As a new mom, naptime is the ever-sought after vacation. You sit and stare at your sleeping baby on your chest in awe, but all the while you are simultaneously trying to extend your toes as steadily as possible to grab the remote. You soak up these sweet snuggles but dream of the days you can go to the bathroom or heat up your coffee in peace! While the first few weeks (months even) of naps on mom’s chest are heart melting, there comes a time when both mom and baby yearn for a bit of space throughout the day. The tough part about this is that it’s not totally natural for baby to sleep alone early on… we were designed to be around baby 24/7 and so creating a space away from you that baby is comfortable sleeping in alone is fighting biology a bit. But, unlike our ancestors, we have safe dwellings free from threats of wild animals with which to enjoy a bit of space while baby learns valuable self-soothing techniques and establishes a trust for their world! I am no pro on this topic, but am extremely pleased with the way Brooks has assimilated into his napping/sleeping routine and want to share what worked for us in hopes it can help others going through the difficult transition! Today I will share the 5 strategies we used to establish a consistent nap schedule in the first 6 months and pray it will provide the same desirable results for your family as it did for ours!

The techniques I used were not ones that I read about on the internet or learned from my doctor. I took on the task of crib training with a combination of with-in-reason consistency and by tuning into the queues Brooks was giving me. I would not say I did the “cry it out” method, but I also didn’t run in to save the day with each whimper. My philosophy on baby routines is that people rely so heavily on what the internet says they should be doing at what time and as a result can restrict themselves and their baby to a concrete method that may be unnatural. The problem with this is that doing so can make you less aware of what your unique baby needs to feel comfortable. I also think we don’t need to pick a method – especially if you are like me and find yourself somewhere in the middle of the spectrum on the “cry it out vs. not” scale! Routines aren’t “one size fits all” so it is best for everyone if we can transition baby with a combination of strategies that meet their preferences and needs as well as our own! I know each baby is unique and, while age, timing, and length of naps may be a bit different for everyone, I think the general strategies I used can apply to any little baby personality!

First to give you an idea of where we are now, Brooks is almost 8 months old and sleeps like a CHAMP. He sleeps consistently 12-13 hours every night and takes 2 long naps during the day, and he runs his schedule like clockwork. It wasn’t always this way, and I’m sure we will experience blips in the radar as he continues to grow and develop! Here’s his general (and extremely consistent) schedule at this point – and the one he has followed for the past few months:

Current Daily Schedule (6+ months)

• Wake up 7 AM – feeding right away
• Solid breakfast at 8 AM (baby oatmeal/quinoa mix with breaskmilk)
• First nap at 8:30 AM – 10:30/11 AM
• Feeding at 11 AM
• Lunch around 12:30 PM (solid – usually mashed up version of what I’m eating)
• Feeding around 2 PM
• Afternoon nap – 2:30 PM – 4/4:30 PM
• Feeding at 4:30 PM
• Solid dinner at 5:30 PM (whatever I’m eating with effort to include greens + maybe an organic fruit/veggie pouch if still hungry)
• Begin bedtime routine around 6:15 PM
• Down for Bed between 6:30/7 PM

**Play/walks/outings during wake times in between!

It wasn’t always this easy and consistent, so below I will share the 5-strategies I used to establish the consistent and fulfilling sleep/nap schedule we currently thrive on! I followed these strategies in order and beginning around month 2.5 – 3 – the whole thing took about 2 months to get to a consistent point and I believe this to be a combination of consistency and natural development.

5 Strategies to Establishing a Consistent Nap Schedule

** I’ve posted a highlight to my Instagram Page called “Naptime Diaries” which contains a collection of  stories related to our naptime trials through this transition period. Go check it out if you want a closer look at what this looked like day-to-day! 

1. Tune in to Sleep Queues

Shortly before month 3 is when we decided we wanted to start getting Brooks comfortable in his crib. I know this is earlier than most people begin this transition, but I truly believe it to be one of the reasons he has adapted so well. While I’ve heard people recommend to wait longer, I think it is a lot more difficult to transition baby when they have more of awareness and ability to manipulate and protest situations by choice. I really believe the “sweet spot” in crib transition is earlier than later – we felt that it was the right time around month 3 and I’m so glad we took the leap when we did! We still had him sleeping with us at night, but what I really wanted to shoot for was day-time naps in his crib instead of the swing or on me. This also would make our bedtime crib transition easier when we did reach that point in the next month! As usual, I tuned in to his sleepy queues and when I saw them, instead of putting him to nap in the swing, I brought him to the nursery to attempt napping in the crib every time.

2. Cultivate a Calming Naptime Ritual

Upon bringing Brooks to the nursery each time he was sleepy, we began a naptime ritual that we would continue to do to this day. While Brooks didn’t realize the purpose of this routine at the time, he has since become conditioned to the routine with a nap-ready response! Our “naptime ritual” is: 1) Feeding session 2) Diaper change in the nursery 3) Sit on rocker and read a book 4) turn off lights 5) turn on sound soother and stroll/bounce around the room for a minute or so 6) lay him down in the crib and give him a kiss 7) walk away and rummage around while he “kicks it out”. Brooks has come to learn this routine so well that sometimes he even becomes fussy when we go in to read a book because he knows a nap is imminent, but even if this is the case he still goes down easy! Bottom line here, create a calming routine for naps – different from bedtime – and stick to it EVERY TIME you initiate a nap with baby!

