Nap Time... - Marietta,GA

I personally would recommend that you let her remain in the crib, even if she cries, until she falls asleep on her own. If you continue to take her out of the crib, she will know that it is a game and she will fuss longer because she knows that you will eventually get her. If she is playing quietly in her crib, let her play. She is confined and can go to sleep then when she tires herself out. It isn't easy, been there and done that 3 times. But, after you get the routine down, it makes life so much simplier. Good luck!

Hi K.,

You may not like my advice but here it is - when you know she is tired, put her down almost immediately and skip the routine When you see the eye rubbing, yawning, ear pulling, fussiness or any of the signs of tiredness, immediately take her upstairs, out her in a sleep sack and lay her down. Hopefully she will nod off quickly (say something like "have a nice nap, I love you" and leave the room. Let her cry until she sleeps for a few days and then she should start to get the hang of it. I think the routine you are doing is waking her up and then she is getting overtired and then refusing to sleep. Make sure she gets enough to eat at mealtimes and do not offer the breast for naps. I have a friend who nursed to sleep every nap and night and is paying the price now with a 14 month old who still has to be nursed to sleep and my friend is basically housebound b/c of it. I lay my son down within 5 min of any sign of tiredness and he usually nods off within 2 minutes but if he doesn't I let him cry some and he is the happiest, most well rested baby you will ever meet. Remember, good sleep is the best gift you can give a child and if that means you have to let her cry it out a little until she gets the hang of it it will be worth it down the road when you have as well rested happy child. Another great thing about having a child that sleeps well is that you know something is wrong when they don't and that makes life a lot easier when you are not playing a guessing game all the time! Good luck.

You never mentioned if you have something to help her sleep.....I got a low nightlight (not just for the kids but for me to see) I also invested in Fisher Price Ocean Wonders it has music (soft) and ocean sound, ocean waves etc...it lights up makes bubbles and some movement that's gentle. I highly suggest it they even have one with a remote so you can use it just outside the door if the baby can't hit the button yet and turn it on. She may need to learn to help herself get to sleep and when babies wake many learn to play with it a bit and fall back to sleep it was a great investment, it's not really play time and it's to help put babies back to sleep mine used it until they were 4 yrs old they liked it so well, remember when you can't sleep or get comfortable you are able to read a book watch tv...she needs to have something to use her mind and many times it helps all of us go to sleep. Bedtime doesn't have to be a battle. remember she may also be teething and her sleep patterns change while her body is changing the first year the most.

Well.. it depends on how much crying you want to hear! Some people just don't want to let their baby cry it out, but I am OK with it. With my son, it took a couple of days of crying-- a good long time the first day, then a couple of minutes the next few days, then he went to bed (nap and night time) on his own. With my daughter, it took once-- we let her cry it out for almost an hour (during which time I had to hide my head under the pillow because I couldn't take hearing her cry!) but then the next night, she was fine. I know it's hard to listen to, but honestly I think it's the best way to go-- the only thing is, you have to commit-- don't let her cry for a while and then get her, because she'll learn that if she cries long enough you'll rescue her. It sounds harsh, but it works. Good luck!

Try to put her down at the same time each day. Read a story if you like lay her down and leave the room. It'snot important whether she plays a few minutes or not. You are not entertaining her and she is not center stage. If she cries, do not pick her up. It's nap time. She will go to sleep and the playing will shorten when she realizes she is not entertaining you. V.

I agree, if she isn't fussing, leave her in there...this is how some babies put themselves to sleep. If she cries, then tend to her and try again later. You really don't need to do the bedtime routine for the naptime. When they are sleepy, they are sleepy and ready for a nap.

My kids usually don't get used to a crib until around 5 or 6 months old. My youngest only naps in his crib. He sleeps with me at night. Eventually, he will sleep all night in his crib...right now just a few hours.

The time will increase for you too. Just think of it like this...you are used to a certain bed for months and then boom...you are thrown into a different bed....it takes time to adjust.

Good luck!

hi K.,
i have twin 2& half year olds and a 12month old. i have gone through this with all of them. i got lucky mine are strong willed.LOL but i had a good strict routine and whatever it was. eat, bath, story, bed. and my kids would freak unless i was standing holding them or it was play time so after the routine i would just put them in bed tuck them in say goodnight and leave. i would shut the door. for my sake..and the would scream of course. but i let them cry fro like 10 min then go in hug them calm them down in 2 or 3 mins tops and do it again. i had to do this for like two weeks and now they got it. my two year olds are giving me bedtime and nap time problems now but that is a different story. but my son sleeps like a champ. he knows that when he goes into bed and mommy says goodnight its bedtime. i also tried giving him a bottle of water like 3 oz just to keep him distracted. and it worked and our nap is like 2 to 3 hours around 11am and we are back to bed by 6 or 7 sleeping until6:30 7. so good luck. this is the start of the power struggle. also dont let her get to tired because that can make it A LOT harder for her to fall asleep. my son started to do this at 7 months also. its hard to let them cry. but this wont go on forever.
P.

