What the heck is up with naps @ 9 months!

Ok, so naps have been pretty good til the last several weeks or so. Meaning, they went from three to two naps no problem and were taking those two around the same time most days. They get up between 7:15-7:45 am most days and are ready for a nap between 9-10 am then for another nap around 2-3 pm...give or take, most days. Usually they lay down and don't have a problem being quiet til they fall asleep (maybe 15 minutes or so?). But lately they have been acting tired at the same time but when I go through the routine and lay then them down, they are staying awake anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour (sometimes even longer?) just either talking (which they used to do just not for so long) or fussing about wide awake (not bad, just not being quiet). This means they aren't evne going to sleep until they used to be getting up from their naps. They've even gotten into the habit of pooping in the fresh diaper I put on right before morning nap time, just about as predictably as the tides, so I usually go in about 15 minutes after I put them down to do a diaper check if they aren't quiet yet, which is most days.

I guess I'm just wondering if leaving them in their cribs while they are awake for so long will hinder good sleeping habits later? I don't want them to see their crib as a playpen, but I want them to be able to put themselves to sleep, which they can, but they don't seem to do so as fast any more? Am I putting them down to early? I wait for sleepy signs and get yawns as we head up the stairs for naps, but when I lay them down, they just aren't going to sleep as quickly? Is any of this making sense? I feel like I'm going crazy...I don't want them to just sit in there and stare at blank walls for an hour or so every day but I want them to have predictable nap times and routine! I'll stop now cause its been 45 minutes since I put them down and I still hear lots of comotion up stairs, I should check on them. TIA cause I know how many napping questions get asked around here!

 

So now its been over an hour and they are both WIDE AWAKE up there!! This is about the time they would be getting close to getting up from the morning nap. I just sat on the top step and cried for a minute because of the thought of them just sitting in there getting dumber by the second just staring off at who knows what without any mental stimulation or whatever. What the heck?! Why don't they sleep? What am I doing wrong? I really don't want them to sit in there for up to a total of two hours a day wide awake...they need naps! I know they have each other and I would feel worse if it were just one baby up there sitting staring at the walls, but still...why is this stressing me out so much? This isn't that big of deal, maybe I'm finally getting my period back? I haven't had one since getting pregnant so I guess I'm due <_<

 

I posted this about this a couple of months ago. My only solution to the issue was to separate them for naps. I tried to hold out but after about 3 weeks of the constant verbage at naptime, I couldnt take the crankiness any longer from the lack of sleep. Also I posted about not changing stinkies if they do it at naptime. Seemed to be the general consensus that no one does and just put some extra cream on when you can. Hope this helps.

 

Too funny. I just saw you post a response to my issue in the 1-4 board and I just posted to you on FY :laughing:

 

Every since we actually got on a nap schedule, I've seperated them into two rooms for naps. Owen sleeps in the packnplay in the guest room. Works so well, I don't even want to try putting them in the same room.

Just to compare notes, mine wake around 7, and I just started putting them down at 9:30 instead of 9:00..I don't think they were tired enough at 9:00 anymore. They "usually" sleep an hour to an hour and a half, and then of course they are bad days...or crazy good days where they sleep two hours!

If it's only been several days, I would call it a phase, and hope it ends. If its been several weeks of bad napping, then there's definitely an issue. I'd try putting them down earlier, later, or seperate them. Also, don't worry about them starting at a blank wall...that's how you build creativity!

I say all this as my DS is screaming upstairs after a 45 (if that) minute nap....sigh...

Good luck..nice seeing you around....

Jennifer

 

Nice to know I'm in good company at least

Thanks, I feel better now that they've napped almost an hour and a half, atleast one of them Maybe I will separate them for naps and see what happens. They used to be ok with it even with the cribs right next to each other (Olivia does steal Evan's blanket occasionally though).

I should just suck it up because no matter how they're napping now in less than two weeks we're moving cross country and we'll have to be super flexible with them and napping on the road.

Thanks again for the support! It helps so much!

 

QUOTE(sitkamom @ Nov 29 2007, 12:57 PM) [snapback]514041[/snapback]
So now its been over an hour and they are both WIDE AWAKE up there!! This is about the time they would be getting close to getting up from the morning nap. I just sat on the top step and cried for a minute because of the thought of them just sitting in there getting dumber by the second just staring off at who knows what without any mental stimulation or whatever. What the heck?! Why don't they sleep? What am I doing wrong? I really don't want them to sit in there for up to a total of two hours a day wide awake...they need naps! I know they have each other and I would feel worse if it were just one baby up there sitting staring at the walls, but still...why is this stressing me out so much? This isn't that big of deal, maybe I'm finally getting my period back? I haven't had one since getting pregnant so I guess I'm due <_<

They aren't going to get dumber. :hug99: They are obviously getting some kind of stimulation because they are still awake but quiet. It's possible to overstimulate babies too. It's good to give them "free play" time so they can learn to entertain themselves.

I think separating them would help, plus at 9 months there is a brain growth spurt that occurs and they want to be awake so they can practice whatever new skills they are acquiring mentally. This quiet time is good for them.

