reasons not to sleep-train

glenrapids

i am debating on whether to nap-train my DD this week.  i never thought i would intentionally let her cry but she is not napping well and as a result, is a crying, fussy mess by the end of the day.  on the few occasions she does nap well (when i'm holding or nursing her the entire time), she is a happy baby all day.  she's about to start childcare next week and i know that they will not hold her all day in the same way that i do.

if i do nap train her, i wouldn't let her CIO, but would let her cry with pick-up-put-down checks every few minutes.  i'm already bristling at the thought of doing this, but as it stands now, everyone is kind of miserable by 4 pm.

i thought i would get some input from the attachment crowd as i figure this whole thing out.  are there reasons i shouldn't go for this method?  any napping success stories?

ToastieSimons

I would ask your daycare how they plan to help your LO adjust to napping.

My mom works in an infant room in a daycare and for this children who have issues/trouble napping they push around in a stroller until they fall asleep.  They also rock the portable cribs if a LO wakes up.  I know my mom will personally stand there and pat a LO's back until they fall into a deep sleep.

I would be scared that by starting nap training and then shipping her right off to daycare that it would be more confusing for her than helpful.

However, the daycare my cousin works at puts all the kids in their cribs in a separate room and lets them cry to sleep (unless they're hysterical then they go in and help).   

also, at your LO's age I would hesitate to do any training.  Between the 4 mo wakeful coming up and the fact that at her age, developmentally they do this.  Have you tried to make sure her space is conducive for napping (dark, quiet, white noise, the 5's if necessary).  At your LO's age she's probably so engrossed in the world around her that she doesn't want to nap and miss out on anything and then gets so overtired and overstimulated.  I did have to hold DS tightly, sway, rock, shush, white noise, etc until he would sleep around that age.  He would cry because he didn't WANT to sleep, but if I let him stay up he was a mess.

redheadinlove

I work in an infant room at a daycare! It's true, we cannot hold your child all day like you would. And they notice. It breaks my heart, but there are other children and I have to tend to their basic needs (being fed and changed) first. 

However! We will rock babies to sleep, sometimes they get put in the swing so they are still being rocked, and then eventually we get them used to sleeping in the cribs by themselves. Right now I'm working on getting one 4 month old used to sleeping in his crib and what I do is rock him to sleep then lay him down and if starts to wake, I pat the side of his bottom until he settles again.

It's not the most peaceful nap all the time, but he's getting there. We do let him fuss a little in his sleep but we don't let him cry or scream if we're able to tend to him.