Not Napping? Why?!

My babies are sleeping through the night the past few nights (I feel like I shouldn't even type this as I don't want to jinx it) but there is no napping going on during the day (they might doze for 20 minutes once or twice but that's it!!!)

What's going on here? Any time they start to drift off today I'm putting them right in their crib and 20 minutes later, they are crying to be held. I won't do CIO yet, as I know they are too young...What can I do?!!

 

I have read your other posts in the past about not having a "schedule". I dont keep a schedule either. I also have the nap problem you described and my babies are about the same age. The best thing that I can offer, which I am working on myself, is to really try and create a consistant nap routine. I have been trying to leave the bedroom as soon as the babies wake up in them morning then we dont return to the bedroom until it is time to try and nap. I swaddle them lightly for the nap, bounce them the same way and shoosh them every time. Try sending them the same message every time.

When you said that you didnt have a schedule, didnt you say something about having them sleep where ever, when ever? Mayne having a routine so they get their signal straight that it is nap time would be helpful.

Also, I have heard that they will sleep much better and for longer if they are not over tired. There are methods that suggest looking for their signals after 90 minutes of wake time. Yawning, rubbing eyes, laying still, pulling at ears, fussing, etc...

I am working on the same issues and thinking that a "schedule" for nap time may not be a bad thing. I might even start to take notes about when they nap each day and see if I see a pattern as to when they nap the best. So far, it seems to be that they really like to take a first nap almost exactly 90 minutes after waking up in the morning.

 

Maybe try getting them down 15-20 minutes earlier and see if they are overtired and this is causing them to have broken sleep.

 

I went through the same thing at about 5 months. I would definitely try a nap routine, it was a modified change of their night time routine. I put them in their crib with music and made sure the shades were drawn in their room. It was right around that time that mine went to two naps a day. I found that doing the first nap close to two hours after wakeup seemed to do well. The second nap is about 3-3.5 hours after wakeup from the first nap, 3 hours later from the 2nd nap wakeup they go to bed.

 

QUOTE(itsnancycozzi @ Nov 11 2008, 08:14 PM) [snapback]1066552[/snapback]
I went through the same thing at about 5 months. I would definitely try a nap routine, it was a modified change of their night time routine. I put them in their crib with music and made sure the shades were drawn in their room. It was right around that time that mine went to two naps a day. I found that doing the first nap close to two hours after wakeup seemed to do well. The second nap is about 3-3.5 hours after wakeup from the first nap, 3 hours later from the 2nd nap wakeup they go to bed.



Were your babies okay with just being layed donw in their crib or did that take some practice? Mine usually need quite a bit of soothing.

 

I do a nap routine too. I lay them down as soon as I see their sleepy cues. They go down awake, swaddled, with their white noise machine on and the blinds drawn. I give them their binky and they go to sleep. It did take some practice and some days are better than others, but it works really well for them and they are well rested and sttn. We do the typical eat play nap routine. Some days the play doesn't last as long, but I let the babies decide that. Goodluck! I think the key for me is to give them naptime cues. Kinda like you would do for nighttime cues. They just know it's time to go to sleep. This way, they rarely get overtired. As soon as I see them yawning or rubbing their eyes, they get swaddled and put down.

 

I have been watching for their sleepy cues, putting them down in their cribs when I see them, drawing the curtains, keeping the room quiet (my babies aren't into pacifiers...never have been)...and they might doze for 10 min. max before crying again! I tried a modified CIO for 3 minutes with DS and then pulled him out of the crib. I'm so frustrated today!

 

ah i hope they start napping soon for you! the only way i got mine to nap was a short cio (i let them go 15min before going in and holding them til they settled and then laid them down again). they got it in 2 days and now go down with 0-5min of fussing, no crying.