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Sleep

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Original poster

Sleep training for daytime naps

18 replies

wetwipesahoy · 22/04/2009 21:56

Although not ready to do it yet because I think she is still too young, I think I'm going to need to do some form of controlled crying with my DD.

Although she sleeps well at night, she never settles for naps in the day. If I were to do the Ferber style CC, would that work for nap time training instead of night time training? Is there any difference?

Just thinking that she could probably scream through an entire nap time and never go to sleep at all!

OP posts:

BiscuitStuffer · 22/04/2009 22:01

DS was like this. How old is your DD?

I just kept perservering twice daily for his naps and would tuck him in using grobag etc as if night time and dim lights and sya 'time for sleeps'. I also put a cuddly toy in there with him - a sizeable lion that he could cuddle. I would then walk out and if he cried i would leave it for 5 mins or so and see if he settled and if there was absolutely no break in the crying at all and sounded really distressed I would go in and reassure etc. If it clearly wasn't going to work out, I would just do what I had to do until he conked and then put him down. Suddenly out of nowhere and what seemed like a few weeks of this, he suddenly got it and it was all sorted. Do perservere and remember that some babies do just shout before they drop off and you could be disturbing her without meaning to.

SazzlesA · 22/04/2009 22:02

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thisisyesterday · 22/04/2009 22:02

how old is she?

Original poster

wetwipesahoy · 22/04/2009 22:08

She is only 2 months and I know the Ferber method isn't advised before 4 months so I know we're not there yet but I feel like I need a plan in mind so that I know we will fix it eventually IYSWIM.

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BiscuitStuffer · 22/04/2009 22:10

Yes we do the highchair nappy bed thing too and make sure there's been 2 hours of awake time for the one who naps in the morning too.

Another thing that used to work actually before it 'kicked in properly' is me going from putting him in his cot to just pottering about outside his room so i was out of his space but he could hear me.

thisisyesterday · 22/04/2009 22:10

oh blimey, yes way too young for any kind of sleep training.
in fact, I don't think either of mine even had set naps at that age, they just kind of fed to sleep as and when.

SazzlesA · 22/04/2009 22:10

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Original poster

wetwipesahoy · 22/04/2009 22:17

We're already in a fairly established routine, we're following the baby whisperer and are on a 3hr routine of Eat, Activity, Sleep. She does well on the routine its got her sleeping through at night much better now.
The only problem is that she is hard to get off to sleep. She gets tired like clockwork on the routine its just that she fights it so much that she never gets her full nap.
Just wanted to know if the Ferber method works for daytime naps aswell as for night time?

OP posts:

SazzlesA · 22/04/2009 22:20

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BiscuitStuffer · 22/04/2009 22:22

I don't know about the ferber method but I do know that you are doing brilliantly and that you should keep tickling away and by 3 months or near enough, she will 'get it'. Honestly - you are doing so well

fishie · 22/04/2009 22:27

maybe she hasn't read the book wetwipesahoy.

she is a very young baby, things change very quickly as they grow and develop.

no form of cc is recommended for a baby under 12months. even ferber has changed his mind on this.

thisisyesterday · 22/04/2009 22:30

maybe she is getting overtired wetwipes?

as fishie said, she doesn't know what the book wants her to do, she only knows when she is hungry and when she is sleepy and when she wants you.
it might be worth trying to settle her before she is obviously tired?

Chulita · 23/04/2009 08:46

I deffo find feeding to sleep in the daytime easier. I think letting her play and getting all wound up by that freaking purple giraffe and his dangly legs just makes her too wound up to settle. I don't blame her mind you, if I had some giraffe tickling my nose I'd be pretty irritated too...
At 2 mos I was just feeding and letting her sleep as and when she wanted. They grow so much it's hard to get any sort of pattern going for long. Now she's 21 wks I try not to let her stay awake for longer than 90mins-2hrs and then pop her in bed. She doesn't always sleep but if she's still grizzling after 30 mins I pick her up and feed her or change and then try again. She definitely sleeps better at night if she's slept well in the day. People talk about 'sleep cues' (at least they did with me) but I find with her she rubs her eyes, sucks her thumb and buries her head in my shoulder, I pop her in bed and she screams...maybe I'm mis-reading something!!

marathongirl · 06/05/2009 02:13

wetwipes - I too have a 2 month old that sleeps great at night, but naps are hard. I can't seem to find what works. I have tried CC but after reading the boards here I'm not sure I should be doing it. What have you decide as of late to do...I would love to hear if anything is working for you.

EachPeachPearMum · 06/05/2009 03:38

try putting down sooner- my ds (12 wo) needs to go down 1 hour after waking, most of the time.
Way too young for ferber.

LuluLulabelle · 06/05/2009 11:16

If you're following the Baby Whisperer why not use shush/pat & swaddle? Its what she recommends- not cc.

Shush/pat works on my DD in minutes. I also find swaddling her and settling her for her nap about an hour - hour and a half after she woke up is better than trying to spot her sleepy cues. Its always too late by then and takes twice as long.

Original poster

wetwipesahoy · 06/05/2009 13:53

Marathon , I've started doing baby whisperer shush/pat, also have a routine of getting ready for naps so she knows its nap time. we get her in her grobag, then cuddle with dummy until really drowsy and then put in cot just before she goes to sleep. Just try to stick to it and its gradually getting better.
Looking forward to her being old enough for me to be happy to try the pick up/put down from baby whisperer (4 months I think) and then if needs be I'll try CC when she is older.
Thankfully she sleeps at night better now so am less tired now and cope with days better.
Hope it gets better for you!

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MrsHD · 31/05/2009 16:35

"I find with her she rubs her eyes, sucks her thumb and buries her head in my shoulder, I pop her in bed and she screams...maybe I'm mis-reading something!!"

Chulita this is exactly our problem atm, but swap thumb-sucking for yawning. It's a recent development (DS is 5 months) and has totally flummoxed me. Weird thing is that after a totally failed 15 min attempt at napping (usually I can hold out longer but we've had a very whingey grumpy crap-napping three days now and my stamina is low!), I took DS out to lie under a tree and he transformed into happy gurgly 'watch me put my toes in my mouth' happy baby - ?? Great, don't get me wrong, vastly preferable to little sod, but terribly confusing!

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