SLEEP: We've established that naps are chaotic at 5 months... WHEN do they get better?

PLEASE... those of you who have been there... tell me when this gets better.

I love my kids always, but I really only like the way they behave for about 30 minutes when they first get up most days. Then they get tired & fussy and it all goes to HE**. We are trying to follow HSHHC (have been trying to be consistent for about a week or more with no improvement and actually much regression) but the 2-3 naps per day thing is a HUGE joke. They can really only handle about 1 hour of wakefulness at any point in the day. Their naps are never more than 45 minutes. Every moment of wakefulness after the first nap involves CONSTANT fussing!! I can't even watch for "sleepy cues" because there is nothing but pure fussing.

So, my whole life is putting babies down for naps, overseeing a nap (trying to make sure no one wakes the other, mostly unsuccessfully!) and dealing with whiny, fussy kids constantly. They need nice long naps. How do I help make this happen for them... or when will it get better for all of us?!

I am supposed to go back to school full time in January after 6.5 months (at that point) of being a SAHM and I am FREAKING because I don't even have time to breathe right now, let alone study and learn challenging material!

Please, please, please... tell me when it gets better (in terms of fussing CONSTANTLY and napping miserably briefly).

Thanks!!

 

:hug99: Our napping madness got better when the babies started sleeping through the night at 6 months. But before that it was exactly as you described...NUTSO! At 6 months, they were on 3 naps, 9, 1230, 330. I hope it gets better for you soon!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Nov 18 2007, 07:02 PM) [snapback]501336[/snapback]
:hug99: Our napping madness got better when the babies started sleeping through the night at 6 months. But before that it was exactly as you described...NUTSO! At 6 months, they were on 3 naps, 9, 1230, 330. I hope it gets better for you soon!


Same here! Except it was 7 months for us. Before then it was crazy...never more then 20/30 minutes at a time. Which definately made for a long day. Now 1.5 to 2 hours for both naps.


:hug99:

 

It does get better... give HSHHC tactics some time. I tried it and wanted to give up after the first week of no progress, but eventually, things fell into place and now they're on a pretty good routine. My kids are up at 5 and back down at 6. They then have naps around 10:30 and 1:00. Each nap is around 1 hour to 2 but usually never less than an hour. They are down for the night at 6:30pm.

Another thing I felt was helpful was separating them! I cannot even to begin to tell you how much easier life got once they were in separate rooms. They would wake eachother up constantly. Their rooms are right next to eachother, but they have noise machines that pretty much block out the other's cries.

Good luck and keep trying. Eventually it will get better... trust me!

 

QUOTE(2BMommyof2 @ Nov 18 2007, 07:55 PM) [snapback]501386[/snapback]
Another thing I felt was helpful was separating them! I cannot even to begin to tell you how much easier life got once they were in separate rooms. They would wake eachother up constantly. Their rooms are right next to eachother, but they have noise machines that pretty much block out the other's cries.


YES I forgot to mention this as we did the same thing 6 weeks ago and that definately helped also!

 

NO help same thing is happening at my house. Hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel. Because my girls really need some good naps during the day.

Missy

 

When are you feeding them? Maybe you can try the opposite. If you follow the play eat sleep pattern then try the sleep eat play. We have always done eat play sleep, but my mom said it was easier for her to get kids to sleep longer on full tummies.

 

For me it's always up and down. Just when I think I have the babies figured out they change on me. At 8.5 months we're in a fairly good groove, but I know it's probably temporary. I've just accepted that there are always going to be ups and downs, with teething, developmental milestones, new abilities to stand up in the crib, etc. Just be consistent so you always have a good routine to go back to when things get off track.