Napping

Hi All,
This is my first post in this forum. I have been reading everyone's posts and most of the time get all of my questions answered that way. Anyway, I have been blessed with 5 month old g/g fraternal twins. They are wonderful and so happy to finally be a mom! I very loosely follow the HSHHC. I know that about every 2 hrs, my girls are going to be ready for a nap...and they are! The problem is, I can't usually get them to sleep more than 30-4 min. It is very rare that they sleep for anything longer than that. I think I have tried everything. Does anyone have any suggestions or is this how it is for some babies. I appreciate ANY advice!

 

:wavey: Shannon and :welcome: to TS and the First Year.

I love HSHHC. I would say try putting them down a bit earlier than the 2 hour mark. Sleep begets sleep as he says and maybe they are overtired and need a little more time to settle. Do you swaddle still? That might help and also some white noise in the nursery can do wonders. HTH!

 

I stopped swaddling them when they were around 2 months. They hated having their arms tied down and every time I would go in their room, their arms would be out somehow! Right now I play a lullabye CD, do you think white noise would be better? I think the other thing I need to do is get a room darkening shade...I don't know. When do they start staying up a little longer than 2 hrs?

 

I did the lullaby CD too and then switched to white noise and noticed a big difference in how they slept. Mine werent big into swaddles either, but lots of people swear by them on here. We have the blackout shade in their room. Mine started staying up a bit longer than 2 hours around 7 months or so, but they were also 2 months premature. Some babies just need more sleep and a longer wind down time. How about a pre-nap routine?

 

I have to say the only reason that I have any time to respond is because I'm at work right now! I don't really have much of a nap routine. I put one of my dd's in front of her fisher price aquarium in her crib and she eventually falls asleep. I have to rock the other one until she is almost asleep and then I can put her down. It's so frustrating because sometimes they sleep for over and hour, but it is a rare occasion. I feel like I need more of a nap routine at this stage of the game. I figured they would be doing at least an hour for each nap.

 

Keep being consistent. They will get it. At 5 months we were doing about 4 naps a day and the morning nap was really the only predictable one about 1.5 hours after they got up.

No worries, the only reason I have time to respond is that my kids are asleep and I should be doing other things. :laughing:

 

That makes me feel better. Their morning nap is very consistent about 1.5 hrs after they get up. That's when I get to sneak in the shower!! Did yours nap in their cribs?

 

Yes, once they started taking that morning nap we started them in their cribs instead of in the swing or PNP.

 

I would definitely give the room-darkening shades a try, along with white noise rather than a lullaby CD.
Also, are you putting them down right at the first sign of drowsiness? I find that helps with my babies, trying not to miss the window.