When things are really bad... remember...

[*Kara*]

This too shall pass, my friend.

I remember thinking that DD's naps would never be more than half an hour... there were days that I would APOP her to sleep and put her down... 10 minutes would pass and she would wake up crying.  She was OT, I was majorly OT and stressed out beyond belief!  I thought it would never end.  But it does.  I am sitting here waiting for her to wake from her morning nap so that we can get to the grocery store before lunch... I might even have to go wake her.

Oh, how things can change in a 6 week span!

And just as things fall into place, you can rest assured that something new will pop up!   

[Kta400]

Kara,
Thank you so much for posting that! It is so good to hear that things will get better even though it is hard to imagine. I am stuck in the short nap phase... which has really been his whole life!  When did your DD finally start sleeping longer?

[ZacsMumme]

I thought it would never end.  But it does.  I am sitting here waiting for her to wake from her morning nap so that we can get to the grocery store before lunch... I might even have to go wake her.

LOL you sounds just like me. You go from tiptoeing around untill the 30 and 45 min marks are over to worrying they are sleeping too long.

Kta400 - For us things improved around the 6 month mark, maybe a little later. But I spent a lot of time the months prior 'helping' DS to sleep longer with W2S and resettling.

I am stuck in the short nap phase... which has really been his whole life!

(HUGS) have you posted on the EASY board to see if maybe some tweaks would help his napping? How old is your LO?

[lilybug25]

My daughter would take so long to go down for naps and only sleep for 45 mins. I honestly thought it would never end. It slowly but surely got better now at 17 months she likes going down for her afternoon nap. Will actually walk into her room and climb onto her BGB and lay down herself. All the crying( her's and mine) the OT/UT loops and so much tweaking that I thought I would snap was worth it, it did help and the end result is amazing!

[Yazzie]

Thanks for this thread Kara, it really does get better, I spent the months 4-7 sleep training ds and my like literarlly revolved around his sleep, but it gets better and so pays off when they're such marvelous independent sleepers!

[*Kara*]

Alexandra started taking longer naps around the 5 1/2 month mark... they were hit and miss at first, but by the start of month 6, fairly consistent at 90-120 minutes in the morning and 2 hrs - 2 1/2 hrs in the afternoon

And it really was like someone hit a switch... from a terrible short napper to a consistent good napper in about 3 weeks time!

[~Sara~]

Yup, DS was a developmentally short napper for a couple of months.  I knew the end would be in sight soon at the time, but my back hurt soooo badly from trying to extend every nap.  Sure enough, at ~5.5mo, he suddenly started extending to 1.5hish on his own, and shortly thereafter we were able to wean his swaddle.  He's been a fantastic independent sleeper ever since!  TBH, I barely remember that time anymore (maybe I blocked it out, lol).  I remember what I felt like, but the emotions and frustration have dissipated over the years.  It's a perspective I hope will carry me through with LO2

[DSAN]

Thanks Kara, this makes me feel a lot better, struggling as we are with naps. I just have to trust that the end is in sight

[*Kara*]

You are very welcome... I almost needed to have a re-read myself today

[amyylyn]

5 1/2 mos huh?  Wahhh, we are at almost 6 and Lucas still naps like poopie! lmao  I think I just have a child that has disdain for sleep. Hehe

[*Kara*]

Don't worry, many moms say that naps get better in months 6 & 7 as well - there is still hope!

[~Sara~]

Don't worry, many moms say that naps get better in months 6 & 7 as well - there is still hope!

Yup!  It's true that developmentally short nappers (who have no other reason to short nap than not being able to transition between sleep cycles) normally start doing so at this age.  I didn't believe it until it happened.

[Duckie]

Just wait for the day when you look at your 5 yr old asleep on the couch and think, "CRUMB! Why is he napping?!"

[*Kara*]

LOL!  My mom reminds me that I will look fondly on this time of DD not sleeping in when she is a teenager and I have to physically pull her out of bed at noon

[rastasha]

I remember all of my stress and anxiety with my DS short naps and then I extended his A time and he started sleeping 1.5-2 hours at a time. Things do fall into place