Help With Infant Naps

[Unregistered]

I wrote here before regarding a 4 month old who only sleeps for 15-30 minutes at a time. I'm putting baby to bed drowsy, putting pacifier in mouth, babe will spit it out and scream, then I put it back in and hold it until baby calms, walk away, baby spits it out, I come back (repeat 6-10 times) until baby falls asleep. I have plenty of white noise going, a darkened area away from daycare activity and he still won't sleep for more than 30 minutes. What do I do? Help! Mom is following the same schedule and we are on completely the same page because he's having similar issues at home. Any suggestions?

[littlemissmuffet]

I wrote here before regarding a 4 month old who only sleeps for 15-30 minutes at a time. I'm putting baby to bed drowsy, putting pacifier in mouth, babe will spit it out and scream, then I put it back in and hold it until baby calms, walk away, baby spits it out, I come back (repeat 6-10 times) until baby falls asleep. I have plenty of white noise going, a darkened area away from daycare activity and he still won't sleep for more than 30 minutes. What do I do? Help! Mom is following the same schedule and we are on completely the same page because he's having similar issues at home. Any suggestions?

Are you sure mom is being truthful?

My DD is 7 months but being born 3 months early her corrected age is 4 months. She sleeps when she needs it but she also does have the same set nap time as my daycare kiddos which is 1-3pm. She gets a bottle and a quick snuggle/hug then I lie her down with her ****ie and a lovie. She usually falls asleep right away, and when she doesn't, I just assure her I am close by and pat her tummy for a minute then she goes down. She sleeps through any noise - I think it's important to NOT make a house completely noise free when napping a baby because that isn't realistic.

Our baby naps well for our moms and my sister too.

I have a feeling that your dc mom is rocking baby to sleep...
How long have you and her both been working on your routine?

[Unregistered]

Are you sure mom is being truthful?

My DD is 7 months but being born 3 months early her corrected age is 4 months. She sleeps when she needs it but she also does have the same set nap time as my daycare kiddos which is 1-3pm. She gets a bottle and a quick snuggle/hug then I lie her down with her ****ie and a lovie. She usually falls asleep right away, and when she doesn't, I just assure her I am close by and pat her tummy for a minute then she goes down. She sleeps through any noise - I think it's important to NOT make a house completely noise free when napping a baby because that isn't realistic.

Our baby naps well for our moms and my sister too.

I have a feeling that your dc mom is rocking baby to sleep...
How long have you and her both been working on your routine?

About 2 weeks. She says she will sit near the crib and shush him or put the pacifier back in as needed but that he will sometimes sleep for an hour in the morning and 1-2 in the afternoon.

Problem is he will fall asleep immediately in my arms but when I try to transfer he ends up inconsolable. If I don't put him in bed fully awake he doesn't nap at all. And there is no putting him back to sleep when he wakes after 15-30 minutes bc he will SCREAM if you don't pick him up. But when you do pick him up he will just about pass out from exhaustion, but again try to transfer back to the PNP and he screams! Ugh, if this lasts much longer I'm afraid I'll have to term. He may not be cut out for daycare .

[Cradle2crayons]

About 2 weeks. She says she will sit near the crib and shush him or put the pacifier back in as needed but that he will sometimes sleep for an hour in the morning and 1-2 in the afternoon.

Problem is he will fall asleep immediately in my arms but when I try to transfer he ends up inconsolable. If I don't put him in bed fully awake he doesn't nap at all. And there is no putting him back to sleep when he wakes after 15-30 minutes bc he will SCREAM if you don't pick him up. But when you do pick him up he will just about pass out from exhaustion, but again try to transfer back to the PNP and he screams! Ugh, if this lasts much longer I'm afraid I'll have to term. He may not be cut out for daycare .

Is he overtired?? Sometimes when babies that age are allowed to get too tired before laying them down, it backfires.

I've had this happen a few times as well. Maybe try before they get over tired??

Just a thought.

