And all this time I've been wondering, how do moms get anything done outside the house? Ever?
Then recently, I became aware that not all babies sleep for more than half of their lives.
See ... Liam now sleeps consistently from 9:30 at night to 7 or 8 without waking. He also takes 2-3 naps during the day, usually around two hours each. So as a general rule he is awake for two hours, then sleeps for two hours, and we (literally) plan our days around his naps.
Most of the time, this schedule is awesome. It is simple and predictable, and we are incredibly lucky that one of us can be home with Liam almost all the time. He hardly ever cries when we put him down anymore; he goes right to sleep and I love it. But sometimes, it is hard for the very same reasons - life isn't simple or predictable. We like to visit with family and eat Sunday dinner and go out of town occasionally. Even overnight! But if we do, we have to figure out how to deal with him, because he doesn't just sleep anywhere. Not even in our arms. He's barely learning to fall asleep in his carseat.
So my question is this: How do you all do it? Forgo the naps to get a little more done? Deal with a fussy baby so you can stay at your parents' a little longer? Put them down wherever you're at?
Or do your babies just not nap during the day?
(And if they don't, HOW DO YOU STAY SANE?)
That is a lot of napping! Count yourself lucky.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I don't really remember, but I think Lydia was about his age when she went down to 2 naps a day - one morning and one afternoon. It made it a lot easier to schedule around, and now that she's down to one nap, I feel like I can go more than one place a day. Also, because she's getting so much older, more mobile, and better at entertaining herself, I don't go insane without those extra naps.
I guess I don't have much advice. Lydia has always been a pretty good napper in her carseat/stroller, etc., so she just napped on the go when we needed to be out and about during her naptime. When we visited family at Christmas, we actually set up two cribs for her, one at my family's and one at Adam's because we wanted to be able to stay later at people's houses. Maybe try bringing a packnplay if you want to hang out with other people during a naptime? I know it doesn't always work to put little ones down in an unfamiliar place.
That sounds rough, being so restricted. I hope it gets better soon!
Epic comment, I know.
ReplyDeleteI occasionally skip one of the naps so I can visit/party etc. A lot of times we invite people to our house instead of going places that way we can put Jake down whenever he's tired.
ReplyDeleteSo, your concern is exactly my biggest concern about parenting some day--my sleep is so important to me, and I can just imagine myself dissolving into a burned-out zombie or a hysterical mother monster.
ReplyDeleteAfter talking to my sister, though, it sounds like you might want to try tapering off one nap and just letting him consistently "cry it out" until he's realized it's not time to sleep yet. It sounds mean, but to preserve your sanity, it sounds worth it.
Liam and Teryn must have been premortal friends and made a pact to never be caught sleeping in their mothers' arms!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it's impossible sometimes. I confess, I sometimes leave church after sacrament meeting so Teryn can just sleep in his own crib. It's not worth the fight!! I used to be able to manhandle him and convince him to sleep with his binky, but now he refuses his binky there's nothing that soothes him but his crib!! It definitely tries my patience....and usually gets the best of me.
But other than Sunday, his sleeping schedule is great. He takes only one nap a day, 12-2, and sleeps every night from 8-8. He took 2 naps up until 11 1/2 months- -one from 10-11:30 and another from 2-3:30, and slept 7-7 every night.
I would say Liam is big enough that 2 naps would be sufficient for him. He obviously needs a few more hours of sleep though or he wouldn't take a 3rd nap when you lay him down- -but if I were you I would try to incorporate it into his night rather than an extra nap. It would take some work, but I would try gradually keeping him awake a little longer after he wakes in the morning- -try for 3 hours instead of 2, then he'll sleep for 2, wake for another 3, sleep for 2, and then go down a little earlier at night rather than taking another nap. Maybe I'm bias because that's what Teryn did, but it really was great and he was very happy. It seems that the longer period of nighttime sleep made him more comfortable than chopping it up with naps during the day.
He'll get the hang of it- -it just takes a little training. But you're the momma and you know what's best! I know the stressful feeling of watching the clock and knowing right when fussy time is due. It's especially hard when you know it's going to interfere with your activities.
Anyway- -good luck!
You just wait it out. The time is coming - just around the corner! - when he'll be able to skip a nap and not be fussy. But keep him napping as long as you can ... you will miss those naps when he's gone. :-)
ReplyDeletewhen THEY'RE gone, not he. Good grief.
ReplyDeleteI read the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It gives a good foundation of where your child should be at.
ReplyDeleteYou may also just need to start experimenting with it. i.e. see if you can get 2 naps in a day and put him down earlier at night (7:00p, or something so that he gets more sleep at night and needs less during the day.) The book may explains that with him going to bed later he's not getting enough sleep. Crazy, I know. Once we made an earlier bedtime for Joshua he slept longer through the night and needed less sleep during the day and was always happy.
I think just try around with different things and you will eventually find something that fits.
Gosh - thanks for all the comments guys!
ReplyDeleteBons, I am REALLY looking forward to having a more self-entertained child! We can't even leave the room and let him play right now. Definitely anxious for that stage to end.
Dani, how I WISH we could leave church early. I would seriously do that as often as possible. But we teach Primary and also, currently, lead the music for singing time so we are busy all three hours of church. It's awful.
Chelsee, I skimmed a bunch of that book and came away thinking, "Wow, we already do all that." But it was a few months ago so maybe I could use a refresher...