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Happycouple
member
Need advice--am I nap nazi with my baby?
Happycouple
member
Im so so paranoid and stressed about the nap thing. I was with DS#1 too. I fully believe that sleep begets sleep so I have been trying everything in my power to make sure DS is not awake for longer than 1-2 hours during the day before he goes back to sleep again. (Sometimes it can be difficult to get him to nap, not because he is always fussing but because he is just so awake sometimes and can take a long time to get back to sleep again--for instance he was awake for 4 hours stright last night--wtf! I was a hot mess stressing over it).
Anyways, for 2 of his naps I tend to wake him up so we stay on a 'schedule'. By 'schedule' for example, it is currently 6:15 here and i like to put him in for the night at 8pm. He is sleeping right now as he frequently does around this time. I will often wake him by 6:45 so he can have some awake time and I can feed him before I soothe him back to sleep to go to bed around 8.
I want to continue to have a set bedtime as he doesnt normally fight it and Im hoping eventually both of our sons will have the same bed time. This currently requires me waking him up at about 6:45 so I can keep this 'schedule'. (keep in mind I sometimes have to wake him up from an earlier nap during the day so that he will nap during the 5:30-6:45 time frame in order for him to go to bed at 8...kwim?)
Advice? is this a bad idea? to wake him up? Should I let him dictate the schedule during the day or should I try to establish a nap routine? My goal is that once DS sleeps longer at night that both kids will be in by 8 and I will have my glorious 2 hours to myself with DH back before I go to bed...
Severe MFI resulting in IVF/ICSI #1 in Nov 2007. BFP!!
Our beautiful son was born July 2008.
2010: 2 IVF's,1 FET = 2 BFN's, 1 c/p
Feb 2011-Unmedicated FET= BFP!! DS #2 born Oct 2011!!.
Our beautiful son was born July 2008.
2010: 2 IVF's,1 FET = 2 BFN's, 1 c/p
Feb 2011-Unmedicated FET= BFP!! DS #2 born Oct 2011!!.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Need advice--am I nap nazi with my baby?
I think that my advice would be to try to think of it as a routine as opposed to a schedule. If nap #1 goes a little long, then put down for nap #2 a little bit late and maybe adjust dinner time a bit, etc. The only time I would ever wake up a sleeping baby is during that last nap, if it gets too close to bedtime. For example, we would wake the girls up from their nap if they sleep past 4, since they go down for the night at 6:30. When they were still taking 2 naps a day, I would follow the 2-3-4 schedule (awake for 2 hours -- nap -- awake for 3 hours -- nap -- awake for 4 hours -- bed).
At that early age, I let both of my kids lead the way with sleep. Reed worked himself into a schedule and Penny didn't for a long time...but she slept in her carseat if we were out and about or whatever.
I wouldn't wake a newborn if their nap is going to late at this point. But that's just me.
I think if it's really stressing you out, then you might need to relax a little on the clock. Like Jill said, think of it as more of a routine. Don't watch the clock so much.
IMHO, yes, you are a nap nazi! Lol! One word, relax! For me, one thing I love about the newborn period is that it is one of the rare times of infancy & toddlerhood that you don't need to worry about sleep habits & schedules. Newborns sleep, they sleep a lot. Sometimes they need a smidge of guidance figured out night vs. day, but other than that, sleep away wee one. I rarely, rarely wake a sleeping baby - only to eat before back to birth weight/trouble gaining weight & on occasion from a realllly long nap.
I found both my girls settled into fairly predictable patterns very quickly, with no doing on my part. Sure those patterns shift a bit as they become more wakeful, but their little bodies adjust pretty quickly. ex- Lydia wasn't settling into her longest stretch of the night until 1am for a few weeks & was cluster feeding for a few hours leading up to it. All the sudden, she has fallen to sleep around 11 & sleeping her longest stretch then (4-6hrs).
I just follow her cues.
Definitely go with routine. Let the first nap end naturally and adjust from there. Attempt a routine but see what he's natural cues are first and work with it from there. I'd focus on not letting him get overtired and a good eating routine and go from there.
I agree! Especially for the first 2 months, I wouldn't wake them unless they NEED to eat or if the last nap of the day is going too long. and I wouldn't try to "force" sleep if the baby isn't tired during the day (overnight is a different story). Newborns definitely have routines, but not schedules that stick to certain times of the day. I wouldn't worry about scheduled times until at least 3-4 months.
Because we're fancy like that.