I heard a rumour

Discussion in 'The Toddler Years(1-3)' started by agolden, Mar 11, 2008.

  1. agolden

    agolden Well-Known Member

    I'm starting to get crabby when people are telling me "it get's better" all the time. Just when does that happen. Right now, they sleep reliably 10 hours a night. I should be grateful, right, but I'm not. And they barely sleep during the day - 2 naps sometimes 20 or 30 minutes a piece. I just don't think they are getting enough sleep (and lets not even talk about me!). Do they really just start sleeping later all by themselves. I've tried cio in the mornings to sleep later but it doesn't work.

    Just about when does it start "getting better" and what does "getting better" mean to you.

    Thanks,
    P.S. Please don't move, I'd like the perspective of the moms of older twins. Thanks.
     
  2. LanieK

    LanieK Well-Known Member

    Hi there!
    Well, I think every single month is a bit easier. I would think looking back you would find now a big improvement over 3 months ago. I think a big difference is also at one year. I haven't found it to be easy yet- but easier- YES!!! My boys sleep pretty much 11 hours at night. We changed to one nap at 17 months and that made for more consistency. They sleep between 1 and 3 1/2 hours for their nap. I wish I knew which days would be the long ones so I could tackle a big project or take a nap!! Well, I don't know if I answered anything in this- but I think generally- every month the learning curve straightens just a bit more for the twins and myself- and that makes things a bit easier for the kids and me! But- I still get crabby as well- teething happens, night terrors, unexplainable other wake-ups. My boys go back to sleep easily- as do I- but waking up at 4 am still wears a person out!
    GOOD LUCK!!!
    Lanie
     
  3. CHJH

    CHJH Well-Known Member

    Hi there. Me again, Catherine from the hood...

    I think it's a combination of time and consistency that improves the situation. I can honestly say that it does get better. As babies mature, their sleep rhythms become more predictable. But consistency in a sleep routine has been helpful for us. I did have to let go a little and learn to be patient though. Sometimes babies just aren't ready to sleep as soon as you are, I guess. As for the early waking thing, we did leave one of our early wakers to cry and it worked. The other does wake early a few days a week but goes back to sleep once we give him his paci and his little doggie. I think giving him that little stuffed animal was one of the best things we ever did. He sleeps with it faithfully. I've seen him wake up in the night, grab the doggie, shove it into his face, and then go back to sleep.

    Also, I have come accept that my boys can't sleep in the same room. I wish, wish, wish they could. But they can't. So we are sort of playing musical beds around here with Evan (who is more adaptable). It's not ideal to have a baby sleeping in the master or the office, of course. But what can you do? Hopefully they'll be able to sleep together once they're a little older? To me, the sleep is worth the incovenience of having pack and plays in every corner. Oh, and I realized through trial and error that our poor sleeper, James, (well, he's okay now but by nature he's a poor sleeper!) needs total darkness to nap. So I forgot about our cute nursery design and just put tin foil on his window! Looks terrible, works like a charm.

    Just thought I'd throw in this link for a sleep doula service in Toronto. And sleep therapist too (she's an actual doctor, I guess) . I've never tried this route, but some people swear by it. http://www.birthsolutions.info/index.cfm?p...ula&id=3823 and http://www.kidsleep.ca/
     
  4. Debb-i

    Debb-i Well-Known Member

    From what I remember, they say that most 6-12 month olds need about 12-14 hrs of sleep/day. Every child is different, but a total of 11 hrs (with naps) seems a bit low.

    My boys got into an established 2 long naps (1.5 -2 hrs/each) per day around 6 months. After 15 months, they went to one long nap/day (about 3 hrs) and just dropped that nap before turning 4. They were also sleeping 11hrs at night. I would try to make naptime as cozy as possible to establish the pattern (if you aren't doing so already...which you probably are). Things like making their room as dark as possible during the day. Read some books and then put into the crib. Some people find playing soft music or "white" noise helps lul a baby to sleep. Stuff like that.

    It depends what you define as "when it seems better". Sleepwise, my boys have been great from about 5-6months. Every year, you're faced with different challenges. Physically chasing after 2 boys running in 2 different directions and not understand "no" or the meaning of danger was very difficult between the ages of 15-22months. For me, things gradually got "easier and easier" with each passing year. (it will for you too!) Put parenting and disciplining a child goes on for long, LONG time and is never "easy". But I can say that I'm really enjoying my boys at this age. I wish I could bottle them up!
     
  5. brandycaviness

    brandycaviness Well-Known Member

    You may not want to hear this, but my girls are 19 months old and still wake up at night. I don't know what to do. We have tried CIO, I have read every sleep book. Hopefully they will start sleeping by the time they start school. :lol: Atleast they are sleeping 10 hrs.
     
  6. JennaPa

    JennaPa Well-Known Member

    It will get better but it might take a while. My girls had a lot of things that kept them from sleeping well at night. Most of the time it was a cold or teething. At 9 months, they were still waking once to eat as well so count yourself lucky there.

    We didn't feel sleep traing worked for us so we just did the best we could to encourage good sleep habits - very consistent nap times and bed time.

    I can say it was a long road but baring illness, mine finally sleep 11-12 hours at night (7:30pm-7am) every night and nap from 1pm-3pm every afternoon.

    I would work on the nap issues - 20 to 30 minutes is too short. I alwys put mine down with the intention of them being in the crib for at least an hour - awake or not. Sometimes they woke up, fussed and went back to sleep. It might be worth a try.

    Good luck. It's so hard to be a tired mom with tired kids.
     
  7. SweetpeaG

    SweetpeaG Well-Known Member

    Mine didn't even sleep through the night until 14 months old...so you probably don't even want my "advice".

    We did have early waking issues too (to the tune of about 5/5.30am), from about 14-20 months. It was exhausting.

    We rigged a night light up to a lamp timer so that it would come ON at wake-up time, indicating to them when 'morning' started. It took a lot of training and talking it up, but they do understand that we don't come get them until their light gets 'BRIGHT BRIGHT". That being said, they have only recently started sleeping past 6:15am. Joe still prefers a 6am wake up.

    We have been good nappers, thankfully. They sleep for 2-2.5 during the afternoon and 10 is about all I can squeeze out of them at night.
     
  8. Sullyirishtwins

    Sullyirishtwins Well-Known Member

    My twins are usually good w/nap since 6 months old and had stayed consistently that they go down at 10 AM. They were both early riser at 5:30 AM, but w/Spring forward changed to 6:00 AM but we don't get them out of their crib until 6:30 AM.

    I have trouble w/nap situation now as they aren't ready to go down at 10 AM. I tried to get them to nap after lunch but they kept falling asleep at 11 to 11 30 AM this week. I hate to let them nap first and then eat lunch around 1 PM?

    My daughter still need her 30 mins nap on those days she's moody.

    Diana w/Rianna and Justin (17.5 mos)
     
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