When do you start napping by the clock...

Discussion in 'The First Year' started by ahmerl, Nov 10, 2007.

  1. ahmerl

    ahmerl Well-Known Member

    Jack and Lily are 5 mos. and one week now and I am a little confused. I would really like to start to establish regular nap times but am afraid of pushing them too far and causing an overtired situation. The past five months I have so diligently put them down in between 1.5-2hrs. of being awake and at the first signs of drowsiness.

    Now, as they are getting older, can I use the clock instead? Do I have to worry soooo much about them getting overtired and not being able to get themselves to sleep or fall back to sleep easily?

    In otherwords, I would like to start making their first nap at 9am regardless, without having to worry about altering it for an earlier wake-up time. If they awaken at 6:45 they are ready to go down by 8:30, can I push them back to 9am without the same worries of overtiredness that have been so prevalent during the first five months? I hope this question makes sense to someone.

    Thanks,
    Amy

    I have HSHHC and I am a big fan but, I have a hard time weeding through some of the contradictions.
     
  2. traci.finley

    traci.finley Well-Known Member

    good question! I am no help ... just wanted to agree w/ to contradictions in HSHHC ... for instance, he says for twins always use Method B (rock or whatever for 5 mins then put down drowsy but not asleep ...) but he also says for post-colic babies that Method B won't always work ... so, what if you were lucky enough to have post-colic twins, like me! What do you do? Mine are 16 weeks (11 weeks adjusted) and will scream their heads off for an hour if I don't soothe them and put them down (in their CARSEATS b/c that is the only place they will sleep) in a deep, deep sleep ... so carefully like they are as fragile as an egg. Then 9 times out of 10 ... for their whole "nap" it is me re-rocking/putting paci back in and they don't really sleep and I don't ever get a moment w/o a baby in my arms ... sorry this is random and not really related to your post :FIFblush: I got carried away! Any suggestions?
     
  3. MichelleL

    MichelleL Well-Known Member

    I started around the same age trying to push them until 9 and then down again at 1. Some days I had to toss in a third afternoon nap. For a while, my girls were only napping 30 min. three times a day, but they normally stayed up there for about an hour. It was somewhere around 6, maybe close to 7 months that it stuck and they were napping at 9 and 1 consistently.
     
  4. JDMummy

    JDMummy Well-Known Member

    I did the same as Michelle. I just started putting them down the same time every day whether they seemed sleepy or not. They eventually learned to fall asleep on their own at these times.
     
  5. lbrooks

    lbrooks Well-Known Member

    QUOTE(TraciF @ Nov 10 2007, 04:39 PM) [snapback]489997[/snapback]
    good question! I am no help ... just wanted to agree w/ to contradictions in HSHHC ... for instance, he says for twins always use Method B (rock or whatever for 5 mins then put down drowsy but not asleep ...) but he also says for post-colic babies that Method B won't always work ... so, what if you were lucky enough to have post-colic twins, like me! What do you do? Mine are 16 weeks (11 weeks adjusted) and will scream their heads off for an hour if I don't soothe them and put them down (in their CARSEATS b/c that is the only place they will sleep) in a deep, deep sleep ... so carefully like they are as fragile as an egg. Then 9 times out of 10 ... for their whole "nap" it is me re-rocking/putting paci back in and they don't really sleep and I don't ever get a moment w/o a baby in my arms ... sorry this is random and not really related to your post :FIFblush: I got carried away! Any suggestions?



    I thought it suggested Method A for twins. See, it is a confusing book. I totally agree. Anyway, from what I read of that book the best method for twins and post colic is method A which is CIO...for hours if you must. I'm so concerned about this. We are too young to CIO but I know we'll have too. I can tell already.
     
  6. fuchsiagroan

    fuchsiagroan Well-Known Member

    Hi, Amy. I totally know what you mean about the contradictions in HSHHC. It's a great book, but some things drive me nuts.

    Especially this: in theory, you're supposed to put them down for naps at 9 and 1. And they're also not supposed to be awake longer than 2 hrs at a time. So for all that to actually work, your babies have to be perfect little robots who wake up no earlier than 7 am and always nap for at least two hours.

    YEAH RIGHT! :rolleyes: If I tried to do that with my babies, they would be miserably overtired.

    I'm guessing that your babies will be much happier and more pleasant to be around if you don't try to do things by the clock. They'll nap much better if you just keep doing what you're doing: putting them down after 1.5-2 hrs awake, at the first signs of fatigue. Doing it by the clock will only force them into unnaturally long wake times and make for very cranky babies.

    And how to stop worrying about getting the window right, overtiredness, etc? Just stop worrying! :lol: You're doing great as is, just keep it up. As long as you put them down 1.5-2 hrs after their last wake time, they'll be fine. :)
     
  7. traci.finley

    traci.finley Well-Known Member

    QUOTE(girls! @ Nov 10 2007, 06:00 PM) [snapback]490082[/snapback]
    I thought it suggested Method A for twins. See, it is a confusing book. I totally agree. Anyway, from what I read of that book the best method for twins and post colic is method A which is CIO...for hours if you must. I'm so concerned about this. We are too young to CIO but I know we'll have too. I can tell already.



