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Sleep training @ nap time

jwebb0512jwebb0512 member
in Babies: 9 - 12 Months
DS is 9 months old and I used to hold him while he napped. I know, I know...but it's literally the only way he would nap for more than 10 minutes and I was tired of a cranky baby. In the last couple days, I've started trying to sleep train. When we did it at bedtime, it took a week. Naps are not going so well. For those of you who have done it, how long before you call it quits on the nap? I've let him cry for 30 minutes each time before going in and getting him. For the past three days he hasn't slept a wink, he just cries. I know Ferber doesn't work if you give in. It just teaches them to cry, but I feel like if I let him go longer, our whole day will be spent with him crying. It's also making me feel like I don't know my kid. For example, he woke up at 7 and at 9 he started fussing, so I gave him a bottle and he started getting really drowsy so I laid him down and he's been in his room crying ever since. In my gut, I know he's tired or he wouldn't have practically been sleeping during his bottle, but I'm sitting here questioning myself...maybe he isn't tired, maybe I have no idea what my kid needs. At this point, I'm ready to cry myself. I just need help. TIA
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Re: Sleep training @ nap time

  • Shelly038Shelly038 member
    I had the same issue with nap training (and our DD only took 2 days to sleep train at night, naps were ssooo much harder).  I never let her cry for more than 30 minutes for a nap.  Actually the research I did (on internet, I didn't actually buy the book), made it sound like if the baby is still crying at 30 minutes to give up and try again later (which is obviously much different than night training).  I started to really really look for clues.  Maybe he's overtired by the time he's falling asleep during a bottle.  I noticed for a while that our DD would want to nap an hour and 1/2 after waking from sleeping 12 hours straight.  Our biggest clue was rubbing eyes.  The second I would see her rub an eye, I put her in her crib.  As hard as it is, my best advice is keep trying and being consistent.  It took a while for DD to start napping on her own but she does now.  Since Ferber worked for you at night, I would think it would eventually work at nap time but maybe you want to try another method of sleep training.
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  • kjsmith9kjsmith9 member
    Yeah if I remember correctly from the Ferber book, it says to "call" naps at 30 minutes if they're still crying.  We still kind of do that now.  I'll go in after 5 minutes, another 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then if she's still having a fit, nap is over.  We try again in an hour if she seems tired.  Although I think I'm getting better at being able to tell if the nap just isn't going to happen.  She used to be a horrendous napper, but will now just lay down and go to sleep literally 98% of the time.  
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  • beccalee721beccalee721 member
    Just a thought but how dark is your LOs room during the day? We never got them, but it helps a lot of babies especially as they get a little older to have the black out curtains for naptime. It takes my LO a little longer to fall asleep for naptime than bedtime even though I know she's exhausted and I think it's because of the light in her room.
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  • JJ_13JJ_13 member
    loud white noise, room darkening curtains, cool temp. Beyond that, for training we went by Kim West's Good Night Sleep Tight book and our previously horrendous napper now, most days, takes two naps, both of which are anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. It's complicated so I would recommend just reading the book (buy or get at library), but yes, at some point, you "call" naps, but you do them in a certain way.
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