Life here has pretty much been on a consistent schedule now for several months. We've still definately been dealing with nighttime sleep issues with James - but it's been hard to know what to do about it, since he's been teething and was sick. He has been sleeping better since he got over his flu though, and that has been nice. Now, however, it seems as though his sleep patterns are changing, and that he may not be needing two naps during the day. It's been a little bit stressful for me - because his nighttime sleep now seems to be very dependent on his daytime naps. The last couple of nights that he slept all the way through, he only got two 45 minute naps during the day. That is fine and dandy, except those naps were in the car, and it's hard to recreate that in the crib! Today I was going to try and skip his morning nap altogether, but by 10:00am he was so wiped I had to put him down. I thought I'd just wake him up after 45 minutes, but let's face it - when your baby is asleep it is SO hard to wake them up. He ended up napping for 1.5 hours. Now this afternoon he went down again at 3:30 - so I'm going to try and keep it to only about a 30 minute nap. All this messed up napping has me frustrated. I like routine and schedules, and trying to learn a new one during this new phase irritates me. Also, with all our Christmas gatherings coming up I am stressing out about how we can balance all the lack of napping and staying up late. I think we're going to be two very tired parents.If anyone has any suggestions on this matter, I would be appreciative!
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I JUST went through this with my son Tate...and he's a few months older than James, so I'm sure you're at the same stage we were at...and believe me! We spent a few weeks wondering what in the world to do with this changing schedule!! Soooo, I think it might take a few weeks for him to completely switch over, but what I did do was I'd let him nap in the mornings (if he wanted to...sometimes, he actually wouldn't go to sleep!), and although it is hard to have to wake your sweet sleeping baby, I did wake him after 1hr. max...then I let him sleep as long as he wanted after lunch (now his nap time is right after lunch)...and then we put him to bed EVEN earlier than before - which is at 7pm. And now, finally, after about 1 month of figuring out this new schedule he is consistently sleeping 1 1/2-2 hrs. in the afternoons (nothing in the morning) and from about 7pm-8am straight at night. (he never did this before...he usually woke up at 6:00am!!!!!). Sooo, it may take a few weeks, but I think a new schedule will eventually emerge outta this weird kind of schedule he is on now! I'm not sure what time he goes to bed at, but I found that once Tate skipped the morning nap he was SO tired by 7pm-ish that he HAD to go to bed...and it has been working out great (other than we can't really go anywhere in the evening too often...oh well. :) ). Hope that helps a bit!!
Oh Heather I TOTALLY feel for you. I have no advice that I KNOW works, but I'll share what we went through - trying to keep it short.
It took 2 MONTHS (!) and it was forced because I had to get a 2nd job. You may have better luck if you don't force it and James' body naturally decides when the change from 2 naps to 1 happens.
My job at the gym "seemed" great because I got to bring Palmer from 9a-12p every day. I thought he'd transition from 2 naps (am and pm)to 1 (pm) easily. He DID NOT! He was always SO tired by the time 10:30/11 hit it was a struggle in the afternoon. Instead of combining the nap times to one longer pm nap he'd have a ridiculously short pm nap (45 min? yuck) and would be miserable the rest of the day. NOT fun.
In time (2 months!) he became accustomed to missing his morning nap and wasn't as tired and now that he's FINALLY adjusted and napping approx. 2-3 hrs in the pm, I've up and quit my job. Turns out I'm not the person to watch 15, yes 15, other kids under the age of 2 every day.
So although I completely feel your frustration, try to remember that just like it took time to get James onto his current schedule, it will take time again and know that we're all rootin' for ya!
Hey Heather!
I don't know if what I'll say will be helpful or not, because Preston slept better than James and a lot sooner, but it's worth a try!
I didn't transition him to 1 nap unitl he was like 18 months! I think that was a mistake though, I should have done it sooner. Really it shouldn't take months for James to get used to a new shcedule, only about a week or so if you're very consistent.
With Preston I did the same things every day at the same time (bath time, stories...)It'll be a gradual change, so the first day give him lunch at 11 (or even 10:45) then lay him down. Do that for a few days, then bump lunch up to 11:30 then down for a nap. After a few days move lunch to 12 then nap. If you want you can bumb it up more too until like 1 pm for a nap. Whichever works for you. Right now, we do lunch around 12. But for us things are a bit different because I have 2, I want them to nap at the same time, so sometimes Preston doesn't lay down until like1/1:30.
Anyway, like I said it will take like a week or so for the transition and he will more than likely be grumpy for the week. But once he is on the different schedule, he'll be happier! I can give you more details if you want to chat on msn sometime!
I have no advice because I am still learning and because my son doesn't do schedules.
I like the picture of james.
I sooo feel for you Heather! That is such a hard stage. One day they look like they could skip a nap, the next day they can't live without it! Try to play it by ear, it'll all shake out in the end!
Ooops, I'm SO sorry if I scared you Heather. Renee made me realize I neglected to put in my post that I TOTALLY don't think it should take months when you transition at the right time for James.
I think because we didn't do it at the right time for Palmer, even being consistent, made it take as long as it did. Plus all the change of being in the new job, him not having me all to himself, teething molars etc etc etc is probably what made it take forever.
So I'm sorry if I sounded like it would take forever - that was not my intention. Just wanted to share with you (even like Renee said about her timing being too late) how our timing was too early for our situation.
Sounds like you have some great ideas here...we did it alot like renee describes and it worked like a charm.
around christmas time there will be so many people/things to see and do that you can be rest a sured that james will more then likely have a great sleep at night and hopfully you guys as well.
I hope you find something that works for you. Take care!!
that is a hard stage and i remember being stressed about the family gathering/christmas parties too.
the way we handled it is we just kinda took it as it came. if shiloh needed a nap -- then we were late for the party or if we had to leave early cuz she was fading -- we did. i'm much better at the "fly by the seat of your pants" method. :)
btw -- my blog has had issues and i had to have my addy changed. you can find me at itstrueroo.blogspot.com
Hey heather! Love the new blog look!!!! Also, I love the pic of James....Yay for Ikea tables. Taylor has had one of the same tables for about 3 years, with a stool and a chair....it's almost time for a new one actually, but they are so durable, and I love them. Anyhow, the sleep dept for me also lately has been horribly frustrating...I plan to blog about it soon..God's been really teaching me patience, that's for sure.
Hi Heather! Unfortunately, I don't have much advice to give in this area because we're sort of going through the same thing with Annika right now. But I can sure empathize, and get advice from your readers comments! :)
grr! This is the third time I'm trying to leave a stinkin comment. I'm tired of repeating myself, James is cute, that's it.
I totally know that phase and it's not very fun....
For me, I depended on those naps for my sanity! It's hard to find what works best as far as sleeping goes. You are such a good mom, you'll figure him out.
I know when Noah was small, I was "supposed" to wake him after 45 mins too....IF we wanted a good smooth bedtime, but you're so right, who wants to wake a still, sleeping, peaceful, not making messes, noise, child?
Faith is weening from her ONLY nap! that means no naps and less breaks for me
when you figure all of this out & find out what works best - let me know! K's almost THREE and we're still fighting with naps & bedtimes....oh boy. :)
hope you're getting more rest, and that you had a fabulous Christmas, i can't WAIT to hear all about it!
love ya.
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