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!!!
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!!!