Naptime Experts- Advice Needed

[jenboo]

I have a 15 month old DCB. He goes down for nap at 1pm with the rest of the children but in a separate room with a crib. In 3 months, be will have to be transitioned to a cot for nap (per licensing regulations).
He sleeps about 1.5 hrs a day (maybe 1 hr 45 min if i get really lucky). Currently, he cries/whines once he wakes up until I get him out of the crib. I usually have him wait 30 minutes. It is definitely just a hold me cry/whine but can get very loud. He stops as soon as i pick him up.

My current routine is lay him down for nap with ocean music on (like at home). He falls asleep within 5 minutes. When he wakes up he starts crying/whining until i get him up. Once he is up, he is up. there is no falling back asleep. I usually go in when he first starts crying. tell him nap time isnt over, check to make sure he didnt poop and then leave the room.

My concern is that he will be napping with the other children in 3 months. I really dont want him to cry when he wakes up because obviously he will wake the other children up.

Any suggestions how to stop the crying in three months? I have had him since the end of september and it has been the same way almost every day.

[Scout]

Could he be crying because he wants to be with the others? just a thought.

[blandino]

I have had a couple kids like this...

One was a little girl, who slept INFINITELY better on a mat. I think she liked seeing the bigger kids, like PP said.

One was a little boy (now 20 months). He was virtually the same as your DCB. He sleeps much longer now that he is on a mat. Maybe because he is older and expending more energy during the day ? He still can be a problem if he wakes up earlier than everyone else. At first I laid his mat in the same room as the other kids, but as far away from them as possible - so that his noise wouldn't be as loud to them. I also play music fairly loudly during nap to block out any background noise. Honestly, once my DCB saw all of the other kids staying on their mats - I think it helped him adjust. He still needs reminding semi-frequently, but it has improved. Today, he napped from 1:30-3:50.

I just try a "fake it 'till you make it" approach, and just do it until they realize that is the way it is going to be done. I know easier said than done, because you don't want his screaming to upset the other kids, but eventually they get used to it.

[jenboo]

Could he be crying because he wants to be with the others? just a thought.

he used to be in the other room with the kids but woke them up at least an hour early everyday so i moved him out. Even with him in the other room and loud music in both rooms, he still wakes them up

[Rachel]

He sleeps 1.5 hours and then you are leaving him alone in the crib for another 30 minutes? Or he sleeps an hour and you are letting him fuss? If he has slept 1.5 hours he probably slept all he needs to and you need to get him up. My kids sleep on a mat from very young (as young as 6 months), and around 1 they learn they do not crawl off the mattress until I get them up. Right now the 20 month old is laying on her mattress looking at me, but not crying, because nap isn't over yet. I think you should switch him to napping with the older kids and teach him to stay on the mattress when he's done sleeping.

[blandino]

He sleeps 1.5 hours and then you are leaving him alone in the crib for another 30 minutes? Or he sleeps an hour and you are letting him fuss? If he has slept 1.5 hours he probably slept all he needs to and you need to get him up. My kids sleep on a mat from very young (as young as 6 months), and around 1 they learn they do not crawl off the mattress until I get them up. Right now the 20 month old is laying on her mattress looking at me, but not crying, because nap isn't over yet. I think you should switch him to napping with the older kids and teach him to stay on the mattress when he's done sleeping.

The rest of my kids learn to do this too. But my DCB that is like OP's will scream and scream while teaching him. That means that he woke everyone up in the process of learning. Also my DCB has VERY LOW impulse control, so keeping him on the mat is a struggle. What you mentioned works with all of my other DCK, but this DCB is a different story.

OP, have you thought about mat training him in the other room, that way the screaming isn't too much ? And then once he gets it, move him out with the other kids ?

[jenboo]

He sleeps 1.5 hours and then you are leaving him alone in the crib for another 30 minutes? Or he sleeps an hour and you are letting him fuss? If he has slept 1.5 hours he probably slept all he needs to and you need to get him up. My kids sleep on a mat from very young (as young as 6 months), and around 1 they learn they do not crawl off the mattress until I get them up. Right now the 20 month old is laying on her mattress looking at me, but not crying, because nap isn't over yet. I think you should switch him to napping with the older kids and teach him to stay on the mattress when he's done sleeping.

When he wakes up, he is ready to get up. I go in and tell him nap time isn't over yet.
I am trying to teach him to stay quiet until naptime is over instead of crying/whining until i pick him up. I will even give him a couple books (he loves books) but its no help.

[jenboo]

I will try to transition him onto a cot in different room from the rest of the kids before putting him in the same room. I was just hoping to do both transitions at the same time. But i guess DCB has something else in mind::

I do not stay in the same room as the kids when they are napping. I have video monitors and i check them in person every 15 min. But...it looks like ill have to be right next to DCB until he can wake up and wait without crying. It is a nightmare when some of the other kids get woken up early.

[daycare]

wow 1.5 hours at that age does not seem long enough. Do the parents co-sleep? All of my DCKs that co-sleep with their parents are my most difficult nappers.

How long have you had DCK?

[_Dana_]

I'll be watching this post b/c I'm having similar problems with one of my dcks. No matter what I do, he will only sleep 45-60 minutes. And when he wakes, it is full on scream. I've had him since October. Granted, last week was his first regular week since Christmas b/c of his seizure, holidays, weather and flu.

[TwinKristi]

My last DCB was 22mos when he left and still in a PNP in the back bedroom. When he woke up, he screamed bloody murder. Some days I told him it's still ni-nite time, shhhhhh and shut the door. Sometimes he would last an hour, or only 20 mins. He just moved to preschool this month and sleeps on a cot now. I would be interested to see how he does here on a mat but I don't know if he still screams when he wakes up before everyone else. His mom said he does it at home too. Her DD wasn't like that and would often play in her crib upon waking! Babies are all so different.

[Rachel]

It might not be the popular opinion, but if he's sleeping 1.5 hours + I think you just need to accept that he needs less sleep and get him up. I know for myself I can't function on less than 8 hours of sleep (on a regular basis), but dh sleeps 6 every night and is fine. If someone told him to lie in bed 2 more hours, he would not be impressed. My 13 month old sleeps 1 hour, 1:45 on a great day (as in, he's done that once). He sleeps the same at home and at night. No cosleeping. Wakes up in a great mood, just needs less sleep. As they get older I do teach them to stay on the mat for the 2 hour nap, but it's a process.

[jenboo]

wow 1.5 hours at that age does not seem long enough. Do the parents co-sleep? All of my DCKs that co-sleep with their parents are my most difficult nappers.

How long have you had DCK?

No co-sleeping. His napping/sleeping is kinda crazy at home. He goes to bed at the same time each night but wakes up all over the map in the mornings. Some weeks he is up at 5am every morning and others he will sleep in until 8. it drives mom nuts.
1-1.5 hours is his normal for nap. Same here, at home and at grandmas.

I have had him since the beginning of october.

I just wish he would stay quiet the last 20-30 minutes of nap time.
Maybe im just enjoying my peaceful 2 hour nap time break too much and just need to accept the fact that it might not be here much longer once DCB is on a cot at 18 months (licensing regulation).