Help! My DS is still a horrible napper

I posted this in the First Year Forum, but didn't get any responses, so I thought I would post here. I wrote about my DS a couple of months ago. He has never been a good napper. Back then he was on 3 naps a day and some of you suggested that we do 2 naps a day, so I made that change. DS is still taking mostly 35-45 minute naps. I cannot get him to nap any longer. I've tried rushing in to soothe him back to sleep, letting him CIO, putting him down earlier or later, but I haven't seen any changes. I log his sleep but I don't see any patterns when he does nap better. He usually wakes up happy but gets fussy very quickly.

He falls asleep quickly and easily on his own. I put him down when he starts acting tired. Do you think if we went to one nap he would nap longer? I am afraid he will take one short nap and then he'll be really cranky.

DD is somewhat better. She takes two 1 - 1.5 hour naps a day. She still seems tired to me though.

Right now this is his approximately schedule:

5:30-6:00 am wake up (I don't get them until 6 am)
8:30-9:15 am - Nap #1
12:30-1:15 am - Nap #2
6:30 p.m. - Bedtime

By bedtime they have had several meltdowns and are totally exhausted. If I try to stretch out the time between naps they usually get overtired and then nap poorly. Help!

 

My two have gone in cycles like this. Will more so than Andy.

Anyway, I think with all sleep things, consistency is the number one rule. After exhausting myself with like 300 different ways to get them to sleep past the 45 minute mark, I kind of just let it go. I decided an optimum nap time (depending on how old they are and the day etc) and I just don't go in the room until that time is up. I guess kind of like how you don't go in until 6 am.

I would think that 11 months may still be to early for 1 nap. You could try holding off the naps until a little later. I think around 11 months we had a 6 am wake up, a 9 am nap (1.5 hours), a 2/2:15 nap (45 min, they really hated this nap) and a 6 PM bedtime. However, I would always make them stay in their cribs at least 1 hour.

I will say, that all of this is now different at 13 months. We're on 1 nap a day (10:30-12 or 12:30) and a 5:45 bedtime and life isn't that fun. I hold 2 hours as the nap standard, and they often only sleep 1:15 or 1:30, so sometimes we drive around in the afternoon for a little catnap to make it through dinner/bath.

good luck! This is such a frustrating part of parenting. You know they need sleep but they just won't give in!

 

Sorry you aren't getting very many replies - I don't have any good answers either, though! With mine they are in their cribs from 9:00 - 10:30 AM and 1:00-3:00 PM no matter what. If they cry or play or talk during that time so be it, but usually they do go to sleep. We are still on two naps a day at 15 months and will make the switch to one at about 16 months I think. I think naptime just being non-negotiable for all this time has helped us meaning that they don't expect anything other than being in their cribs where they might as well nap during those times.

 

:hug: I am sorry that you are dealing with horrible naps still.
I agree that 11 months is too young for one nap. Would it help to let him sleep longer until like 6:30-7?
I also decided on an optimum nap time and let them stay in their room for that amount of time. Mine are on one nap from 1-4 and as long as they are quiet, they stay in there. Does your DS have a lovey or blanket that might help him sleep longer?
:hug:

 

Hi,

I think the first nap it too far away from when they wake up. I have spoken to you before and the two of us always seem to battle with our logans . I have a clock next to my bed and the second I hear a peep I look at the clock. For logan he has to be in bed before the two hour mark or he will take a short nap. Most babies sleep cycles are 45 mins, but his might be as short as 35 min as I'm sure it varies and he can't transition into that next sleep cycle. My other son is flexible though and won't be affected if he is thrown off. For Logan though he has to be in bed before the two hour mark or he wakes up exactly 45 mins to the tee. Also have you tried static? I have always had to use static with Logan since he started with his coliciness, but when I was transitioning him out of the swaddle he was back to his 45 min wake ups for a couple of weeks. One night my husband put him to bed and set the radio the only thing he did different was put the volume of the static up abnoxiously loud I mean loud and he slept straight throught he night with out the swaddle. We actually bought a bose radio because the regular radios just couldn't get loud enough. FOr thanksgiving I napped him at my brother and used he radio and put static on, but it was no where near as loud as my radio and wouldn't you now he woke up at the 45 minut mark :headbang: So for him it has to be two things for him to get into a deep enough sleep to tansition into that next cycle and it is sticking to the 2-3-4 hour schedule to the tee and abnoxously loud static (however I think now he could either be going through a phase or ready for one nap cause he just doesn't seem as tired at the marks and it is taking just a tad bit longer to get him groggy. I just don't think he needs as much sleep as his brother)Good luck, but I would try static and putting him to bed earlier like after he has been awake for and hour and 45 mins to give him 15 mins to settle himself down and then he will be at the two hour mark.

 

Logan does have a lovey that he is crazy about, but apparently it doesn't make him sleep any longer. He is only allowed to use it for naps.

We use white noise machines, but not radio static. That is a good idea that I will have to try!

I've been trying to get them to go a bit longer between naps to help them make it to bedtime, but I think that may be backfiring. I guess it's back to the 2-3-4 schedule! That means their first nap could be as early as 7:30 am, because sometimes they wake at 5:30 am.

 

I think it will stretch itself out because they will take longer naps (knock on wood) Let us know how you make out!

 

Update:

I went back to the 2-3-4 schedule.

DD is taking longer naps again and I'm really happy about that. She is napping about 3 hours total, per day.

DS is still napping poorly (30-45 minutes). I'm trying to leave him in there for a full hour, unless he gets really hysterical. He usually wakes up happy from nap #1, even if it's short. He wakes up cranky from nap #2. Does this mean anything? Yesterday he did take a 1.5 hr. nap, but it was his only good nap in two weeks. I'm really not sure what to do with him. It frustrates me, but I'm trying to accept it.

 

:hug: It's so difficult when they don't nap/sleep well :hug:

If he's been a stubborn napper always, I'm not sure if it will change. I know this sounds weird, but my DH said he's Never slept well. Even his mother says he slept poorly as a child. I would be a concerned mama also.. A- babies need lots of rest to grow and B- why does he wake up cranky after nap #2 I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you - just :hug: Hopefully he pulls through for you.

All you can do is keep doing your best as you have been.