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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
do you put him/her to bed early?
DS's sleep schedule (and I mean 'schedule' very loosely) is all over the place. He used to be pretty consistent, go to bed around 7:30pm, wake up around 8am. Three 45 minute naps a day. Recently he's been waking up around 6am, sometimes napping for 2 hours in the morning (other times only 45 minutes), and usually another 45 minutes in the afternoon, sometimes longer (1.5-2 hours). He's SO inconsistent, and it's driving me mad!!!
Yesterday he took a 2 hour nap in the morning, then another 30 minute nap early in the afternoon (he was up by 2). He refused another nap even though he was clearly tired, so I put him to bed at 5:30pm. He was so exhausted he fell asleep immediately when I nursed him, like 2 sucks and out!
This morning he napped for 30 minutes, then another 45 minutes early afternoon (up at 1:30). Now he's refusing to nap and it's almost 4pm. He will probably go down if I nurse him to sleep at 4:30, but he will probably take a longer nap because he's exhausted.
WWYD? Just put him to bed early again? What do you think I should do about his bedtime, change it to 6 or 6:30? I don't know how to get him consistent again with sleeping. We've always done a bedtime routine and out of nowhere he decided to change things up on me 
I wanted to add the DS is 9 months and I'm open to any advice except CIO. Thanks! 
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Posted 3/5/11 3:48 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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mommyIam
Member since 7/09 9209 total posts
Name:
Shana
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
I'm asking out of ignorance and curiosity, but do you still co-sleep, and when/if you did/do, do you co-sleep naps?
My guess is that he's just more aware and wants to play. Is he able to self soothe to sleep, if its his time? Or does he always nurse/rock/cuddle to sleep?
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| Posted 3/5/11 3:56 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
Posted by mommyIam
I'm asking out of ignorance and curiosity, but do you still co-sleep, and when/if you did/do, do you co-sleep naps?
My guess is that he's just more aware and wants to play. Is he able to self soothe to sleep, if its his time? Or does he always nurse/rock/cuddle to sleep?
We still co-sleep at night, but he's in our bed for naps as well (sometimes I nap with him). I started putting him in the crib for naps a few weeks ago, and twice he did really well (slept for 2 hours both times). The problem with is crib is when he woke up he was petrified, so now every time I try and put him in his crib he wakes up as soon as he touches the mattress.
He cannot soothe himself to sleep, he has to be nursed & rocked to sleep if it's me, or DH walks around with him and can get him to sleep that way. During the night I can get him back to sleep by just rubbing his back 90% of the time. He still nurses once during the night.
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| Posted 3/5/11 4:37 PM |
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karjules
Love my Jules :)
Member since 1/07 2056 total posts
Name:
Karen
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
IMO he is ready for his own crib all the time. I think he will adjust quicker than you think.
The way I got DD to nap in her crib (she was much younger) w/o CIO was to put her down, then when she cried pick her up, soothe her than put her back down..cry..repeat pick her up put back down. I read this in one of those "no cry sleep method books". At first it took like 100 times picking her up then it gradually worked and she always went down without a problem.
I would stretch his AM nap to around 3 hours after waking..then play, lunch, play then around 3 hours try again. DD slept longer when I stretched her to 2 naps instead of 3. At that age she also needed to be in her crib no later than 6:30 every night. She was sleeping 10-12 hours by 8 months.
Good luck, I think once you put DC in their own space (crib) and keep consistent with the sleep times, things will fall into place. Teething may be a huge factor waking at night too. I would try not to nurse at night unless you think he is hungry he may be uncomfortable from teeth or waking due to routine..
GL
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| Posted 3/5/11 5:53 PM |
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sasha96
lovin' my 2 little ladies!
Member since 5/05 7401 total posts
Name:
Julianne
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
he isn't always only doing 2 naps? DD2 has been on that schedule for a couple of months now...one in the morning and another in the mid-afternoon. bedtime at 7:30. She sleeps about 11 hours at night and totals anywhere from 1.5-2 hours total naps during the day...so in the normal range for total sleep for the day for her age. if he isn't doing 2 naps consistently, i'd work on that schedule.
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| Posted 3/5/11 8:17 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
Posted by sasha96
he isn't always only doing 2 naps? DD2 has been on that schedule for a couple of months now...one in the morning and another in the mid-afternoon. bedtime at 7:30. She sleeps about 11 hours at night and totals anywhere from 1.5-2 hours total naps during the day...so in the normal range for total sleep for the day for her age. if he isn't doing 2 naps consistently, i'd work on that schedule.