[Unregistered]

Is he overtired?? Sometimes when babies that age are allowed to get too tired before laying them down, it backfires.

I've had this happen a few times as well. Maybe try before they get over tired??

Just a thought.

I do. For example, he gets up at 6, is here at 7:30, has a bottle at 8/8:30, I change him and immediately try putting him down. It takes abut 30 minutes to get him to sleep, then today he slept for 15 minutes.

[littlemissmuffet]

About 2 weeks. She says she will sit near the crib and shush him or put the pacifier back in as needed but that he will sometimes sleep for an hour in the morning and 1-2 in the afternoon.

Problem is he will fall asleep immediately in my arms but when I try to transfer he ends up inconsolable. If I don't put him in bed fully awake he doesn't nap at all. And there is no putting him back to sleep when he wakes after 15-30 minutes bc he will SCREAM if you don't pick him up. But when you do pick him up he will just about pass out from exhaustion, but again try to transfer back to the PNP and he screams! Ugh, if this lasts much longer I'm afraid I'll have to term. He may not be cut out for daycare .

I give kiddos 4 weeks to adjust.
If I didn't see any noticable difference by then, I would term.

Then again, I don't take kiddos under 12 months because they are often difficult to sleep train.

[Cradle2crayons]

I do. For example, he gets up at 6, is here at 7:30, has a bottle at 8/8:30, I change him and immediately try putting him down. It takes abut 30 minutes to get him to sleep, then today he slept for 15 minutes.

And you said mom is having the same trouble at home. Has the baby always has is problem?? Or did it start recently?? And did it start at home first or there first?? Just curious??

And has the baby ever been checked for reflux??

[renodeb]

Have you tried a very low noise machine? Sometimes that can do the trick. Babies can be tough, be consistent. Your doing all the right things. To be honest (dont shoot me) Im not sure the paci is really even helping the baby, or mom staying by the crib. Maybe try putting him down a little earlier (if possible) before getting over tired? Do you think mom maybe rocking the baby to sleep at home? (just a thought) Other factors maybe is the babyeatting enough? Has it burped? Hang in there. I wish I had better advice.
Deb

[Familycare71]

If I have a baby that spits the paci out often I don't offer it anymore. It becomes another obstical rather than a tool IMO...

[Heidi]

Have you tried a very low noise machine? Sometimes that can do the trick. Babies can be tough, be consistent. Your doing all the right things. To be honest (dont shoot me) Im not sure the paci is really even helping the baby, or mom staying by the crib. Maybe try putting him down a little earlier (if possible) before getting over tired? Do you think mom maybe rocking the baby to sleep at home? (just a thought) Other factors maybe is the babyeatting enough? Has it burped? Hang in there. I wish I had better advice.
Deb

I'm starting to agree about the paci's. When my own kids where young, and were tummy sleepers, they could "root" for their pacifier pretty early. We'd throw 3 or 4 in the crib, and at 4 or 6 weeks, they could find them. Now that all my babies are back sleepers (which I am NOT arguing), they ****, snooze, spit, scream.

My new dc baby (4 weeks) came for a visit yesterday, and oh boy! ****...sleep..5-7 minutes...startle...spit...wwahhhhhhh! He was here all afternoon and slept a total of 30 minutes.

He starts in 2 weeks. It's going to be a little fight, I can tell already. Mom is one of my bff's, and she's totally cool. But, she's super-sleep deprived and has resorted to letting him nap in the swing (sometimes) despite my warnings. alas....

Deep breath, Heidi....I think I can, I think I can!

[Heidi]

If I have a baby that spits the paci out often I don't offer it anymore. It becomes another obstical rather than a tool IMO...

The 8 mo here REFUSES to put it in his mouth himself. He screams until you do it for him. Of course, if he wakes up early, he expects the same.

NOPE! I threw 2 in the bed after showing them to him, said night night, and left the room. Somehow, he managed to go to sleep, with or without them.

