Question for those who do cry it out

I have started to let my twins cry it out for naps since their naps since their naps have been nonexistant lately which makes everyone cranky. Basically what has been happening today is they start crying - I do go in to give pacifiers after a while, and they both fall asleep. Then after just 20 minutes - a half hour of sleep one or both of them wake up screaming!! At this point do I let them cry again or go in and get them up? When I go in the seem pretty awake but I know this nap can't be long enough - I have heard their morning and afternoon naps are supposed to be more like a couple hours - so I'm always hoping for at least an hour. So again, my question is, do I let them cry all over again? And for how long? I have read that you are allowed to let them cry for 1 hour for naps (Healthy sleep habits, Happy child) but what about after they wake up after such a short sleep? Help - this no napping is exausting me!!

 

You're sure they are tired when you put them down? Mine stay in their room for an hour - they can play or scream or nap but they are in there for an hour.

 

my kids took shorter naps in the morning and longer ones in the afternoon....

 

All of their naps are like this!! yes they are exausted - rubbibg eyes ect when i put them down.. they are almost 7 months.

 

also when they get up from these "naps" they both ushually just want to be held and scream when i pu them down! and i'm home alone with them during the day so it is difficult.

 

QUOTE(someone @ Feb 23 2009, 01:58 PM) [snapback]1201730[/snapback]
also when they get up from these "naps" they both ushually just want to be held and scream when i pu them down! and i'm home alone with them during the day so it is difficult.


It sounds like they're still tired. If they wake up after 20 minutes or so I would let them CIO. My boys have become very good sleepers, but it took practice. We did CIO to get them to fall asleep but when they woke up (even if it was 20 minutes later) we'd go right in and get them. They would also be cranky and want to be held. So, we decided to let them CIO if they woke too early (anything less than an hour.) It's worked out really well for us. Now they wake up in great moods and they're rested. Good luck!

 

If they wake after 20, I would leave them in there for another 40 (making it an hour total) unless they are freaking out. I used to leave mine in there whining, fussing, or playing.

 

I agree with pp, we did that and eventually they got it and stayed down longer. There are still days when they have short naps but there are days when they take 2 2 hour naps so be patient. CIO is effective when you are consistent. You will learn quickly when the really need you to come and get them and when they are just still tired and cranky. Hang in there it gets worse before it gets better. PM if you need more! GL

 

If it were me, I would cut the going back in to give pacifiers. It would help them to learn to sleep unassisted. JMO

 

I agree with the PP. It sounds like they don't know how to put themselves to sleep, so they cry. I would leave them alone once you put them up for their nap--it may take a few days, but they will learn to put themselves back to sleep, and will have much better naps. One of the reasons I was happy my boys didn't like paci's and were happy with their thumbs--much easier to find a thumb and self-soothe!

 

The doc said to keep gong in for pacifiers when they wake up at night since pacifiers reduce the risk of sids in the first year. (if they don't take to it though of course it's not an issue).

I will however ask about about the letting cry through pacifiers at this months check up (this week).

 

We do at least 45 mins for the morning nap, 90 mins for afternoon nap. If they wake before then, we don't go in and most often they fall back asleep.

 

i was just re-reading HSSHC for the 5 - 8 month age, and he mentions that if baby wakes up well before an hour, that you can leave them for ANOTHER hour to fall back asleep. we did that for a while with our girls. essentially you end up with two short catnaps with crying in between, but eventually the in between crying gets shorter & shorter & you have one longer consolidated nap. GL!

 

My girls have gone through this. They were only taking 20 min. naps for a while, which meant they took a lot more naps. They have started sleeping for 2 hours in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon too. They also take a shorter nap before dinner. I have found not going in once I put them down has helped. I give Ellie her binky, but don't go back in to give it to her again, unless she is totally losing it and I know she won't stop. She has since learned how to put it back in herself. Abby sucks her thumb, so I know I don't need to go in there. I try to make them stay in there for at least an hour. If they wake up and are crying, I'll wait for a bit and see if they go back down. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. I wish I knew what to tell you to do. I think you just need to keep trying things to see what works. Remember, everything will change. I remember thinking that everyone else's kids would sleep so much longer than mine and now mine are too. Good luck.

 

QUOTE(christie76 @ Feb 23 2009, 04:38 PM) [snapback]1202003[/snapback]
I have found not going in once I put them down has helped.


This will definitely help. Also, try putting them down a little bit earlier. Maybe they are overtired :hug:.

 

QUOTE(miss_bossy18 @ Feb 24 2009, 07:28 AM) [snapback]1201984[/snapback]
i was just re-reading HSSHC for the 5 - 8 month age, and he mentions that if baby wakes up well before an hour, that you can leave them for ANOTHER hour to fall back asleep. we did that for a while with our girls. essentially you end up with two short catnaps with crying in between, but eventually the in between crying gets shorter & shorter & you have one longer consolidated nap. GL!



I found this too... I read in one book about the "45 minute intruder" and this isnt' considered a nap. I just let them cry if they woke up after 45 mins and they eventually learned to put themselves back to sleep. this was the time I separated them for naps. Plus I sometimes gave them a sink bath and put them right back to bed. I figured at this age it was "quiet time" and less "nap time" so if it was less than an hour they needed to spend some time in their cribs /pnp during "quiet time" they could talk or roll if they wanted to.

Plus I found I needed to put them back to bed 2 hours after they woke up. I found sometimes even if I was late by 30 mins made a HUGE difference. They wake up at say 6 am and they needed to be back in bed by 8 - 8:30 the latest. If I didn't put them back until say 9 am.. they sort of got a second wind and slept shorter and less settled.

Also I started to put them to bed much earlier at 6:30. If they somehow had 3 naps that day or a late second nap I might keep them up until 7 pm... but rarely. They are 15 months now and still on this schedule.

Best of luck

Heather

 

Another vote for not going in at all once you put them down for the nap. Also, for my paci kids, I put about 10(no kidding!) in the crib with them, so that everywhere they rolled, they would find one, and they quickly learned to put them in themselves.

 

At 7 months they are real close to being able to find the paci themselves, so I would just do as Becky said, put about 7 in there and let them find one. I would put them down and not go in the room for 1hr and if they wake close to 1 hr I would let them be for about 20min and see if they go back to sleep. Worked well for me

 

I would put them down earlier... they might be overtired by the time you put them down. Usually mine only show signs of tiredness when they are really tired.