Should I Care...?

Updated on February 08, 2010
K.M. asks from Carol Stream, IL
5 answers

My daughter is 8 weeks old. At about 4 weeks she started sleeping in her crib. She has consistently started sleeping for longer stretches at night. She is regularly sleeping for 8 hours at night. Occasionally she will wake during the night and self-soothe by sucking on her hand or fingers. She is a pretty happy baby all in all. Here is the thing - she naps great during the day everywhere OTHER than her crib for good chunks of time 1 - 2.5 hours at a time. But anytime I put her down to nap in her crib she will only stay down for about 15-20 minutes before becoming REALLY fussy and crying and getting really upset. When I do that she stays really fussy for the rest of the day, probably because she is overtired.

So, my question is: should I be worried that she doesn't want to nap in her crib? Can this turn into a big problem? Or should I just be very happy and relieved that she is sleeping so well at night and naps well in other places and just not worry about it? I don't really want to her grow to hate the crib and upset her (and my own!) nighttime sleeping. Oh - when she does nap we put her in her pack and play which is now downstairs in the living room (This is what she originally was sleeping in for the first 4 weeks in our bedroom). It doesn't bother me to have her downstairs, in fact it is easier to monitor her - I just don't want to be creating a problem. Thoughts?

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More Answers

J.G.

answers from San Antonio on

I 'ditto' everything Lee P. said. Perhaps during the day, the pack n play has something that her crib doesnt? (more/less sun, warmer, cooler, hearing you?) My son is almost two. His sleep patterns have changed a lot lately. He'll put himself to sleep at bedtime, but at naptime I have to rock him till he zonks out, or else he won't nap that day. So as long as she's napping well and getting 15 hours total of sleep, I think she's doing great. (I found the 15 hour number from http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-chil... )

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L.L.

answers from St. Louis on

Although sleep patterns do and will change, I wouldn't worry! My son napped in a pack n play during the day always, and slept in his crib at night until he was 18 months old. We did this primarily because his bedroom was very bright and hot during the day so we'd put him down for his nap in the pack n play in a cooler, darker room. Then we moved. Now he naps just fine in his crib and there were no problems with the transition.

K.I.

answers from Spokane on

Let her sleep anywhere she wants for her naps...sounds like things are going great...don't fret mommy!

You will not be causing any problems for down the road...as my father would say..."if it aint broke, dont fix it"!

L.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I don't think there's any way to be sure about whether allowing your daughter to nap elsewhere will cause a problem down the road, but my initial thought is that as long as she IS NAPPING, and particularly, as long as she IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT, you've got it made. Just bear in mind that sleep patterns can and do change, and it may have nothing to do with whether you let her nap in other places. But all in all, it sounds to me like she's doing extremely well.

I say if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Best wishes...

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D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

Our kids, at that age, were spending most of their time napping in their swings/bouncy seats.

Remember, they're still accustomed to being in your womb and all the sensations that came along with it (sounds, movement, etc).
I personally wouldn't be worried.
When I think about how we did things, even the day care providers would have kids in the nursery sleeping in the swings/bouncy seats vs. their cribs. There could be a variety of reasons.

Our daughter spent almost all her time in one of those devices while an infant. She is great at sleeping in her crib now at home and on her cot at day care (she's 22 months). our son, however, has never been a good sleeper. Just the differences in their personalities and their sleep habits.
You could always ask the pediatrician their opinion. I think the most important thing is that wherever you have her sleeping is safe.

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