Ok all my sleep training friends - I need help!
Karis is getting better at night. The past couple of nights she has only cried for about 30 minutes, and then slept all night except to nurse once around 2am, and then promptly went back to sleep. I try my hardest to not let her fall asleep nursing, but here's the problem: she is so ridiculously exhausted because nap time is getting worse and worse.
That's what I need help with.
So this book says that at nap time to let them cry for no more than an hour and then go get them and keep them awake until the next nap or bed time, so that it doesn't throw off the next nap or bedtime. I've been doing that, but it just ends up that Karis doesn't nap ALL day long and is SO fussy all day. (literally, 2 days ago she didn't not nap the entire day)
It's miserable for everyone. Today I was so done w/it, so I decided to let her cry longer than an hour to see what happened. At her morning nap she cried for 1 hr 15 minutes and then fell asleep and slept for 1 hr 15 minutes. So that make me feel a little better about the process. But then for her afternoon nap I let her cry for 1 hour 45 minutes and she still didn't fall asleep (and I know she was very tired) So then I spent the rest of the afternoon holding her b/c she just cried every time I set her down. All the while, Caleb has had fever all day and needed me, too. So today I'm just mad at the whole process. Why is nap time getting worse? Shouldn't it be better by now? And we can't go anywhere b/c then she'd just sleep in the car and end up going to bed too late etc.
She did great tonight. She only cried for 15 minutes (and did not fall asleep nursing amazingly) and then fell asleep for the night. So I'm very thankful for that. But day time is really bad and I don't know why or what to do about it. We've been doing this for 6 days now. I just thought that by now she'd have the hang of it. (which she does at night, and I am SO very grateful for it!)
Maybe I had unrealistic expectations about how this would go. Did anyone else have nap time struggles even though night time was good? Any advice or tips, please?!
3 comments:
I'm so sorry! I wish I had answers, but you know me, I still rock Avery to sleep for her nap. (Boo. Hiss.) I don't have a solution, but I would imagine daytime is full of light, stimulation, etc...and a more difficult environment to put herself to sleep in. Maybe a noise machine, darkened windows and a blanket/animal that you sleep with at night so it has your smell on it? Hope it gets better! Hugs!
Laura, I am feeling for you. It sounds miserable. The nap time is obviously something you need to have, though. I mean, you have to have a quiet hour by yourself, at least. Does she have board books and toys to play with? I considered it a quiet time for my kids when they were little. Even if they didn't sleep, we all got some alone time. They also loved the crib aquarium toy that made water noises. I know you want her to sleep, but maybe time by herself where she is content is a first step. She might not be content for quiet a while either, so that is a downer. I know it is so different for every child, and she sounds so social, I can't wait to meet her. I hope you get some much needed rest. I'm praying. :)
This sounds alot like my experience.
All sleep patterns are disrupted for a while when we change even one aspect. She will adjust at naptime, too, just give it time. Generous, sympathetic time. Babies love their habits, and the old way was a habit just like the new way will soon be a habit.
I remember Noa taking a few more weeks to adjust to daytime sleeping in her crib at set times (she was used to napping for brief moments - with Momma - in Momma's bed!), but I was more gentle with nap training. I still nursed her to sleep and would bring her out to play if she fought it. My true effort was put towards consistency. Every day at the same time, I would try again. Same routine (rock, nurse, pray), same message ("It's naptime, go to sleep. Momma loves you."). yadda yadda. I was told by other mothers that naptime would take longer than nighttime, so I just trusted that my efforts would eventually come to fruition.
And after the dust has settled, these many months later, she goes into her crib with a giggle and a song, and sleeptime is a good time for us all! She enjoys the routines that lead to sleep-time (her favorite elephant and gloworm are always there waiting for her), and we no longer feel guilty for giving her time to rest!
Sorry for the length. I hope some of those details will be helpful to you. Everything you describe sounds painfully normal and one of those things that can only be (and will be) appreciated in hind-sight.
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