The No Cry Nap Solution (28 page)

• Find out if the motor needs to be plugged in or runs by

batteries. If battery-operated, have a supply of batteries on

hand or consider two sets of rechargeable batteries.

• If you don’t have a swing, bouncer, or hammock now but

are looking to buy one, you might consider borrowing one,

renting one, or letting your baby take a test ride in a friend’s

swing. Babies don’t always take to these immediately, but

you might get a sense if this will work for your child.

Father-Speak

“My son sleeps so well in the swing that I use it every day.

While he swings, I make phone calls and do other things

I can’t do when he’s awake. When he wakes up, we play.

After listening to other parents complain about their non-

napping babies, I got to feeling guilty about how easy it is

for us: swaddle, swing, snooze. But then I had an epiphany.

He’s happy and healthy, and we both benefi t from his naps,

so why not?”

—Jay, father to four-month-old Maxwell

176 Solving Napping Problems

The Sensible Use of Swings and Things

A parent should never be made to feel guilty for using a swing

to help a baby achieve a long, wonderful nap. But let’s never be

tempted to allow these devices to take the place of our loving

arms. That’s the fi rst place of choice for all babies!

How to Decide When to Wean Your Baby

from Motion Naps

There is no absolute rule for when you must wean your baby from

motion naps to stationary sleep. The right decision is different for

every child. The following questions can guide you as you deter-

mine if you should continue naps as they are or if it is the right

time to move your child to stationary sleep:

• How do your child’s daily nap hours match up to the sleep

chart on page 8? Is she getting enough sleep and napping

often enough throughout the day?

• Is your baby safe? Has he outgrown the seat?

• Is everyone in the family happy with the way things are

going now?

• Is the motion sleep becoming troublesome or complicated?

Why?

Understand the Elements of Your Baby’s

Motion Sleep

Once you have decided that it is time to transition your baby to sta-

tionary sleep, take a day or two to analyze your baby’s current rou-

tine. Once you understand the schedule as it is now, you can decide

what you would prefer it to be and then make a plan for changes.

Be patient, as the transformation could take anywhere from a

week to several months, depending on how deeply ingrained the

Swinging, Bouncing, Vibrating, or Gliding
177

Kieran, three years old, and Mommy Jennifer

motion habit is, the actual reasons your baby is attached to motion

naps, how well the solutions you pick match your baby’s personal-

ity, and how dedicated you are to make the change happen. It’s

important to decide up front if you want to make the change as

quickly as possible or if you would rather take time to allow the

change to be more gradual.

Before you move on to choosing solutions, let’s look at the

components to your child’s current nap environment so that you

address each of them:

• Movement.
(Obviously!) But what speed? What direction? Is

it used to help him get drowsy, to fall asleep, to stay asleep, or all

three of these?

• Sound.
What music or sounds does your baby hear as she is

falling asleep? During sleep? (Beyond the music, listen for motor

178 Solving Napping Problems

hum, creaking, and other sounds.) What other sounds does your

baby hear during naps? (Kitchen noises, laundry room sounds, sib-

ling voices?)

• Structure of the sleeping surface.
What shape? What tex-

ture? How soft or fi rm? Does your baby have contact on one, two, or

three sides of her body? How is she kept warm—clothing, blanket?

• Location.
Where does your baby take naps now? Where are

you while he is napping? What can your baby see from his sleeping

place? How light is the room?

• Routine.
Babies who take motion naps often require no rou-

tine at all! Just pop baby in the swing, turn it on, and it’s off to

visit the sandman. Consider what happens the half hour before

nap: feeding, diaper change, and anything else that routinely

occurs before sleep. These components can be used in your new

stationary-sleep routine.

How to Transition Your Baby to

Stationary Sleep

All babies are different, so there isn’t one perfect solution that fi ts

all. Here is an assortment of ideas for you to choose from, com-

bine, or perhaps use as inspiration to come up with your own best

answer.

Step-by-Step

Instead of changing everything about your baby’s nap all at once,

it may help to make the switch in stages. Here is one example

to give you an idea of how this works—your step-by-step may be

entirely different. The steps you create are not set in stone. You

might need to adjust the plan as you go along. At each stage listed,

all the routine steps remain exactly the same except for the one

Swinging, Bouncing, Vibrating, or Gliding
179

change noted. (Again, this is a sample and can be modifi ed as

suits you and your baby.) The steps planned are these:

• If you do not use white noise for naptime now, begin to

use it for naptime. Select a soothing sound such as ocean

waves, heart sounds, or rainfall. (Look for a CD or a white-

noise device; don’t use the sound that comes attached to

the swing.) Use this for a week or so in your baby’s current

location, as it will become a consistent sleep cue through

all the remaining steps.

• Set up the swing in the baby’s bedroom right beside the

crib. Do nothing else different (except play your new

sounds) for a week so your baby can get used to the new

location. (If baby doesn’t settle easily, then sit with him

in the room. Read, fold laundry, or do yoga so that your

relaxed presence tells him everything is okay.)

