Babies: 3 - 6 Months
CrazyMary77
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Nap time battles
CrazyMary77
member
Within the past few weeks, LO has been having a lot of difficulty falling asleep for naps that she didn't have previously. I have put her down when she starts showing signs of tiredness, and I've also put her down when she's more tired. I give her a paci and a lovey, play white noise, caress her. Use different combinations of things that normally soothe her. I don't rock her or feed her to sleep. I might sway her a bit to help her calm down, sing to her, then put her down while she's sleepy but still awake. She is visibly very tired, her face red from rubbing, yet she'll continue to whine and moan and move around. I'll let her whine it out for a while, then go in, give her the paci again, caress her a bit until she calms down, leave the room, and she'll start up again. So far no matter what I try, she'll continue to whine for a long time. I don't know what else to do to help her fall asleep.
Luckily we don't have a problem with nighttime sleep. It's napping that's a battle.
Sometimes changing where she sleeps helps. It's interesting to me because if I put her down in the crib, sometimes moving her to our bed helps. But then if I put her down on our bed, sometimes moving her to the crib helps. *shrug*
I've read a couple sleep training books but they're geared towards nighttime sleep, and that's not our issue. Any recs on how to improve her ability to fall asleep for naps? I'd welcome any book or website suggestions.
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Re: Nap time battles
Exact same happening here. Nighttime is fine, once she's down (and it takes longer) she's down for her usual 12plus hours (waking to eat a handful of times). Naps are so much shorter now...they are exactly (like she has a wrist watch) 45min then she goes "PING" tries to sit up with the biggest, goofiest grin on her face saying "time to play mommy". I've tried everything to get her to go back to sleep but nope. She is VERY happy when she wakes but then is ready for a nap 60min later (used to go 1.5hrs). I spend all day getting her down and up from naps!!
She takes more time to go down cause she wants to play with and see EVERYTHING. She'll turn to me and grin and start laughing and try to fool me into thinking naptime is over.
Pretty sure it's just a phase...she totally woke up to the world this week and wants to be part of everything, she mastered sitting and playing on her own, she rolls both ways and on and on. A wonder week for sure. Oh and separation anxiety has begun. She is content with daddy unless I am in eye sight...and if he tries to put her down to sleep she FREAKS out until I come in, then she smiles and calms. Just too much going on physically and cognitively!
She is still getting like 16hrs of sleep a day (she likes/needs her sleep) but it looks much different than weeks and months past. It also takes a lot more effort from me. I have been tempted many times to give up and skip a nap so I can get something done, but I know better...this kid needs her sleep or we spiral out of control fast!
Oh, and I have reverted back to having her nap on the couch. I lie with her till she passes out then do some stuff. I move the coffee table beside where she is so she can't fall on floor and I shove rolled up blankets next to her to slow her rolling down. She's oddly never tried to roll while on couch.
Anyways this seems to help. She falls asleep easier with me lying with her snuggling and I can do stuff nearby once she's out.
We didn't really do anything about naps, except I would rock him and he'd catnap 20min at a time... He kinda just fixed the nap issue himself. He's also been having a hard time with the nap lenght, but it's getting better every day. He does sleep a continous 10-11 hours at night, so his 45min naps don't bother me that much. We just nap more often. No more meltdowns at night.
GL, and it's true, it shall pass.
I think we have the same kid!! I could have written this exact thing.
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