My six-week-old only takes contact naps during the day (while being rocked). When did those stop if your LO experienced the same problem? How and when were you able to let go of them in your arms? We have tried putting him in our bed, the crib, the swings, the bouncer, the Snoo and standard bassinets, hug me, you name it—but he always wakes up quite quickly and begins to wail. He sleeps in the carrier too but I have to be moving and I’m completely exhausted. I truly hope that I will put him to sleep.
Gradually transition your baby to napping in their crib or bassinet. Begin with brief intervals of autonomous sleep and progressively extend the duration. You can also gently place your baby in the cot when they are tired but awake, teaching them to self-soothe.
Here are some tips that might help you transition your baby to napping independently:
Create a Consistent Routine: Establishing a daily routine can help your baby know what to expect. Try to keep nap times, feeding times, and play times consistent each day.
Gradual Transition: Start by putting your baby down for naps in their crib or bassinet once they are already asleep. Over time, try to put them down when they are drowsy but still awake.
Comforting Environment: Make sure the sleep environment is conducive to rest. This can include dim lighting, white noise, and a comfortable temperature
Do you swaddle? My best advice is to swaddle tightly, put on white noise, turn off the light and put LO in the crib right after a feed. If baby was asleep and wakes up right away, comfort them but don’t pick them back up. Let them cry for a minute or two (set yourself a timer if you need to). Then keep trying. From my experience, it won’t work every time. Sometimes LO will keep crying and you will keep crying, picking them back up for a contact nap. Some days are just like that. Keep trying and eventually, it will start working more and more often. There will be regressions. It always seems to be 2 steps forward, 1 step back.