40 min naps in the crib, WWYD?

emilys629 · January 2012

I know I'm not alone with a 40 minute crib napper. He wakes up after 40 minutes, not crying, but I can tell he's still tired. But by the time I get up there he wants nothing to do with going back to sleep. So what would you do? I want him to get more sleep.

A. Leave him in there for an indefinite period of time, through crying, to see if he falls back asleep on his own.

B. Go in there, nurse him, hope he falls back asleep.

C. Sneak in BEFORE 40 minutes is up to lightly wake him and pat him until he falls back asleep.

D. Not worry about short naps, when they get mobile, they will nap longer.

E. Anything I'm not thinking of?

JSanFran · January 2012

depends...if he's suuupppper cranky waking up I've done B before...but...lately he doesn't really nap well while nursing and pukes all over me afterward!

I think D...M just started regularly taking 1-2 hour naps in his crib after being a 30-45min napper for FOREVER!

Maybe try giving him a lovie...I swear ours has done wonders for his napping! lol

kimbo1216 · January 2012

Give him ten minutes to work it out. Especially if he's not crying, I would just leave him be.

rattlecanqueen · January 2012

I'd leave him until he got to the point where he's inconsolable. I'm a certified teacher (birth-6th grade) and currently work in an infant room. When one of my kiddos awakes after a short nap, and know they need to nap more, I leave them. Of course, I check on the baby, but if they're happy, I leave them, if they're upset, I console, and they CIO w/patting or some other help if they get to the point where they're screaming, usually takes about 30 minutes. Sucks, but it's what they need. But if it seems like they're not going to go back down after they cry for sometime, I get them up.

emilys629 · January 2012

I've started with a lovey and am trying to associate it with naptime. I am not opposed to CIO as long as it works!

cvl105 · January 2012

I'd take the 40 minutes!! Callie naps for like 20 minutes. Not even enough time for me to get anything done!

cmread · January 2012

Sometimes I let him cry for 10 min and then go in to soothe (and repeat). Often though, I pick him up and let him finish his nap in my arms. Today he slept 30 min in crib and 2 1/2 hours (!!!!) on my lap. Not the most productive option though!

amanda1680 · January 2012

We are currently sleep training, and Macy JUST started napping in her crib. This alone is an amazing accomplishment for her, but she still tends to wake up right at the 30 minute mark. We give her a blanket (yeah, yeah, a loose blanket...) and a lovey for naps only, and this has helped immensely. We have also darkened the room more and use her white noise and fan that we use at night. It's important to have a nap "routine" and get them down at just the right time.

Based on Good Night Sleep Tight, when she wakes up, I go in there and sit in my chair and try to shush her back to sleep and say my "reassuring phrases" like we use at night. She's never gotten hysterical, but if she did, I can pick her up briefly to reassure, then put back down. The book says to give it a full hour, and if she's still not back to sleep, then you're supposed to leave the room for one minute and come back in, turn on the lights and do a "dramatic" wakeup. This is to make it clear that the nap is ending because YOU want it to, not because she is crying. Then you're supposed to try the nap again when lo starts showing tired cues, even if it's only like 45 minutes later.

So yeah, it's a big PITA, but you have to be consistent. Honestly, I have not given it a full hour yet, because sometimes it takes that long just to get her to sleep in the first place. And if she makes it 40 minutes, I'll take it and just try again later. Best of luck, I hate naps!!

JsMama11 · January 2012

J was king of the 30 min naps until a month ago. He started belly sleeping and his naps greatly improved. Before then I would leave him in his crib until he was crying. That would usually get me to at least an hour. GL!

barefoot barista · January 2012

My girl takes 90 minute naps, but she doesn't STTN. I've started giving her a lovie, she likes it. Try giving it to him right before naps,and curling his little fingers around it.

mesr · January 2012

i would REJOICE!!! at 40 minutes of my kid sleeping! i guess that's option D. i might also try option B. but seriously, lucky you to get 40-minute naps!

rainstar752 · January 2012

I guess it depends on their mood when they wake. Are they happy and cooing/talking, or crying? If they're crying, they probably need more sleep and I'd try to get them back to sleep by either CIO for a few minutes or patting. If they're happy, like my DD after 30 minute naps, it will probably be a battle to convince them to sleep more!

march2008 · January 2012

I'm going to go with choice "D". DD has been taking short naps (30-45 minutes) lately and I've decided to just go with it and I'm not going to stress about it anymore. I've tried soothing her back to sleep after she wakes up and it's never worked. I guess that's just all the nap she needs right now.

I finally got her to nap outside of my arms and not in the stroller today. She's back in the swing, but oh well! It's a step in the right direction for us, which is any kind of nap that doesn't involve me holding her or walking her around the neighborhood in the stroller constantly! I'm going to to try to attempt one crib nap per day starting this weekend when DH is home to help me if I lose my patience!

emilys629 · January 2012

Thanks for all the replies ladies. I go back and forth about whether or not to stress about it. Part of me thinks he'll just grow out of it (into it?) and the other half thinks I'm doing him a disservice by not WORKING with him. Sigh. Friggen babies.

BES21 · January 2012

Well, I guess I would ask how much he sleeps at night? My DD takes half hour naps, but she sleeps 12 hours at night (sometimes straight through, sometimes with one wake up). I tried everything you mentioned to try to lengthen her naps and it just wasn't happening. I finally just gave up. She takes a half hour nap every 2 hours, which usually means 4 naps a day. Ultimately she is getting her 14 hours of sleep a day, so I feel OK about it. I'm hoping she grows out of it on her own.

chuicafina · January 2012

BES21:
Well, I guess I would ask how much he sleeps at night? My DD takes half hour naps, but she sleeps 12 hours at night (sometimes straight through, sometimes with one wake up). I tried everything you mentioned to try to lengthen her naps and it just wasn't happening. I finally just gave up. She takes a half hour nap every 2 hours, which usually means 4 naps a day. Ultimately she is getting her 14 hours of sleep a day, so I feel OK about it. I'm hoping she grows out of it on her own.

This is us exactly. I figure eventually he's ready to decrease to 2 naps per day *hopefully* he'll start napping for longer. For now, I'll take the 30 minute naps and am happy with a 40 minute!

emilys629 · January 2012

He sleeps great at night. 11 hours. In the crib.

During the day it's like the crib is made of fire

LisaM. · January 2012

We do option A. If I can remain consistent over a number of days, his time awake shortens and then he continually sleeps for two hours. So, I leave him in his crib for two hours, sometimes it takes 40 minutes to fall back asleep, sometimes there is a little bit of play and crying involved.

However, daycare 3 days a week throws this off, so I feel like I am constantly nap training. However, they are working with us, so it's getting a bit better there too. I'm going to send in a lovey this week and see if it lessens the crying while they try to stretch out his nap.

OpheliaChem · January 2012

F. Be happy you have a baby who naps for 40 minutes. Stick out tongue

DD sleeps in her cribs (at home and sometimes at DC) for naps and they last at most 30 minutes. Today we had three different 15 minute naps. I don't do anything to make them longer. If she wants to sleep, she will sleep. It sucks but for me, its not worth messing with her and stressing myself out. If I was a SAHM, it might be easier to control naps but DC does napping on demand so there is no set schedule and that makes naps at home hard.

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40 min naps in the crib, WWYD?

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