[Cradle2crayons]

If I have a baby that spits the paci out often I don't offer it anymore. It becomes another obstical rather than a tool IMO...

Totally agree. While I understand that they think that paci usage helps prevent SIDS, the reason is because they don't get into deep sleep and have a lot of arousals. The high arousals prevent them from relaxing enough, supposedly, to prevent SIDS.

But personally, it's a catch 22. We don't really know for sure that they prevent SIDS. Until we know the exact mechanics of what causes it, we don't know how to fully understand preventing it.

With that said, my personal thoughts on paci usage is that usage IS proven to lead to lots of other problems. Poor sleep in infants for one. They can't get good restful sleep ****ing on a paci. Even if they can keep it in their mouth, they are constantly woken up because of the paci. Not even having to deal with dental problems, inky attachment problems, etc.

I personally don't think it teaches kids to self soothe at all.

Don't flame me, I'm not AGAINST using them at all. However, I don't think they serve any long term purpose and I'm NOT going to sit beside a baby and plop it back in their mouths every five seconds.

[Heidi]

Totally agree. While I understand that they think that paci usage helps prevent SIDS, the reason is because they don't get into deep sleep and have a lot of arousals. The high arousals prevent them from relaxing enough, supposedly, to prevent SIDS.

But personally, it's a catch 22. We don't really know for sure that they prevent SIDS. Until we know the exact mechanics of what causes it, we don't know how to fully understand preventing it.

With that said, my personal thoughts on paci usage is that usage IS proven to lead to lots of other problems. Poor sleep in infants for one. They can't get good restful sleep ****ing on a paci. Even if they can keep it in their mouth, they are constantly woken up because of the paci. Not even having to deal with dental problems, inky attachment problems, etc.

I personally don't think it teaches kids to self soothe at all.

Don't flame me, I'm not AGAINST using them at all. However, I don't think they serve any long term purpose and I'm NOT going to sit beside a baby and plop it back in their mouths every five seconds.

I think front-sleeping is the same, for that matter. MOST babies sleep better on their tummies because they startle less. I honestly believe that back-sleeping causes babies not to sleep as deeply, and thus prevents SIDS. Still, they all get laid on their backs here and they do learn. It's just a little tougher.

I used to be a big fan of pacifiers, but am starting to change my thinking, mostly because it doesn't seem to help my kiddos, as you said.

[Cradle2crayons]

I think front-sleeping is the same, for that matter. MOST babies sleep better on their tummies because they startle less. I honestly believe that back-sleeping causes babies not to sleep as deeply, and thus prevents SIDS. Still, they all get laid on their backs here and they do learn. It's just a little tougher.

I used to be a big fan of pacifiers, but am starting to change my thinking, mostly because it doesn't seem to help my kiddos, as you said.

I out them on their backs, even though I don't agree with it myself. But hey I'm no expert either. My thoughts is that the reason SIDS has gone down is a generalized concept related to better medical technology and screening of hard to previously detect illnesses and not back sleeping at all. But still, I out them on their backs, just in case.

[Heidi]

I out them on their backs, even though I don't agree with it myself. But hey I'm no expert either. My thoughts is that the reason SIDS has gone down is a generalized concept related to better medical technology and screening of hard to previously detect illnesses and not back sleeping at all. But still, I out them on their backs, just in case.

Well, after you take all the non-SIDS stuff out, like suffocation, sleeping on the wrong surface, etc., which are often lumped into the SIDS category but aren't really SIDS...

When 100 babies were put on their backs, and 100 on their tummies in an Australian study some years ago, the back sleepers fared better by 30%. That's huge. They don't know WHY though. I see there are studies going on all the time, but there are no real answers.

I put my babies on their backs because I have to, and I couldn't live with myself if I broke that rule and something happened. Of course, if anything happened, I'd beat myself up anyway.

I haven't had a daycare kid yet that didn't sleep on their tummy once they could choose. It's place on back, flip over, butt in air, and snore softly......