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341551 tn?1266980730

Napping Question

Caidens now 6 in a half months! (holy cow!). He sleeps good at night. For the past couple months he was sleeping 11 hours straight. Recently his sleeping patterns have changed and he's sleeping about 8-9 hours. Still not bad though. During the day he takes 2-3 naps. They can be as short as 30 minutes or as long as 3 hours....but whenever he needs a nap he is sooo difficult to get down. We know the signs of him being sleepy...rubbing his eyes, gets cranky, covers his face, closes his eyes etc etc. So we know when he's due for a nap. But it seems we try to put him down and he just wont have it. We try rocking him, singing, humming, put him in the stroller...I mean he finally does fall asleep but I feel like thats a lot of work just to get him to go down for a nap! It's like he fights it. Does any of your little ones do this?

And whats so funny is, at night time when he's going to bed, he lays right down and goes to sleep. And during the day he's active and is really good. So its just when nap time comes...I just dont get it? Any thoughts?
10 Responses
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448723 tn?1301454958
Lucy and I had our best night (longest sleep) ever last night.

We always have our last feed at 7.30pm and then tuck her in at 8pm. She slept until 5.20am had a 20min feed and then woke up at 7.30 am.

She is having her first nap of the day now (one of 2-3) and she went down at 10.30am. She is being such a little angel!

Hope it gets easier for you too!
Helpful - 0
231441 tn?1333892766
Hi,

Thanks.  You are right.  I think something to hold would be helpful.

A portacot is not so good. I'm already having too much luggage. We'll manage.

Last night darling wouldn't sleep. I ended up physically restraining her at 11.30 and patting her butt til I fell asleep.  Must have worked, because she didn't wake me again until 5 am.

Helpful - 0
448723 tn?1301454958
Are you able to buy a porta-cot and start putting her to sleep in that without you? That way you could travel and even bring her into the office and still keep a routine with a sleep cue that doesn't involve you. (and yet still have her in the same room as you..)

I would also reccomend putting a silky blanket or comforter/teddy in with her for her to clutch and soothe herself with when she goes through a light sleep cycle (every 30-40mins) so she can get back to sleep without needing you.

Just make sure you have a spare, because once it becomes a sleep cue it will be hard to get her back to sleep without it (just like right now when her sleep cue is you). Dummies, silky blankets and teddies are the most common comforters. (besides mummy, boob and cuddles)
Helpful - 0
231441 tn?1333892766
HI,

you are so right about the sleep cycle thing.  Trying to get Michaela past that - and not just by sticking a boob in her mouth....

It is 11.15 and little darling is still up (well she was asleep, but now she's woken up). Mummy is working..... gotta get a bedtime routine happening. but problem is I am travelling nearly every week lately and she comes with me and we don't have a bed for her (she sleeps with me) and she screams blue murder if she wakes up and can't see me or someone near her.
Helpful - 0
448723 tn?1301454958
It sounds as if he might be overtired before you are noticing his sleep signals. Another tired sign that you may not have noticed is - staring into space. You should also notice tired/irratated sounding babble or whinging.

It sounds as if you have a good sleep routine at night time, what is it that you do?
Can you repeat some or all of the 'getting ready for bed routine' at nap time? Every time that you put the baby to sleep you should go through a little routine like- read a story, check nappy, drink out of sippy cup, cuddle and pat on the back in the bubs bedroom for 5 mins and then lay down in the cot and say goodnight and leave.

At night the routine should be a little longer- bath bub, change into pj's, read a story, drink out of sippy cup, cuddle and pat on the back in the bubs bedroom for 5 mins and then lay down in the cot and say goodnight and leave.

Listen to the crying and try to interpret what bub might be saying. Like- I'm sad or annoyed or frustrated. Even angry. What you need to listen for is distress. When/if bub starts sounding distressed, go in and in a calm/firm/reassuring voice say- It is time to go to sleep now caiden. Re position him in the cot if need be and then leave the room again.

If you get to the point where you find the crying to be to distressing for either him or you, then have a pit stop. Pick him up (stay in the room) calm him down, and when he is ok again lay him back down and start the process again. This will teach him to self settle and his sleep cue will be laying down in bed.

Keep in mind that the difficulty/crying will only go on for 3-4 days if you stick to it and after a week mum and bub are usually much happier for the change. You will get to know bubs tired signs better and will have more time for yourself and house work. You will even find yourself enjoying your time with bub more for the break. The longer you settle your baby in your arms/breastfeeding or in a pram, the harder the pattern will be to break.

Throwing a boob in the mouth of a tired bub may sound like the easy way out, but it actually creates more trouble. It turns breastfeeding into a sleep cue. This means that when bub has gone through a sleep cycle (20-40mins or so) they wake up and demand to have the sleep cue (the breastfeed) again if you want them to go back to sleep!
Helpful - 0
489000 tn?1364302227
Yup, Sophia is the same way.  She is a power napper but a great night time sleeper, thankfully!

I agree, its a phase.

Helpful - 0
341551 tn?1266980730
I wish I could stick my boob in his mouth!! LOL! Well I suppose I could, just nothing would come out!

Thanks ladies..makes me feel a lot better knowing Caiden isn't the only baby going through this. It does make us mommys and daddys exhausted though! He just hates laying down and he fights his naps, almost like he feels like he's going to miss out on something if he sleeps. But I know he's exhausted and needs to sleep. Lately the stroller has been a life saver..when he starts getting sleepy, pop him in and take a walk and usually he's out in 5 minutes without crying. Other than that though, the rocking he just cries...and I feel so bad. Sometimes it feels like I'm forcing him to sleep (even though I know thats not the case). He takes about 3 naps a day too. Range from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Usually an hour in the morning and two 30 minute naps before dinner. Bed by 9:30.

I Guess its just a phase our lil ones are going through! I hope it breaks soon cuz this mommy is dead tired!!! I thought as they got older, we got more sleep!??? :) Thank the lord for caffeine!
Helpful - 0
231441 tn?1333892766
Same thing for Michaela.

She won't and absolutely refuses to lie down to sleeep even when she's exhausted.  She screams like a banshee if she's in her cot and can't see me or her nanny.

Yes, I cheat, same as you SAR girl.  I stick the boob in her mouth and she passes out.  Then I can put her down to sleep....

Hope this is a passing phase.  Mummy is far more tired that baby girl, it seems.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Mikayla takes about 3 cat naps during the day.  They usually only last 30 minutes also, but can last up to 2 hours (rare though).  I notice that sometimes she does take a while to go to sleep - rubs her eyes and all.  I think sometimes she just doesn't want to nap.  She likes to sit up or be in her jumper, so when she is laying down or I rock her in the bouncie, she just doesn't want to be in that position.  So I'm assuming since Caiden does it also, it's normal :)
Helpful - 0
643558 tn?1258402509
Nathan does the same thing...I think they are just so into being involved with what is going on around them...that they fight going to sleep.  His Dad has a heck of a time to get him to sleep for naps...he does the same...rocks him, takes him for walks, humming to him...usually right after he eats he falls asleep too!  

I am bad though.. since I am still breastfeeding and I know that he is sleepy....I just stick a boob in his mouth, and he passes right out....
Helpful - 0
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