He WAS taking consistent naps, but that all ended 1.5 months ago. He used to take 3 naps, 45 minutes each. Then he started refusing naps for me (DH could put him down no problem when he's home), so he would only go down for me when he was really tired. Otherwise it was just way too much stress on us both. If he knew it was time to go to sleep he would do EVERYTHING he could to fight it. It would take me an hour or longer, and at the end of that he still wouldn't go to sleep. IDK why, but he's resisting any & all routines that we had in place.
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| Posted 3/5/11 8:27 PM |
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spooks
So in love!
Member since 6/06 4378 total posts
Name:
Sarah
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
Sounds like he is transitioning to two naps then. Play with the times to see what works, when DS moved to 2 naps - he did go more like 3 hours after waking up in the am. For bed time, I did make it a little earlier, by 30 minutes - but then it changed again when he went to 1 nap.
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| Posted 3/5/11 8:38 PM |
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Kissy331
My two miracles!
Member since 5/06 17826 total posts
Name:
Kristen
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
You described my oldest DS when he was around 9 months. I use to have to fight with him & there were times the only way I would get him to take that needed nap, was to nap with him. After doing it until he was 1 & I had a newborn, I realized we had to do CIO & that really put him on a schedule. Up until a few weeks ago, he would go to bed at 7:30 & wake at 7am..>Then take 2 naps (one in the am & one in the pm),
Like others have said, it is time for him to do all his napping in his crib & maybe even transition him to sleeping there at night. It will actually be much harder on you then it is on him. He will adjust & honestly get a much better rest.
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| Posted 3/5/11 9:31 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
Posted by Kissy331
You described my oldest DS when he was around 9 months. I use to have to fight with him & there were times the only way I would get him to take that needed nap, was to nap with him. After doing it until he was 1 & I had a newborn, I realized we had to do CIO & that really put him on a schedule. Up until a few weeks ago, he would go to bed at 7:30 & wake at 7am..>Then take 2 naps (one in the am & one in the pm),
Like others have said, it is time for him to do all his napping in his crib & maybe even transition him to sleeping there at night. It will actually be much harder on you then it is on him. He will adjust & honestly get a much better rest.
The problem is he WON'T nap in his crib. And forget about him sleeping there, I won't ever sleep!!! He's up anywhere from 2-10x a night  He's been much better the last month with sleeping at night (only up 2 or 3 times, looking to nurse only once), but he's got 2 molars coming in so he's up a little more. And he won't nap with me unless I get him to sleep by nursing/rocking. I'm not looking to stop co-sleeping at night, because for the most part it works for us. I'm not willing to do CIO, so transitioning him to the crib is not even an option.
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| Posted 3/5/11 9:51 PM |
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MamaLeen
:)
Member since 10/09 4594 total posts
Name:
E
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
DS has been horrible with napping lately too. I can't get anything done, I never know how much time I have if any.
I think I said this before but maybe put him in the crib more often, make it an enjoyable experience, bring a lovey, etc. Do it when it is not nap time just to get him used to it. Maybe try the glow worm thingie. When I was transitioning DS that is what I did and I think it helped. I would put him in it with me standing over and petting him, making him realize it was a nice place.  Also a lovey in your shirt (for your scent)works well and then put it in the crib. Once he gets used to it I am sure he will nap on there, it just may take some time.
Also when Jax fusses I just pat his back in the crib, I never really pick him up (unless he is flipping out). He now knows that crying won't make me pick him up, I will go to him but not pick him up so it is not fun for him. So maybe you just have to stay there until he is fully asleep but keep laying him down and patting him and saying "night night"?
Just throwing my (sleep deprived) thoughts out there. Jax has been giving me such a hard time lately too, it can be so frustrating. 
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| Posted 3/5/11 10:24 PM |
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OrganicMama
So in love with my little man!
Member since 6/08 5172 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: If your DC refuses the afternoon nap - sleep advice needed!
Posted by MamaLeen
DS has been horrible with napping lately too. I can't get anything done, I never know how much time I have if any.
I think I said this before but maybe put him in the crib more often, make it an enjoyable experience, bring a lovey, etc. Do it when it is not nap time just to get him used to it. Maybe try the glow worm thingie. When I was transitioning DS that is what I did and I think it helped. I would put him in it with me standing over and petting him, making him realize it was a nice place. Also a lovey in your shirt (for your scent)works well and then put it in the crib. Once he gets used to it I am sure he will nap on there, it just may take some time.
Also when Jax fusses I just pat his back in the crib, I never really pick him up (unless he is flipping out). He now knows that crying won't make me pick him up, I will go to him but not pick him up so it is not fun for him. So maybe you just have to stay there until he is fully asleep but keep laying him down and patting him and saying "night night"?
Just throwing my (sleep deprived) thoughts out there. Jax has been giving me such a hard time lately too, it can be so frustrating.
Sorry you're having a hard time too.
We should have a play date soon 
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| Posted 3/5/11 10:35 PM |
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