Fixing Naptime AP

[BlessedKylie]

Trying to fix AP…

For each nap, we have the exact same routine. I swaddle my LO downstairs, take her up to her room, set the mood, and sit with her in the chair until she reaches stage three (droopy eyes). I can usually just pat her bottom for a few minutes and she hits stage 3 (if I read her sleepy cues right). If she gets overtired and cranky though, I have to rock her (nothing else will calm her down). But even then, that usually lasts no more than 5 minutes (unless she’s WAY done – which she usually is by the end of the day due to no napping).

I know that I should put her down before stage 3, but I got into that habit of course because that was how it was easiest to put her down. My problem now is that I cannot put her down unless she is asleep. Granted, she can be just barely asleep, but she has to be asleep. If I put her down awake, she may be ok for a couple of minutes, but then she starts crying and then screaming. No amount of s/p will work for her once she starts crying. I’ve tried to s/p as soon as I put her down so as to get her into sleep while in her crib, but this has yet to work. We go through the same thing of her crying and crying until I pick her up and rock or pat her to sleep.

How do I get out of this without letting her cry it out?

Some other A/P to fix…

My LO is right on cue for the 30 minute jolt. For the past week or so, she has had maybe five good naps. Otherwise, almost exactly on the 30 minute mark she starts to stir. If I catch her right away, I can replace her paci and get her back to sleep, but that doesn’t last. We wind up playing the spit out/put back in game with the paci for the rest of her nap. I’ve tried to let her soothe herself, but in desperate attempts to extend her naps, I think I may have taken away most of her self-soothing skills. So when I try to let her soothe herself, she just winds up working herself up and then is unable to be calmed down.

I have no idea how to fix this, but I need some ideas… I am getting no sleep (her nights are not good either). I’m not sure how much longer I can function on 2-3 hours of sleep a day.

[Mom to M&M]

How old is your DD? How long is she awake for between naps? Does she have a pacifier? Do you use white noise? Does she have a lovey?

[BlessedKylie]

DD will be 9 weeks on Friday. She is awake anywhere between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours (depending on how good her last nap is - I am fairly good at reading her sleepy cues).

She does have a pacifier, no lovey yet.

[Mom to M&M]

At 9 weeks, IMO 1.5 hours is WAY too long - she's likely very overtired by then - hence why she can't settle on her own. She probably needs only 45 minutes-1 hour tops activity time. Often by the time you see any sleepy signals it's too late. I'd try to wind down much earlier and get her into her crib drowsy but awake. We also found a crib soother invaluable for teaching independent sleep and still use it now at 12.5 months - we have the Flutterby Dreams one but Ocean Wonders has one too - attaches to the crib and has soft colors and plays a lullaby.