what do you do for your baby's nap time routine?

mrs.magoo

I'm just curious as to what works for you moms out there, when you put your babies down drowsy, but awake...

Usually I nurse Austin, give him a little massage and sing him a naptime song....but I just actually managed to get him down simply by nursing him in bed...until I could tell he was almost sleep, then I yanked my boob out (but stayed next to him) and he ended up sucking on his hand then (yay!) and drifted off a bit....I then managed to transfer him to his PNP pretty drowsy like...although he woke up mid-transfer, like he always does...but I got him in the PNP and he started sucking his hand again and went out (double yay!)....

...anyways, I am almost beginning to think I should drop his whole nap time song and massage bit, because maybe it is actually not soothing him at all....I was just trying to create some sort of routine to differentiate between bedtime and nap time - I've tried reading a story at nap time but he doesn't care for it, he only likes it at bedtime so far...advice? tips? this is why I am interested in what YOU might have done or currently do...
 

Inlove05

We don't really have much of a nap time routine anymore but this is what we do.  I offer Brianna some milk through her sippy while we sit in the glider.  Sometimes she takes the milk.  We rock for alittle bit and then I put her down.  And thats all.  She old enough now to know the difference between naps and bedtime.. so a routine isn't really that important to us anymore.  When she was younger she got a bottle before nap time, and I read her a book.  Often times I had to fight with her to go to sleep because she was overtired or whatever.  Brianna has never been a good sleeper since day one... so our bedtime and nap routines have always been a struggle.  = )  Thankfully.... her sleeping has improved a little.  = )

Mindy-lou

We never did a real "routine" for nap, I suppose that in itself differentiated it from bedtime.  Basically, at nap time I bring him to his room, tell him it is time for a little nap & we will play when he wakes up, get him comfy (now blanket & comfort item), turn on his white noise & leave.  That has always worked for Owen.  I don't close the shade either & it hasn't been an issue.  He has always been a pretty consistent napper, he throughs me for a loop every once in awhile, but generally naps at the same time & for the same length.

 P.S--If he fights it (which he doesn't do too much anymore) & is really crying & screaming when it is nap time I tell him to try & rest.  I always tell him "just try to take a little nap, if you can't sleep mommy will come back & get you in a few minutes".  He rarely stays awake those few minutes.

Shann50952

We don't have any kind of routine at all.  Kaelyn usually wakes up in the morning and I feed her then we play for a while and usually she beging to yawn and rub her eyes after being up for 1.5 hrs.....so i place her in her swing (I know she should be in her crib, but it just easier to have her downstairs with me)....that would be it.  She has never been a consistent napper other than that morning nap which lasts anywhere from 1 hr - 3 hrs.

WideSmileMama

I don't call what I do with Caroline a "routine" per say, because it's not all that involved, but I suppose that since I do the same thing every day it qualifies as one - right?

She sits with me and has a sippy of formula in the livingroom.  Then, I make sure that I'm holding her upright and bounce her a little bit on my knee until she burps (If I lay her down for a nap without making sure she has burped, she will no doubt wake up after a little while with bad gas!)  Then, I change her diaper on the changing table and pick her up and walk across the room holding her and swaying to turn the noise machine on.  Then walking slowly (and still swaying), we walk over to her crib and she usually puts her head down on my shoulder and yawns.  I lie her in the crib and turn on her music box-thing (which used used to be the lower half of her mobile) which will trun itself off after 15 minutes.  I usually tickle her belly and tell her that I love her and she laughs.  Then, I walk out of the room and close the door behind me.  She has a dolly in the crib with her so she usually lies there and giggles and plays with that for a few minutes but by the time the music shuts off, she's usually out.

MrsNich

We don't have too much of a routine really.  When he starts rubbing his eyes and they are red it is usually time for a nap so I typically swaddle him (for his longer afternoon nap), give him his paci, and turn on the fan for white noise, I give him a kiss, and put him in his PnP...usually he falls asleep on his own when drowsy.  For shorter naps (morning naps, etc) we don't have a routine ...he typically will sleep anywhere in the PnP, his carseat, bouncer, on me for the shorter 30 minute naps...

EastCoastFamily

We don't have a routine at all for naps.  Alyssa doesn't take naps at the same time every day or for the same length of time either, so for us, a routine doesn't seem necessary to me or something I want to even put time and effort into.  I think she knows the difference between naps and bedtime because when she goes to bed, it's dark outside and she's in her crib.  Naptime is never in her crib because she has a pack n play for now as well as her Boppy Bouncer.  When she's older, I suppose her naptimes will have to be in her crib due to her size but I take my cues from her as to when she needs to nap.  I don't expect her to nap every day or try and make her nap.  I only offer the opportunities to nap when I think she obviously needs one.  And sometimes, she will fall asleep on her own.  We have a bedtime routine that we follow, though because no matter what, she needs to go to bed at night and at a reasonable hour, so that is expected. 

sassylassy

We dont really have a routine for his naps.  Although, I really have figured out when he is getting tired so that I put him down before he is overtired, which helps a lot! Right now, I bring him upstairs and his room is nice and dark (that helps him a ton) then I swaddle him with one arm out, then nurse him to sleep and put the white noise on.

For bedtime we ALWAYS do a nice warm bath, massage, pj's, swaddle, nurse while reading.  He usually passes out completley or almost all the way after 10 or 15 mins.

He usually starts yawning around 6:30 or so every night like clock work.  I was really surprised when he started that a month ago and that he was "recognizing" his bedtime.

I should mention too that he normally only sleeps for hour naps for me and 30-45 mins for others. (I am not sure if that is different from most babies or not) He might only take 2 naps a day though.  One morning nap (about an hour and half after he wakes up) and then around noon ish and about half the time he will take one at 3pm. 

I hope all this ramblings might help a bit!  lol
 

mrs.magoo

Thanks ladies! I just think it is important to have a nap time routine for Austin, to help him calm down/relax before taking his naps (and soothing him into sleep) not matter what time they occur at or how long the duration - hey, who didn't like to be cuddled and read to or rocked before a nap as a kid? It's nice quiet time I just know that setting some sort of routine, no matter how small (even just nursing him and signing to him) will continue with him as he grows and set the pace for him when he goes down for a nap - thank you!