Short Napper

[Anonymous]

I really am out of solutions for my daughter’s naps. Please give me suggestions! I know we created this problem because when she came home she had colic and reflux, so we held her for every nap, or she napped in the swing or frontpack. At 5 months (adjusted age) she was unable to nap in any of those places anymore (too big or too aware of her surroundings to sleep), so I’ve transitioned her to the crib for naps. Now at 6 months adjusted age, she just will not nap for more than 1/2 hour. It is so frustrating! I know she needs the sleep because she rubs her eyes and yawns and acts tired. But when I lay her down to sleep, she takes a brief nap and then wakes up after 30 minutes and plays in her crib the rest of the time. For some reason, she is very active in her crib, but when I bring her out into the main part of the house, she suddenly acts sleepy.

I’ve read all the sleep books and none of them work for her. Cry-it-out doesn’t work because she doesn’t cry – just plays! The room is darkened, there is only 1 toy in her crib, I have white noise playing. When I try to get her back to sleep after the 1/2 hour, it just stimulates her more.

She does sleep well at night, so we are counting our blessings in that department. Does anyone have ideas for napping? I just want her to be alert during the day and enjoy her activities, instead of doing “head bobs”!

Thanks

—-

mom to Mary 6/28/05 @ 27 weeks

[Anonymous]

We so had this problem. I used a suggestion from the No Cry Sleep Solution to intervene just as she’s waking up and put her back down–we’d bounce on an exercise ball until she went back to sleep. The trick is to do it just as she’s waking rather than when she’s fully awake, so you need to sit outside of the room and watch her so you get her at the right time. It was SO SO tedious but it worked, in the LONG term–at 9 mo she was taking 45min-1 hour naps and at a year she naps for 1.5-3 hours at a stretch.

I also cosleep with her for naps, so slipping a boob in there is helpful as she’s having a little awakening

If you’re in to reading, both the No Cry Sleep Solution and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child touch on this issue.

[hellbennt]

good god, that could’ve been MY post…

Jonah was a TERRIBLE napper and believe you me, we tried EVERYTHING…

When nursing him to sleep stopped working, I wore him in a sling and ‘wore’ him down for his naps, I rocked him, I rocked him in a sling, I counted how many actual times I rocked him, I sang songs (still do- I wound up with a particular ‘repitoire’), oh my…

so yeah, he’d get to sleep but then he’d be awake 30 mins later. 45 minutes was heaven!!!

I tried putting my smelly t-shirts in the crib with him, I tried piling beanie babies on his back, for the weight, I tried jiggling his butt…

so what worked? if I got to him JUST as he woke up and tried any combination of these things (the weight of the stuffed animals and the jiggling/shhhhhing his butt- put him on his stomach- seemed to work the best) then I MIGHT get lucky and get some more sleep out of him…

To give you a happy ending: he started napping at 18months!!!!

So: try experimenting with meds, timing of meds, timing of meals, timing of everything and just keep trying everything & if all else fails, just keep keeping on…when there’s an especially terrible no nap day, we just put him to bed earlier!

hang in there!

~laura

[Anonymous]

My son just recently finally started sleeping more than 1/2 hour naps- maybe about 3 or 4 weeks now. I think getting on the right meds (after finally being diagnosed!) helped, which allowed us to get to consistent feed routine of eating about every 4 hours- then all of a sudden his naps started lengthening although we still have the occasional 45 minute wake-up. Also, if he is overtired- its never more than 45 minutes- if I catch his sleepy cues and act right away and do his nap routine, he is down in about 10 minutes for a good long nap- hour or 2.

I recently started swaddling him again for naps (he’ll be six months on Saturday.) I had weaned him off if it- but brought it back when he started teething again (I was desperate). The swaddle isn’t really the traditional swaddle, but more of a wrap at this point, Kidapotamos is the brand- its got velcro… so basically it is a sleeping cue, and gets him cozy as well as through the ten minute jolt- when he wakes up he just spreads his arms now and opens it up! I actually have to swaddle him to eat sometimes too (I think its a comfort thing because he was swaddled a lot as a little baby, all sleeping times and he used to have to fall asleep to eat)- when the reflux is really bad, I can’t get him to eat after he burps- so we go to the swaddle… mind you we have to feed him in is room too as he so distracted by anything! Night time we use the Halo sleepsacks- these have also helped with night wakings… but at the end of all of this the the thing that really helped was the right meds!

I also read the Babywhisperer books and use the website/message board- lots of good advice about sleeping.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the great ideas. I have actually ordered that bigger swaddle too. I found out yesterday she has 2 more teeth coming in, so that explains her behavior the last few days.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have any suggestions–but I have the same problem. Of course, my son does not play, he just cries, but he’ll CIO for 45-30 minutes–only to sleep for 20-30 minutes. It is very frustrating. If he would sleep more if I held him, I would!!! But my presence only stimulates him. Anyway, you are not alone. But, his naps have been improving somewhat since I tried Healthy Sleep habits, Happy Child. I highly recommend it. But DO NOT let it stress you out. It talks about the importance of a child getting enough sleep, and I really took it to heart.Emmy2006-3-18 22:33:25

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to update and say that there is hope for short nappers! We tried several new things and I don’t know if it’s just coincidence or not, but she is napping MUCH better now (2 hours at a time).

First, I put her down in the crib AS SOON AS she is asleep. (Her reflux is under control, so she’s fine with this). If she wakes up when she hits the mattress, I just jiggle her a little while she’s on her side until she closes her eyes again.

Second, I bought her a snoedel doll (recommended by Pantley in the no-cry sleep solution book) which she snuggles with while she sleeps.

I swaddle her in the kidopottamus (sp) swaddle for big babies, and sometimes put a light blanket on her too. I check on her often so I feel safe doing this.

Finally, we bought a white noise machine from marpac. We had been listening to a static station but it picked up too much interference.

She is definitely teething so no two days are alike, but these steps seem to have helped! Just wanted to share.

[Anonymous]

Forgot to say one other thing we do is WEAR HER OUT during her awake time. She goes in the walker, the play pen, the activity mat, the bouncy seat. Seems to be burning more energy that way!

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