Can someone help me sort out these silly 1 hour naps?

[nevinsmama]

30 minute unextendable 1st nap. 

[nevinsmama]

OK, I just gave her a snack of apple, graham crackers and yogurt in hopes that if she wakes early from next nap I can nurse her back to sleep. She is arm waving leg slamming, tearful tired. Not how you want to start the day!!

[Smurfette]

I think at her age, you really need to leave her on her own to resettle a lot longer than 2-3 minutes. You going in is only going to stimulate her so if you do go in, then I would be prepared to sit there for 1.5 hours from the start of the nap to give AMPLE time for her to get bored of you being there and go back to sleep. If you go in, then you will need to do this for about 4-5 days before you start to see some improvement.

Make sure the room is extremely dark and just sit in a chair with no eye contact.

There is a very detailed description of how to do the chair method in the Sleep Lady's book-Good Night Sleep TIght (Sleep Lady Shuffle I think the method is called) but you really have to be prepared to stay there for a long time cause as soon as we go into the room, it takes much longer for kids to go back to sleep.

Rememeber she's crying cause she's so OT, not cause she's scared or in pain so she just needs to learn how to go back to sleep on her own. But if you are not comfortable with the sounds/kinds of her cries, then I would really look into trying the chair method/shuffle.

[nevinsmama]

OK, so yesterdays naps were 30 minutes, 52 minutes and 30 minutes. Wow. Just watching her carefully this morning for when she wants to go to bed.

 

I think at her age, you really need to leave her on her own to resettle a lot longer than 2-3 minutes. You going in is only going to stimulate her so if you do go in, then I would be prepared to sit there for 1.5 hours from the start of the nap to give AMPLE time for her to get bored of you being there and go back to sleep. If you go in, then you will need to do this for about 4-5 days before you start to see some improvement.

OK. Did this last night after I laid her down. She did some MAD cries but I think that is just her saying " I WISH I was asleep" I ddin't go back in.  With DS around it would be a bit of a trick for me to be able to sit for 1.5 hours with her so I will see how long I can go go before I go to her, there may be some times I can sit there but if her nap is 45 minutes-1hr it really is futile. Under that, there may be a chance.

Make sure the room is extremely dark and just sit in a chair with no eye contact.

It is, and I don't usually look at her.

I googled the Sleep Lady Shuffle and it is basically like a GW plan, am I right?

as soon as we go into the room, it takes much longer for kids to go back to sleep.

Hmm, this is good to know, I guess as they become more aware and what all.
 
OK, she has GOT to have a good nap eventually right?? Breakfast time now.....

[nevinsmama]

OH, and I didn't pull the nursing trick on her I knew after 52 minutes she would not go back to sleep, I just got her up and fed her.

[Smurfette]

She did some MAD cries but I think that is just her saying " I WISH I was asleep" I ddin't go back in

Oh my goodness, YES! I think that's what the majority of our kids are saying when they're crying. What a great way to put it. So different from babies that cry to be fed or are scared, etc. Remember too that Tracy said to alway wait and listen to the cries. Lots of kids mantra cry as a way of settling down, especially when OT.

googled the Sleep Lady Shuffle and it is basically like a GW plan, am I right

Yes, but structured so that you actually make progress and get out of the room in two weeks time (or sooner if you move faster).

there may be some times I can sit there but if her nap is 45 minutes-1hr it really is futile.

Yea,usually the closer they get to an hour, the more unlikely they will go back to sleep, so that may be the time that you don't go in and just really listen to her. If it escalates into something into something different than 'I wish I was asleep' cries, then go in, but at that point you may just want to continue on with your day, go to the next nap period and keep bedtime super early.

...you're still keeping bedtime super early, right?

[nevinsmama]

We have been at 5:30 BT last couple days. TOTALLY misread her this morning at laid her down when she "looked" sleepy. She was tired enough to sleep and rolled around until she was OT and then slept 30 minutes. But woke up making her "I am ready to wake up noises. We will keep on trying!! I think I just got stuck onthe fact that our only decent nap in the last several weeks was after a 13 hour night and only 2hr10 into the day. Maybe I was "looking too hard" for slepey cues. I will make myself insane if I continue this trend of thought, so anyway:) At least it is a nice day out so I can do her inevitable CN outside. Whew. All that AP for 30 silly minutes of sleep. CN's have been hard to get for a while! OK, we will carry on here!

[Smurfette]

What time was wake up this morning? And what time did you try for the nap?

[nevinsmama]

OK, we are here again . So the past 3 days we have done naps at 8:30 and 1, 9 and 1 and 9 and 1.  We have had 1 hour 1st naps and 50 minute 2nd naps. She is going down a treat with NO protest and asleep in about 2-3 minutes with me no where in sight. This is an improvement but we are still sadly lacking in resorative sleep. NIghts tend to be a bit wobbly too. We have had 1 1.5 hour BT. a 1.5 and 1hour waking about 3-4 hours into night sleep on the 2nd and 3rd day. Ihave been able to feed her past the 10 hour bump which would be VERY bad as that comes at about 3:30 in the morning!!! I think the evening unsettlednedness is from the long last A ( still no more than 3.5 hours but after a 50 minute nap that was a bit much. Today, for the 1st time she woke up a bit upset form her 2nd nap and I knew she wouldn't "Resettle" so I just BFed her and got another 15 minutes. But hey, I celebrate every minute that this girl sleeps. I will be able to do 3hr15 to bed and still have an after 5 BT. WHich is good. Any thoughts???

[Smurfette]

That's awesome that she's going down with no problems!

What is her demeanor/attitude before each nap? Do you think you could get her to go down at 8:30 am and then the wake period to the pm nap is a little bit longer?

How is she when she wakes after the pm nap?

I would definitely keep bedtime as early as you can....so if you can do 5pm, I would do that for now.

[nevinsmama]

She is still pretty cheerful before her nap (as cheerful as one can be when she is trying to be like her brother and can't crawl or pull up:) )
We could try 8:30, especially since today's BT I can do pretty early, SHe will probably be up around 5:30.


Until today she was cheerful when waking from the 2nd nap. Today she sounded like a little girl who did not want to be awake. SHe had a 26 minute burble ( she said "bab bab" and then rolled a bit and went back to sleep) WHew.

Fingers crossed ( as always) for a better night. She was up a LOT last night

[Smurfette]

Do you mean that she went back to sleep from her short pm nap?

[nevinsmama]

Yes, she slept a total of 50 minutes. NOt sure about BT yet. She is burbling and talking in there.

[nevinsmama]

Oh bleah. I can sense a rough night coming. It is 6:20 and she is still going. Mad, happy, silly, Mad, NEED HELP, Happy. So on. And so on. Going in only when "needed" just handing her lovey and saying sleep phrase. Should have gone with 5:00.... I laid her down at 5:15, should have known that was too long of an evening. We WILL get there.....right??

[Smurfette]

You absolutely will get there. Just be consistent and look at the week, not each day to see the progress. And remember to focus on the succeses.

That's great that she went back to sleep from a nap-that's a great sign.

Keep bedtime super early and try an earlier morning nap. (what time did she wake up this morning?)