I know it will be hard to hear her cry but you should walk away and do your normal bed time routine so she will know it isn't a game. If she is crying too intently or you can't stand to hear her cry for too long, go in (give her at least 5 minutes first) and check on her but tell her gently and quietly that it is time for bed and not play time. Remind her when the next play time will be and maybe even tell her one or two things you will do together during next play time.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Hi K.,

We've had the same issues with our daughter (almost 9 months old now) and I have FINALLY found some great help & advice in the book HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD. I found it at Target & bought it on a whim, just trying to find anything that will help. The book suggests earlier bedtimes & regular nap times, so for a 7 month old, bedtime should be between 6-8 pm & nap times should be around 9am & 1pm. I was putting our daughter down to bed around 8pm & was skeptical of the super early sleep time, but now I put her down to bed around 5:30 - 6:00 pm (REALLY) and she sleeps better, longer, naps better & is generally much more well rested.
Sorry for the long reply. But this is a great book & really has helped us after 8 months of NO SLEEP & constant bed & nap time battles (My daughter would vomit after a few minutes of crying at sleep times, so I kept her in my bed, arms, swing, etc). She sleeps happily in her crib now. YEAH!!
Good Luck & hang in there!!
B.

I liked what the other moms wrote. The Ocean Wonders is great. We also have a air purifier machine in my daughter's room that makes a soothing sound. The machine blocks out most every day noises. I think Holmes (sp?) puts them out. They are not too expensive and you can buy them at your local Target or Wal-mart.

My daughter is almost 8 months and we have a similar situation. She was in our bed full time until about 6 months and we started to put her in her crib for naps then eventually for sleep at night. She still comes in our bed when she wakes to nurse around 12 or 1 in the morning. Then there are nights that everytime I put her in the crib after she has fallen into a deep sleep, either after nursing or with her pacifier, she does the same thing with the flailing and smiling. She did it last night and I just brought her into our bed for the night so I could sleep and not get over frustrated. She did the same thing a few times this morning when she needed to go down for her morning nap. I try twice and if she wakes up after two times of trying to put her in her crib then I just take her back out to the living room to play and try again in about 30 minutes or so. I also take her for walks in her stroller around the neighborhood if she seems awake enough for it. The stimulation from being outside usually does the trick for her to fall asleep when we get back. I think that this age is when they are starting to be so aware of everything that they are learning the art of "fighting sleep". Whatever you do I wouldn't recommend letting her cry it out. It is most likely a phase and she will get to a point where she will stay asleep. It took my little one a few weeks to get the hang of it. Oh and you may want to try a fan or something in the room that makes a constant noise. We have one in Phoebe's room and it keeps a constant noise for her to lull her to sleep and helps to keep out noises from our living room, which is down a short hall from her room. Hope this helps!

Ok first of all she's 7 months old , 7 month olds don't act up. If she's happy and not fussing leave her in there and let her be happy , she will prob eventually fall asleep.
Playing in the crib is not a bad thing. She's safe and can't get hurt but you also have some time to your self.
Have you tried putting her in the car seat in the crib? That way shes in the seat where she feels safe and away from noise.

or you could try swaddling her tightly in a big blanket, and do you put her down on her back or tummy, putting her down on her tummy and maybe rubbing her back might relax her . playing music on repeat will drown any other noises out.

My suggestion is to not make a big deal about it...start out by reading a short book to her, in her room. Then put her in her bed, and walk out...she may play for a while but eventually should go to sleep. It may take up to a couple of weeks for her to get used to this new way. Kids adapt to routine fairly well, most of the time...and she may be like one of my twins-play for an hour, and then cry for about 30 minutes. She did eventually go to sleep, and I didn't let myself feel guilty because I needed the break!

I'm a firm believer in letting them lay there and fuss to an extent. If you know she is dry and not hungry, there is nothing wrong with letting her lay there and have a fit because mommy won't play the game with her. You'd did say how long you wait till you go pick her up but I'd start at 20 or 15 mins before you go in her room and don't pick her up either! Talk to her, rub her head, sing her a song, but don't pick her up! You'd be amazed that in a few days she'll get quieter sooner and before you know it, sleeping on her own!

good luck!
S.

I would suggest you read the book Baby Wise. I have three kids and did not have this book for my first one and it was a nightmare getting him to sleep. I read this book before my second child was born and stuck to it and it was amazing how well it worked. A couple of highlights that may help are to maintain a schedule. The schedule starts with when they wake up you feed them, then play time and finally sleep. Do not breastfed them to sleep. That is what I did with my first and he was still wanting me to do that when he was 18 months old. You want to stop that as soon as possible. The other major thing is to know it is OK to let the baby cry. For the first week or so it will be torture for you and she may cry for an hour but eventually she will get the idea that you are not going to pick her up and that she needs to fall asleep. I have a 7 month old daughter right now and it is amazing to me how I can just put her in her crib and she will fuss maybe for 5 minutes and then she falls asleep. Hope this helps.