    I may have said that backwards ... whether it is A or B ... the one where you are supposed to let them fuss ... but then I thought I read in there that for post-colic that letting them fuss may not always work... anyway, reading in a sleep deprived state is not conducive to retaining what you read LOL!!! I think we may have to CIO too but to even think of it makes my heart ache. My husband says I have post-traumatic stress disorder from dealing with the colic ... teasing me, of course ... but I AM always afraid a double inconsolable meltdown is around the corner. And those meltdowns times two would ALWAYS send me into a tailspin! We are too young too, we are almost 4 months, but 3 months corrected ... my ped says no CIO until they have some self-soothing tools (can suck thumb or put paci back in for examples). Anyway, this is not fun =)
     
  8. Jordari

    Jordari Well-Known Member

    Ditto on the contraditions in HSHHC!!! I still think the notion of 'put them down and don't go in for an hour" is asking way too much! Of me, at least! And the idea of naps at 9 and 1.....if you read carefully, he also says "although the second nap can happen anywhere between 12 and 2. Yes, that's more like it!

    I know CIO is a very sensitive and personal subject, but I have to agree with the pedi; it doesn't make sense to do it before they have self-soothing skills: if you consider that the first three months are really the fourth trimester (Happiest Baby on the Block, of which I am a great fan), then it seems like asking way too much of them to be able to do it on their own.

    The other thing that HSHHC doesn't take into account, in my opinion, are any other issue: REFLUX, for example, or other things where sleep isn't just one of those obvious, clockwork things. Sorry if this is a ramble.

    Net/Net, I agree w/poster who said that you should keep watching them and do what has been working; perhaps over time you can tweak and work more by the clock, moving in 15 minute increments, but- from my experience, I rarely am able to put them down at exactly 1pm and have it work. (then again, I have 6.5 month adjusted babies who are still eating multiple times each night, so - what the heck do i know?! LOL
     
  9. Ericka B

    Ericka B Well-Known Member

    I have just recently started putting them down at the same time every day. It seems to work better for us. Sometimes it is over 2 hours which seems fine because when I was putting them down at 2 hours it was taking me a half hour to get them to sleep so I just went with the same time or when they started fussing for no reason. We have had a lot less fighting. They only have problems going to sleep when they are extremely overtired like after being out all day and not napping.
     
  10. ceb023

    ceb023 Well-Known Member

    I started putting mine down around the same time every day a few weeks ago. If they wake up really early then I'll put them down a little before 9am, but then I go ahead and try to stick to 1pm for the next nap. It seems to be working well for us. My boys used to be very sensitive to being overtired and I could never go more than 1.5 hours in between naps. Lately I've noticed that they can handle longer periods of awake time in between naps as long as they get to bed on time at night. So if they're up for 2-3 hours it's not as big of a deal... I may have to do a little more soothing to get them to sleep but they don't scream for a half hour like they used to.
     
  11. andreap

    andreap Well-Known Member

    i am wondering the same thing....started nap training a week ago and letting them CIO at bed time. what do ya know...they started sleeping 12 hours at night! (they had been waking once to nurse since they were 2 months old but are now sleeping through)

    now i am noticing that my dd (who typically FIGHTS naps) is getting fussy/ tired at 1.5 hours and is going down without tears! this is after a week of screaming bloody murder and working really hard with her. i was trying to get them to 2 hours but around an hour and 15 minutes they were fussing. maybe once they are 6+ months they can be pushed a little to stay awake longer. but i am finding that nothing can distract them in order to keep them up....playing, talking, singing, etc.

    i'm just so glad she went down without protesting...even if it is only after 1.5 hours!!! i'll just have to squeeze in another nap or two.

    keep us posted on how yours do with trying to get them to 9 & 1. i bet within the next month they start stretching it out a little more.
     
  12. jenniej

    jenniej Well-Known Member

    What is the book everyone is talking about???? I'd love to read it!

    I've been really confused by the whole nap thing. At what point do you shift from them just falling asleep when tired to actual naps. Our twins are 6 weeks old and I've noticed they now stay awake for longer periods. But in return they are also starting to have a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep during the day.

    I thought you didn't really have to "put babies down" until they were older but some of your comments makes me think that you do?

    If I try to lay DS is the playpen when he starts looking tired he just cries but in a swing or bouncy seat he falls asleep pretty easy. Am I setting us up for trouble????

    Thanks for the advice.
     
  13. Sofiesmom

    Sofiesmom Well-Known Member

    I do clock, give or take 15/30 minutes max. It makes my day easier, also for my oldest. I can plan play dates, classes, etc. He suggests Method A for twins, he told me Method B is basically no doable in case of twins, and I agree. I always did A anyway, also with my first and she had a pretty similar schedule, also 9 am and 1 pm naps.