3. Avoid Naps Other Than in the Crib During the Transition

Now that baby is in the crib and ready to nap, you may be frustrated to see him or her kicking, squirming and becoming what appears to be more awake than tired! For the first few weeks Brooks didn’t understand that the crib was for napping and not playing, so I had to teach him! Yes, this will result in a few days or weeks of a tired baby until they figure out that the crib is for napping. But, at some point, they will become tired enough and will NEED to nap. Here’s my experience: Once I decided to have brooks nap in the crib, I generally did not allow him to fall asleep in the swing or on me. If he started to drift off or act tired, I brought him to his nursery and did the naptime ritual. He would usually wake up at this point and become very alert, active, and excited, but I was consistent in my efforts to encourage a crib nap. So, if that meant he kicked and played in the crib for an hour while I rummaged around the room, so be it! If he was crying, that was different. I didn’t want Brooks to “cry it out” at only 3 months, so in that scenario I would pat him or soothe him verbally while he was in the crib, doing all I can to avoid taking him out. It’s a bit of a gray area here, so below are the “guidelines” I set for myself in handling this situation:

• If baby is squirming/kicking (not crying), let him do it as long as it takes for him to either fall asleep or start crying.
• If baby begins to cry, go to the crib and soothe, attempting verbal soothing first and resorting to patting if that doesn’t work. I would also at times hold the pacifier in his mouth. Try this for a while to see if baby can be soothed or begin to drift off to sleep.
• If you have been at this for more than about 45 minutes with no sign of sleep OR if baby begins to cry violently, abort nap mission and take baby out to begin normal play (as if they just completed a nap), but do NOT bring baby to nap in the swing!

Yes, he or she might be tired for a bit and may miss out on a few naps here and there, but if you take baby out every time they become upset and let them nap where they want to, they will not easily establish the crib routine you’re striving for! This can lead to having baby only able to fall asleep on you or in your bed even and can teach them that they have control over their routine as they get older and more aware.

4. STICK TO IT – Consistency is Key!

As you continue this naptime crib training feat, do your best to stick to it! Nap times or lengths will not necessarily be consistent yet, but the goal at this point is to simply get baby accustomed to falling asleep IN the crib, even if just for 10 minutes. Baby doesn’t know the difference between a 10 minute or two hour nap, all they know is that they fell asleep in the crib and woke up there, so even a mini nap is a success and step in the right direction in this process!

5. Start with Naps on Demand and Slowly Transition to Scheduled Nap Times.

In month 3-4, we napped on demand (all in the crib). This looked like 1.5 – 2 hour intervals with anywhere from 5 minute to 2 hour naps. an exhausting schedule, sure, but it got easier and Brooks got better at it as the weeks progressed! At about month 4, once I noticed he began to develop a timely napping routine on his own, I solidified it and stuck to it. I noticed that he was typically getting sleepy around 9 AM, 12 PM, and 3 PM, so I designated these times as “nap times” and began to put him down at these times EVERY DAY, regardless of the queues he was showing. Around month 5/6, Brooks was napping longer and staying awake longer, so I took out the afternoon nap and did my best to stretch his morning nap (if he woke up after an hour and squirmed, I let him squirm himself back to sleep instead of grabbing him).

Side note – Here is yet another reminder to take what the internet says with a grain of salt and instead follow the queues of your baby… the internet suggested waiting to take out a nap until 8-10 months but at around 6 months I noticed Brooks stretching his wake times and protesting his middle nap, so I slowly took it out by pushing back his morning nap and moving up his afternoon one (keeping him busy and active between the two), and he has been happy since! I knew this was right because he took right to the change, so I’m glad I didn’t force the middle nap for 3 more months as I think that would have done more harm than good. You know your baby better than that book you’re reading, so put your trust in the mommy intuition you have. Unlike the books, it is specific to your baby!

OF COURSE there are exceptions. If baby is sick, a nap is more important than attempting to establish your routine! When Brooks is sick, all bets are off and I do whatever I need to do to make him feel better, even if that’s sitting on the couch with him sleeping on me all day! Trips are also an exception, give yourself the flexibility to deviate from your schedule a bit and enjoy trips without stressing about hitting your naptimes exactly. This may throw it off for a bit, but you can get back into it when you’re home and will be glad you took advantage of your experiences while you were gone! Provide naps when baby is tired and try and keep bedtime the same, but don’t drop everything at 2 PM because your naptime alarm is going off! I also think that trips help your babe to become more flexible to change which is always a good thing!

Screenshots from “Naptime Diaries” Story Highlights

I want to also mention that this is not research based, nor is it proven. I have no formal training or expertise on the topic, either! I am a new mom who has learned from trial and error and have established the fulfilling routine we strived for. The routine we follow seems to be very fruitful for Brooks and I both and at this point we both thrive on it. Naptime and bedtime tears are a thing of the past. I have the freedom to clean my house and type this blog post, and evenings to connect with my husband. I’m sure this will change as Brooks continues to grow and develop, but when that time comes, we will embrace the transition in the same “tuned in” way we have to date. If my experience can possibly benefit another rookie mom, than my goal in posting this has been achieved!

Read more about what I’ve learned in my very new and ever-changing role as mom under the Baby tab on my blog menu! I’ve shared the 10 things I didn’t expect to experience postpartum, my breastfeeding journey FAQ’s, my MVP baby products, post-hospital meal prep, and more! If you would like more insight into our daily routines, check out my Instagram! I often post our day’s activities on my story and would love for you to follow along!

You are best suited to raise your babe, so I hope at the end of the day you will go with YOUR decisions along the way! And regardless of the trials your first year with baby is bringing you, I hope you remember to enjoy it! I imagine we will one day miss the sleepless nights and ability to pick up and console our crying babies. Cheering you on from Texas! You got this, Mama!!

Kelsie