I posted this on the Naps board, and moderator suggested I try here for help.
I need to know how to approach W2S with my 22-week-old, as she has recently started nappnig for 35-45 min. and not falling back to sleep after me trying to soothe her back down. I've been in her darkened room for 1.5 hrs. for each nap after she wakes. Ahhhhhh ....
Here's the post:
Did I speak too soon about good a.m. naps?
Okay, today was the first day I didn’t use a paci to put my daughter back to sleep in the a.m., as she woke at 6 and talked to herself until 6:40. We usually pacify until 7, but she had slept from 7 last night until 6 this a.m., and I read you should let them get up after 11 hrs. rather than resort to the paci—that 11 hrs. is enough sleep.
I figured she’d be ready for nap 1 early, so at 8:30 I took her upstairs and started wind-down so as not to miss cues. (She’s spirited and swaddled tightly—not put to sleep with paci.) Well, as soon as I started wind-down, she was cranky, so I sent her off to sleep! She was down by 8:45. (This is actually sometimes her normal naptime, but the wind-down def. Started early.)
But at 9:20, she was up and crying, so I went up. Whereas it used to take me a max of 20 min. to send her back to sleep with our soothing (hands-on swaddled chest and legs), I had to stay up there with hands on her until 10:45. She alternately screamed/looked up and babbled. Was she looking at her bright butterflies painted on the wall? Are these going to distract her now that she likes to babble at toys?
I covered up the butterflies with a sheet. Her room is already darkened, but it’s not pitch black. We have a couple of night lights, and during the day, some light does filter through the curtains/ door cracks. I hate to darken totally, as she starts daycare mid-summer, and she won’t have darkness there.
Thoughts? I know this is just one bad a.m. nap, but it took on the personality of the last couple of p.m. naps so closely that I need some support. Thanks!
Good idea about w2s. How much earlier than her 35 min. wake time would I go in and rouse her/hold her down? What specifically do you think I should do, given my description.
I really appreciate your help. I feel low right now--you know--why does everyone else have an independently napping baby, and I don't?
