Friday, November 16, 2007
What I Would Give For a Nap...
Can anyone explain why my babies only nap for 30 minutes twice a day, with no exceptions? They clearly need more, as evidenced by the hysterical screaming in the late afternoon and evenings.
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because you want them to nap longer... they know right from birth how it all works. ;)
ReplyDeleteSince you asked... 30-45 minutes are often when they cycle back into light sleep, and if they can't put themselves back to sleep at that point, they're done. There are various ways of dealing with this, depending on what your comfort level is. One method is to actually be standing there ready to pat and shush them back to sleep when you notice the restlessness - not easy with twins! Another is to ignore the situation and hope it gets better on its own eventually. Another is to try one of the gentler forms of CIO, and let them cry a little until they settle down for the next sleep cycle. It never took longer than a few minutes for us, and within a few days, we were back into a 1.5 and 2 hour nap routine. In the end, there was a whole lot less crying (mine and theirs!) when they got the rest they needed. Naps can be a good time of day to teach older babies (not infants!) how to settle themselves back down when they rouse themselves. I'm sure you have a good handle on whatever your comfort level is, and my sympathies to you. We're dealing with a nap strike from one of our 2.5 year olds, and I cannot tell you how frustrated it is to deal with a cranky two year old who missed a much needed nap.
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