 

Update: you'll never believe but today's afternoon was/is a complete disaster! Since they didn't get up from the morning nap til 12:30pm I figured we'd go for a walk in town then come home, play for a bit and try to take another nap around 3pm. So I nursed them and changed them and try to lay them down at 3pm. They both protested fiercely so I went in after a half hour because they weren't settling and let them crawl around in the nursery and the upstairs landing. All the while Olivia is still upset and crawling around unhappy/screaming for no apparent reason. She does however get momentarily sidetracked, but then remembers that she's unhappy and is screaming, again, for about twenty minutes or so. At around 3:45 I try to lay them down again as they have been very active for the last 45 minutes blowing off steam, crawling around. So I lay them down quietly, music playing quietly, etc... and leave the room. From the second I lay her down Olivia is upset. I let them go for about five minutes and then go in and take Livie out of the room and just stand in the dark landing with her while DS tries to settle to sleep. He settles around 4pm and I sit in the rocking chair in the landing with Livie for about 15 minutes til I decide she isn't going to go to sleep. And she is still up and playing in the playard in the living while I type this at 4:30. She is yawning now though... WTF! This seems to be becoming a pattern with them. DD doesn't sleep NEAR as much but at least she was content enough to sit quietly in the crib during set nap hours. But now, she wants none of that and won't be left in her crib for nap time. Thanks for making it this far I know it's along rant...

 

I'm right there with ya today. I had the worst day too and it was all because my kids dont want to nap anymore!!

 

Keeping mine up a little longer between naps and doing a real wind-down routine is helping at our house. I put the babies in their sleep sacs, give them their soothies, then lay with them and read them books on my bed for about 10 minutes in a dim room. Then I put Evan in the pack and play in my room and James in his crib in the nursery. Evan falls asleep within minutes of me leaving the room and rarely cries. James resists his nap for about 5 minutes (with me beside the crib patting his bum) and then conks out.

 

Well, I think I made it through today with half my sanity left. Tonight wasn't any easier because they were SO TIRED!! Olivia flat out skipped the second nap, and Evan got about 30 minutes for his second nap. As soon as DH got home I got the heck out of the house for about an hour which saved me! I got back and they had been cranky for DH during their dinner but it was getting to be bath time then we could put them to bed and it would be over for today...or so I thought. Anyway, after their usual night routine they both ended up crying it out for about 45 minutes and DH and I finally went in because we thought the neighbors would call the cops on us soon if we didn't do something. Anyway, I ended up just nursing them, again, and they are not making any noise now, so that's a good sign. OH MY GOODNESS!! What a crappy day! Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Thanks also for the suggestions...I try to keep them up as long as possible usually between naps, its just when they give me the sleepy signs I can't help but think it's time to go start the nap routine. I hate these off days. (I hope that's what they are). I'm not so sure about separating them for naps either. They've done well before so I really don't want to get them in the habit of sleeping separately if I can help it. But time, and my patience, will tell

Thanks again for the help today, I really needed it.

 

Jessica ~ I just wanted to give you :hug99: and say I'm right there with you! My girls are giving me grief about naps too lately! I have to say you're doing way better than I am. I've gotten myself into the habit of cuddling them to sleep. Which stinks when they're sleepy at the same time and someone has to feel left out. But it worked at least, until lately. Now, even if they're asleep, they wake up when I put them down and want to chat and play! It's been pure cranky craziness over here and I'm kinda glad to hear I'm not alone. Our naturopathic Dr. suggested giving them Unda 30 remedy drops to see if that helped. I have them here, but I haven't made the plunge just yet. We'll see how desperate I get though!

On a side note, I've been so out of the loop lately that I didn't even know you were moving? Details details! When and where?! PM me if you ever get a baby-less moment.

Best wishes! Laura

 

I just wanted to say I am right there with you. They take longer to go to sleep for naps and then sleep even less. I tried seperating them earlier this week to see if they would sleep more and they slept LESS! Especially DS who cried and cried and barely slept at all. So they are back to cosleeping and have taken better naps tho not longer. DD is trying to pull up and DS is still mastering the crawl so I think they are both practicing all this fun stuff instead of sleeping. they are also becoming more clingy, wanting me to sit with them in the baby jail play area all the time and crying when they see me leave to go do something. They still don't have any teeth but seem to be teething so I hope that is part of the problem too. sigh. I just am trying to go with the flow and not stress, glad to know I am not alone.
On a side note we have moved bedtime up to even sooner if the naps are lacking, 630pm instead of 7-730pm

 

I had the same problem around that age...and now I'm getting the two naps down to one...where one day one will sleep one nap and the other two and vice versa the next...

I found that the best thing was to just keep on the schedule...even if they don't sleep they are atleast getting some down time, away from eachother and away from toys and other stimulants...(and for the afternoon nap perhaps put them down 1/2 hour earlier if they just don't seem to make it!)

I also found that it had to do with teething and/or a growth spurt and would last about a week at most and then they'd be back to normal schedules...

I don't know if that helps at all...its as frustrating for us to change schedules as it is for them!!

 

So here we are today...only twenty minutes in to the first nap and I think they are both sleeping!!! I'm trying to stay on the same schedule, but how long will that last? Like muskokatwins said, one day A needs one nap and B needs two and the other day its reversed..Holy mackerel, when will I ever get out of the house!!! Here's hoping today is better for all of us! B)

awerner, mine are just like yours with the 'playard'/jail. If I use misdirection and get them interested in something else for a minute, I can usually escape undetected, but if they see me step over the walls and leave them behind I hear about it :huh:

Laura, we're going to be moving to Blue Lake, CA (way northern CA in the Redwoods), maybe before Christmas. DH's work right now is grant funded through the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the money for this grant is running out soon and are giving up on making it here is Sitka. So we've been looking all over for work for DH in places we've lived and would like to move back to. We LOVE that part of California!! We got a gig caretaking at a Trout Hatchery (DH has a degree in Aquaculture/Marine Science) for way cheap and it would allow me to stay home with the kids for a lot longer than I would be able to if we stay here. Plus, the in-laws are in LA; closer, but not too close

Anyway, wish us luck, if it works out we take the ferry out of here on the 11th of December!! Yikes that is SO SOON!

 

QUOTE
the constant verbage at naptime


I've been running into this as well, so had to laugh at constant verbiage. lol. I may have to separate my boys as well as they are now *chatting* during naptime.