    When you stick to it, they'll get used to it pretty easily and they'll fall asleep easier and easier.
     
  14. rensejk

    rensejk Well-Known Member

    JennieJ, everyone is talking about Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. I agree with all the PPs... it is confusing and sometimes contradictory, but it has some great advice. I wish Weissbluth would do a whole book just on twins. The two hour wakefullness and EARLY bedtimes in particular have helped us a lot. Our babies have been sleeping through the night since they were about 3 months, and now they are up to 12 hours at night. It is heavenly.

    Can't say much about naps though, we are still all over the board on those. Seems like lately as soon as one wakes up, the other one goes down. So at least one baby is up at all times during the day. Yet somehow they work it out to both be ready to go to bed around 6.

    I am thinking that maybe once we start solids they might be more apt to accept a more rigid "9 and 1" schedule (I hope). After the holidays I am going to start working on that.
     
  15. andreap

    andreap Well-Known Member

    jenniej...the book is super helpful. i would never have known to put them down regularly and might have just hoped they would fall asleep whenever or wherever. in fact, my neighbor has a5 month old who only sleeps in the stroller on walks and "just won't sleep". i don't think she has routinely watches for tired signs or practices putting him down to nap. it takes hard work, and sometimes a lot of tears, but it seems to really work. the greatest thing is the early bed time and wake time. mine are alseep by 6:30 pm and just started sleeping 12 or 13 hours.

    as for naps.... my dd is down for her 3rd nap today and she HATES naps. she has slept an hour or 2 each nap time. i am hoping that it continues to get easier as franca mentioned. i just have to stick with it and be consistent. it's not easy, but worth it!

    jennifer...our babies are the same age. i'm hoping solids help too. they are still on a 3 hour feeding schedule which makes the 9 & 1 tricky...but with solids hopefully we can stretch out their schedule and keep them up that extra half hour/ hour. i just can't seem to get mine to stay awake long enough to make it to 1 pm. they went down for a third nap at 1:45, yikes! are you waiting until 6 months to start the solids?
     
  16. sharongl

    sharongl Well-Known Member

    I never read a book.

    At 3 months, my boys started sleeping 12-13 hours, so we started naps at 10 and 2. BUT if they grew fussy anytime within the 45 min before that time, I would go ahead and put them down. They usually slept until around 12 and 4. Mine were also on a 4 hour feeding schedule from birth.
     
  17. rensejk

    rensejk Well-Known Member

    QUOTE(andreap @ Nov 12 2007, 03:23 PM) [snapback]492420[/snapback]
    jennifer...our babies are the same age. i'm hoping solids help too. they are still on a 3 hour feeding schedule which makes the 9 & 1 tricky...but with solids hopefully we can stretch out their schedule and keep them up that extra half hour/ hour. i just can't seem to get mine to stay awake long enough to make it to 1 pm. they went down for a third nap at 1:45, yikes! are you waiting until 6 months to start the solids?


    Yes, I think I will wait until six months to start solids. I already bought the cereal so it's all ready to go, but we don't have the high chairs yet and they just don't sit up that well yet, even supported, to think about having them sit there and spooning cereal into their mouths. Since they were 5 weeks early, I figure Dec. 9 (their six month birthday) is plenty early to get going. I am excited about it though!

    Ours are so weird with napping, seems like some days they each take about 4-5 cat naps. You can almost set a timer by our DD: she always sleeps exactly 30 minutes and then her eyes just snap open and she's laughing and smiling and ready to eat and play some more. DS is all over the place, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours. No predictability. But Weissbluth says (and my husband is really tired of me saying "But Dr. Weissbluth says..." LOL), that naps develop around 4-5 months after the due date, so I am still hoping that naps will "develop" in the next month or two, whatever that means!
     
  18. fuchsiagroan

    fuchsiagroan Well-Known Member

    QUOTE
    I thought you didn't really have to "put babies down" until they were older but some of your comments makes me think that you do?


    Most newborns will just sleep when they're tired, anytime, anywhere (though from what I've read here, it sounds like some do really need to be put down to nap). Real naps start emerging at 12-16 weeks adjusted age (from the due date).
     
  19. andiemc

    andiemc Well-Known Member

    I have to say with my son I just made the decision to go by the clock, let him CIO and boom I had a great napper. With the girls, I am not ready to CIO,have read HSHHC and am trying to work hard on the naps but the are ready for a nap within 45 minutest of waking in the am. Isn't that abnormal??
     
  20. fuchsiagroan

    fuchsiagroan Well-Known Member

    QUOTE
    the are ready for a nap within 45 minutest of waking in the am. Isn't that abnormal?


    No, not at all! Some babies can adapt to "by the clock" while others can't; some babies need a lot more sleep than others; some can tolerate much shorter wake times than others... Good for you for being so in tune with your babies' cues. :)
     
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