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View Full Version : Nappus interruptus (loooong)



Momof3Labs
04-23-2004, 10:45 PM
Colin has a tendency to be a horrible napper, but we've been in a pretty good pattern for 6-7 months now (when he switched to one nap per day) and he takes a 1.5-3 hour nap each afternoon. Well, as long as DH doesn't let him fall asleep in the car before lunch, but we KNOW what the problem is there.

Colin's nap routine was pretty simple, he would have lunch, play for a few minutes, we'd change his diaper and I would turn out the light and turn on his music. Then he would nurse for a few minutes, fall asleep while nursing, and I'd put him in his crib and leave the room. Pretty easy, and pretty reliable.

Well, Colin has decided to throw us a curve ball. For the last two weeks, he won't nap for DH (on days when I work) unless DH holds him. If he tries to put him down anytime, Colin wakes immediately and pitches a fit. Or, more likely, he feels DH shift to put him down and clings to him like a baby monkey.

I wasn't happy about this turn and told DH that it had to stop before it becomes a habit (too late). Well, sure enough, now Colin won't go down for me some days. I'll nurse him and he'll be sleepy but either won't fall asleep or, more recently, might fall asleep but won't let me put him in his crib.

On the rare occasions when Colin wouldn't fall asleep nursing (in the past), he'd usually fall asleep minutes later on my shoulder, and I could put him in the crib and we'd be fine. Now, if he falls asleep that way, he won't let me put him down at all.

Now, we still have some days where Colin naps great in his crib. Though these days are getter fewer. Other days he doesn't nap at all (grrrrr).

Nighttime sleep is still great - Colin has a bedtime routine that lasts about an hour (long, I know, but it works for all of us) and after a few minutes of cuddling (the last step), he asks to be put in his crib and falls asleep on his own (after I leave the room). No nursing or bottle necessary. He sleeps 7 or 7:30pm - 6 or 6:30am most days.

This week, Colin developed a diaper rash that doesn't seem to be causing him much discomfort and is healing. And yesterday and today he's pretty stuffy. But this stuff is recent and doesn't explain this starting a couple of weeks ago. I don't think he's cutting any teeth right now (we're waiting on the two bottom eye teeth, then the two year molars) though I know that teething pain can start early. Our last sleep battle involved early (3am) wake-ups, lasted about a week and was followed by a language burst (0 to 10 words in a matter of a couple of days). Then nighttime sleep went right back to normal.

So maybe this is a developmental burst? Please, someone just tell me it is a phase. I don't want to do CIO again. And I'm not ready to see him give up naps - they keep me sane, plus he still NEEDS them! I'm on my own with Colin for a week (DH and my mom out of town, I'm taking off work) for the very first time starting May 3. I really need this kid to do some napping while I'm home with him or I will go nuts!!!

Karenn
04-24-2004, 12:58 AM
Lori,
It could be a phase! My Colin went through something similar a couple of months ago. Before, I would put Colin in his crib awake (no nursing)and he would generally lay down and fall asleep within five minutes or so. A month or two ago, he started staying awake through his entire nap time. He would be exhausted by bedtime, so he was clearly still needing his nap!

Our situation was obviously a little different than yours, but I solved it buy sticking him in his crib with a bunch of books and moving his nap about an hour later. (Before he'd sleep 1-3:00 and if he slept much past 3 he wouldn't go to bed. Now, he'll sleep from 2-4 and go to bed no problem. Whatever...) Anyway, when I posted here there were several who mentioned having similar problems at about this age, and I've run across several more people since then, so I really think it might be a developmental thing.

Sorry I don't have more practical advice, but don't give up on those naps! (And I know what you mean about not wanting to do CIO again. Having to go through that again is my worst fear!)


ETA: I'm just remembering that last week we had an incident where Colin did the "cling like a baby monkey" thing and I was actually able to talk him in to lying down in his crib to go to sleep. I had to stay with him until he was alseep, but I must admit that I was really surprised that the talking worked since it never had before. It was a lot of "It's night night time right now Colin. Can you lay down and go to sleep? That's right, good job. It's night night time. Are you going to close your eyes?" I had to stay until he was actually asleep, but it did work.

toomanystrollers
04-24-2004, 08:35 AM
Lori,
This is called "Daddy's a pushover" phase - happens all the time with Shea. Daddy messes up his schedule (like lunch at 2:00 - ARGH) and then it takes me a couple of days to get him back on track.

Hang in there,

Momof3Labs
04-24-2004, 08:42 PM
Oh, no, Pam, please don't tell me that!!! I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of every week and DH is on his own with Colin two of those three days. I don't want to spend my entire Friday and Saturday of every week undoing Daddy's mistakes!!

Guess DH and I need to have ANOTHER one of those talks!

Momof3Labs
04-24-2004, 08:44 PM
Karen, I hope that you are right! The only thing is that our Colin is either sleeping or screaming in the crib during the day - he refuses to sit quietly in the crib, even with a few books or favorite toys.

I think that once Colin feels better, DH and I will have to have another talk about starting bad habits. Or maybe that will fall during the week that DH is gone, and I can spend our whole week "fixing" the new habits DH has taught him!