• Begin to use a slower speed on the swing.

• After a time, shut the movement off as soon as baby is

asleep.

• Once this adjustment is made, try putting baby in the

swing for naps but turn the movement off when baby is

settled and sleepy, before he is actually asleep.

• Next, follow all your usual routine, but do
not
turn the

movement on at all.

• After a week or so of your baby sleeping in the stationary

swing, put him down for a nap in the crib. Prepare the crib

in advance to make it more inviting, as described on page

140. Incorporate other ideas as shown in the following

sections.

Step-by-Step, with a Twist

Some babies are so accustomed to motion during their naps that

they won’t take to the idea of sleeping stationary—even in their

180 Solving Napping Problems

familiar swing. You may have tried to shut off the motion, but your

baby just cries and won’t nap, making it hopeless to even think

your baby would nap in the crib. There are a few creative ways to

bring motion to the crib. In most cases it’s still helpful to follow

the step-by-step idea previously described, but when it’s time to

put your baby into the crib, that’s where you make one adjust-

ment: add some movement. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Mimic the motion.
Take a small handheld massaging vibra-

tion device (used for back rubs) and turn it on. Place it in the

corner of the crib (away from your baby) and put your sleeping or

drowsy baby down in the crib. The feel of the vibration and the

sound can help your baby fall asleep and stay asleep. You must

keep an eye on your baby or remove the massager from the crib

once your baby is sleeping.

• Use a bouncy chair or vibrating seat.
Take a bouncy or

vibrating seat and put it
in the crib
. Make sure that the seat is

stable so that it won’t tip over. To keep your baby safe, you must

stay in the room or sit in a chair in the doorway so you can keep

an eye on your baby. Turn the vibration off after your baby falls

asleep so that he’ll be more used to sleeping stationary in the crib.

After a time of using the seat in this way, gradually reduce the

speed of the vibration until you fi nally turn it off completely. The

next step is to keep the nap routine exactly the same but remove

the seat and lay your baby directly in the crib. When you fi rst do

this, your baby might be confused, so when you place him in bed,

lay your hands on him and rub or pat to help him get settled.

• Attach a crib-vibrating device.
There are a few crib- vibrating

devices on the market that attach to the bottom springs below the

mattress. Some of these also have a white noise attachment. While

no studies have been done to prove their effectiveness, some parents

swear by them. Most of these have a return policy in case you fi nd it

doesn’t work for you. As an alternative, you may be able to remove

the vibrating box from an outgrown bouncy seat for this purpose

Swinging, Bouncing, Vibrating, or Gliding
181

and tape it to the bottom of the crib. (This is especially effective if

it is one that your baby loved when she was younger.)

Duplicate the Familiar Parts of the Sleep Environment

One way to make the crib more agreeable is to mimic parts of your

baby’s current swing or napping seat. Here are a few ideas:

• Is there a headrest pad in your baby’s swing that you can

transfer to the crib? A head support made for strollers can

work, also. (This idea is not for newborns—safety dictates

no pillows for infants.) An infant positioner can also create

that cradled feeling for your baby.

• Can you put the swing in the room
next to the crib
and turn

it on while your baby is in the crib? The familiar sound—

even when your baby is not in the swing—may be comfort-

ing and can be a good sleep cue.

• Can you place a crib wedge under the bedding to create

a slightly upright angle that is more similar to his swing

angle?

• Is there a safety bar that goes between your child’s legs in

his seat? You can place a small, safe stuffed animal between

his legs in the crib to replicate that feeling.

• The swing-bed is likely small so your baby can touch the

sides. Instead of laying her in the middle of the crib, try

positioning her at the top or bottom corner. That way she

can feel the sides of the crib near her.

• Put a stationary cradle in the place where the swing usually

sits so the surroundings are familiar.

Experiment with Baby Massage

Babies who are accustomed to the multisensory stimulation pro-

vided by motion naps may fi nd a prenap massage relaxing enough

182 Solving Napping Problems

to prepare them for sleep. Massage for this purpose is best done

after a diaper change in a darkened room, preferably the same

room where your baby will nap. Peaceful music or white noise plus

a bit of lavender fragrance can further create a relaxing ambience

for your little one.

Create a calming routine for your baby and follow it exactly for

a week or so to see how effective it will be. Choose a week when

disruptions are minimal and you can be home every day at nap-

time. Start your new routine about a half hour before your baby’s

typical nap time. If he has no typical time, watch his behavior for

tired signs.

Jot down your new routine (see page 29) and follow it step-by-

step. It might include a bath if that relaxes your baby, and if you

start the routine
before
your baby is showing signs of tiredness, so

you’ll have plenty of time. Move to a quiet, darkened room. Turn

on soft music or white noise and give your baby a massage. At

the end of the massage, simply lay your hands on your baby for a

few minutes to see if she is drowsy enough to sleep. She should be

relaxed and peaceful.

If you are unfamiliar with how baby massage works, ask your

health care provider, midwife, doula, or lactation consultant for