Sam and Anna have been having some napping issues lately. They still sleep fantastically at night- STTN up t0 9-9 1/2 hours at a time- so that's a relief. I've figured out that they have a waketime window of 45 minutes to an hour most of the time during the day. We can usually put them down drowsy but awake, and both babies can put themselves to sleep from that state at the start of a nap.
Within the last week or so, both babies are only staying asleep in 30-45 minutes stints. I think they are having trouble transitioning between sleep stages, because it is very evident that they still need more sleep at that time and are not waking out of hunger. They cannot return to sleep on their own when they wake mid-nap. So we end up spending the next hour to two hours going back and forth trying to get babies to fall back asleep. Or rather I do during the days when I'm alone. Meanwhile, I am getting frustrated because our efforts are not helping the problem at hand- babies that are having trouble putting themselves back to sleep on their own- because we are helping them get there most often by picking them up. I can not and will not CIO at this point because I think they are too young. The white noise and shhhs just aren't cutting it anymore either.
Now if I really got 30-45 minutes in a chunk to get things done from the beginning of the nap, I'd be happy. Reality is that this is the typical scenario: one baby goes down fast. The other one takes 20 minutes give or take. In the end that leaves me only approximately 10 minutes of "me time" at the start of a nap in which I race around like a mad woman- going to the bathroom, eating breakfast or lunch, brushing my teeth or hair, etc. Then throughout the middle to end of a nap I get a minute here and there as the babies tag-team me with waking up. So because I barely have time to do the basics- eat, personal hygiene, laundry, etc.- blogging fell on the back burner for a few days.
Both Sam and Anna have broken an arm or two free of the Miracle Blanket in the last week (which is something they had never done before this point), so I'm starting to wonder if their poor napping is because they are ready to be done with the swaddle, and this is their way of telling us so. Are they fighting the restraint when they stir during a nap which fully wakes them up?
We are also having some struggles with eating lately, as well. Sam and Anna have always been slower drinkers, sometimes taking up to 40 minutes to drink a full feeding. We tried moving up to the next size nipples last week and that helped. But along with taking a really long time, both babies have recently been having a few bottles during the day that are less than the 4-5 oz they normally drink. Sometimes it has been a struggle to get 2 1/2 to 3 oz in.
My head's swimming with:
- Is it the nipple size (but we tried switching back and the problem didn't go away)?
- Temperature of the formula?
- Recent switch in formula that we did 2 weeks ago just catching up to them now?
- The hot weather outside that makes them want to drink less?
- Related to their crappy naps?
- Related to growth spurts (but them wouldn't they drink more then, not less???)
- Or something else???
7 comments:
I think you're right to assume that they're having trouble transitioning between sleep cycles. Camden started having that issue around 3 months old and started taking 30 or 45 minute naps. A lot of the sleep books talk about that; one of the books calls it the "45 minute intruder" that wakes the baby up. Camden still has days when he wakes after 30 minutes (he did for his afternoon nap today), but he also sleeps for 2 hours a lot of the time too. It's kind of hit or miss. I know a lot of people do CIO to help the baby learn to soothe themselves back to sleep after the 45 minute wake-up, but I tend to agree with you that your babies are too young for that (I still haven't been able to let Camden CIO and he's 6 months old!). I'm sorry I don't have any useful advice, but I did want you to know that you're not alone & it seems like the majority of babies go through this at some point. Short naps are tought anyway, but I know everything is twice as hard with twins!
I think Kerrie hit it right on the nose....naps really are hit or miss at the beginning. It wasn't until LB was around 8-9 months old that I really noticed her naps being very consistant in time and length. Before then, that 45 min intruder would interupt sometimes. I did do CIO w/ LB starting at 3 months old b/c that is when the 45 min intruder got bad. I truly believe that napping does level out around 9 mo. if baby has had some type of sleep training along the way (and it doesn't have to be CIO!).
I will say this about CIO: If you are planning to do it at some point and you are just waiting to know the time is right (that is how I was. I knew I was going to do it. I just didn't know when. I thought it would be closer to 6 mo. but LB was having such issues at 3 mo I didn't want habits to develop where she would need XYZ to sleep so I decided to sleep train at 3 mo) the younger baby is the better. I am NOT saying sleep train your 2 month olds!! What I AM saying is that if baby does get used to a sleep aid (whatever it may be) and you do intend to CIO one day, it will be ALOT harder once you've trained baby to need the sleep aid and then suddenly you stop doing it when you start doing CIO. Does that make any sence?? :)
I wish I had some great words of wisdom for you, but I'm coming to you and your blog for words of wisdom! :-) I hope the sleep issues get resolved soon. Hang in there...you're doing a great job. :-)
I'm sorry you are struggling with naps. I remember from the newborn group I went too people who had good night sleepers had bad nappers (see you) and people who had great nappers had bad night sleepers (see me). I guess you can try and see how they do unswaddled. Matteo was unswaddled during naps for quite a while before he was able to at night. If you do go that route I would say unless it is horrible, try it for a few days before going back to swaddling if it seems to not be working because it can be an adjustment that takes some getting used to.
Katie, Noah has been doing the exact same thing with naps for the past week or two. He's just not staying down for long. He's only getting like 13 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. But I find the only time he naps decently is when he IS swaddled, which I find hard to do during the day since I never know when he will nap. His awake periods are anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours long, and if I try and "get him to sleep" when he wasn't falling asleep on his own, he doesn't stay down for long. So swaddling rarely happens during the day.
Babies are like chameleons...we had the same thing with Hazee recently. she was drinking 5 to 6 oz bottles, then all of a sudden she would only drink 3 or 4...we were wasting SO much formula! I just go with the flow...dont over anaylze. even if they lose a little weight, I wouldnt flip out. CIO isnt appropriate. until babies are 6 months old, you are supposed to pick them up every time they cry...
Lexi has a lot of trouble with the 45 minute intruder. Some naps she wakes up at 30-45 minutes and won't go back to sleep, other times she'll wake up and then eventually fall back asleep again as long as I don't go in there (she usually doesn't cry so I let her just hang out until she falls back asleep again) and other times she'll sleep a great 2-3 hour stretch. It just depends on the day. I've been told it's a phase, but I wish it would end already! Lexi has not been eating well for a few months now. It's hard to get her to eat 20 oz in a day and she is the same size as Sam (almost to the ounce). I wouldn't worry too much about it. I think he's still eating a good amount, but if it continues you could always just check with your pedi to be safe. Babies definitely wax and wane in their appetites.
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