how do you handle naps using the HSHHC book?

I just read the HSHHC book because I desperatly need my 3mth old girls to start taking naps during the day and sleeping better at night. I'm running on fumes everyday trying to care for them and my 3 yr old alone. My DH is gone for the next 6mths so I have limited help from my parents. The babies must be allergic to sleep or something because they constantly fight it during the day. As soon as they start to get drowsy I put them in their crib and they instantly wake up crying, by the time they finally fall asleep its time for their next bottle. A typical night is bedtime bottle at 6:30-7pm, sleep till 12-1am then wake for another bottle, sleep till 4-5am then wake for another bottle. Thats on a good night, lastnight they woke every 3 hrs for a bottle then woke several times in between their feedings. The book says they should go down for a nap within 2 hrs of waking, we've been trying to do this for the past 2 days and its not really working because they wake as soon as we put them in their crib and cry or they just lay there awake looking around. How do you handle naps? how do you get them to take a nap? what kind of nap schedule do you use? Right now Im ready to try anything to get them to sleep longer at night and take naps during the day that last longer then 20min.

 

QUOTE(dlphin99 @ Mar 30 2008, 04:01 PM) [snapback]695442[/snapback]
I just read the HSHHC book because I desperatly need my 3mth old girls to start taking naps during the day and sleeping better at night. I'm running on fumes everyday trying to care for them and my 3 yr old alone. My DH is gone for the next 6mths so I have limited help from my parents. The babies must be allergic to sleep or something because they constantly fight it during the day. As soon as they start to get drowsy I put them in their crib and they instantly wake up crying, by the time they finally fall asleep its time for their next bottle. A typical night is bedtime bottle at 6:30-7pm, sleep till 12-1am then wake for another bottle, sleep till 4-5am then wake for another bottle. Thats on a good night, lastnight they woke every 3 hrs for a bottle then woke several times in between their feedings. The book says they should go down for a nap within 2 hrs of waking, we've been trying to do this for the past 2 days and its not really working because they wake as soon as we put them in their crib and cry or they just lay there awake looking around. How do you handle naps? how do you get them to take a nap? what kind of nap schedule do you use? Right now Im ready to try anything to get them to sleep longer at night and take naps during the day that last longer then 20min.


I haven't finished reading the book...But-have you tried having them take a nap elsewhere? My boys are 5 months-and do not sleep in the crib for naps. They do well at night-but naps-forget it. They sleep in their swings. One of them slept 3 hours this afternoon in his swing! I know HSHHC doesn't recommend it-but you gotta do what you gotta do. I want them to SLEEP! So-not much advice other than will they sleep elsewhere? I am alone during the day, so it's easier for me to just swaddle them up and put them in their swings, then fight putting them in the cribs. Can't wait to hear what others say!

Good luck!

 

I'm still trying to figure ot HSHHC. The only thing that I can suggest is to try putting them down for their nap after a hour and a half. My DD didn't really seem tired, but she was. I also use white noise and swaddle.

 

At 3 months we were just in the start of nap training with HSHHC. It was REALLY tiring on me. I did one at a time with the other (the poorer sleeper) in the swing. I used a vacuum a lot for him. They were SO over tired.

At first they didn't nap at the same time very often. Use the 2 hours as a guide not rule. Ours were more like 45 min for the first AM and then 1.5 after that. Stick with it for at least 2 weeks of good hard consistency. We decided to do it when we knew I had help. Any chance you can get some?

Honestly our routine happened with luck - one day she feel asleep on her own in the crib and I decided that she could do it all the time. There was crying - lots of it sometimes. I would peek in though and she would be workign it out, eyes closed and sucking her thumb etc. So it was easier to be willing to hear crying.

Controlling the wake up was key for us along with being super consistent. oh and time. It just clicked one day.


I am a big believer in HSHHC, if I wasn't nursing I am sure we would not be up so much at night.

Good luck

 

We just implemented this for naps and bedtime about 2 weeks ago and it's working wonderfully. I think when you put your babies down for a nap and they wake up immediately and cry, you just need to let them cry it out for however long you feel comfortable - anywhere from 5-15 minutes then pick them up, soothe them, and do it again. It did not take us longer than 20-30 minutes of crying the first day to make it work.

 

I'm with the others!! I used it and loved it. BUT DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO in order to get them some sleep!! It's easier if they are rested!!! Try shortening the 2 hr. time. That might be TOO long for your tired little people!! :hug99: Hang in there!! It works! :hug99:

 

Mine did a thing where they refused to nap for a bit right around then - I think there's a developmental stage that must make it tough to sleep. That said, they sound like they're too tired - you know how he describes babies who are wakeful because they're too tired?

So there are two things that stuck out for me when we were first working on naps. The first was that their awake time is NO MORE than 2 hours, and may be a lot less. So look for sleepy signs and rush them to bed then. The second thing was that he says many times that at that age, you do whatever you can to get them to sleep and avoid the overtired state. If it takes a car ride, or rocking, or being tucked into a swing, that's all ok, especially if you've got tired babies to begin with.

This will get better in time. It may take another few weeks for them to mature enough to start to be regular about their naps - what is their adjusted age?