the more sleeping they will do at night...I was skeptical about this theory in the beginning. If they sleep a lot during the day, I for sure thought that they would be up all night. This is not the case with us. If she sleeps a lot during the day she is not up at night. But if she doesn't sleep during the day it doesn't seem to impact her evening sleep.

I think part of this no routine nap time is due to me not working. I am on baby time, if she needs to sleep, she sleeps, if she needs to eat, she eats, - she dictates the schedule. Once I start back at work I'll have more of a routine and so she'll have more of a routine too. I think this might help the napping. But who knows!