My 6 month old trio only takes about 30 minute naps 3 times a day. I realize this isn't long enough. Once in a blue moon, they will sleep for an hour and a half once a day, then we are back the 30 minutes. Does anyone have or did anyone half cat nappers like this? And if you had them awhile ago, are they good sleepers now?? Mine also do not sleep through the night. The whole sleeping issue is a tough one for me, and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

I put them down for a nap anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours after they eat. I put them down with a pacifier, hold their hands then swaddle them. I leave the room. 90% of the time they fall asleep. At other times I have to go in and do it again. But only one more time. They are asleep by then. The rooms are dark and quiet. Should I be playing music? They go to sleep for bed by a lullaby CD I have. Would I be confusing them by playing a different CD for naps??

Well, just wondering if anyone else had catnappers out there and it didn't hurt them as future sleepers.

(I just want them to sleep!!! So I can sleep!! )

Ann

BBG born 7/7/03
33 weeks 3 days

Mine are eight. They went through a period about your babies age when they took a thirty minute nap every two hours.........worked for us!!! Soon after they were taking good naps, took a two hour nap until they were four years old! I actually liked the frequent breaks!

Tammy
Proud mom of
12 year old identical GGG

All 4 of mine did this at that age. I think you are about at the stage they will begin to sleep longer but before then, they really aren't ready for that much sleep (really staying awake for long periods of time). I wouldn't worry about it. I do know they are much happier babies when they get enough sleep so I am sure your babies are just doing what they need for now but as they begin to stay awake longer, they will begin to take longer naps.

Rochelle, mom to
Raven 2/26/02
Jackson, Alexandra, Savannah 2/14/03

I always play my kid's lullaby cd at naps and at bedtime. I think it helps to relax them. They know when they go to their cribs and the music is turned on it's time to nap. Good luck getting some rest!

Angelia
mom to bgb oct '02

Are they on a 3-hour or 4-hour schedule? Most babies this age can go to a 4-hour schedule. Also, most babies this age can stop taking the evening nap. If you go to a 4-hour schedule, then putting them down 2ish-hours after they awaken should help. Plus, eliminating that last nap should help them sleep through the night.

Is it possible they are hungry, and that's why they are waking so early from their naps? What if you gave them a little formula before naps?

I run white noise for my babies' naps. Our neighborhood is frequently noisy, and this wakes them up. White noise masks the sounds and helps them sleep through the chaos outside.

Are your babies warm enough? I know you swaddle them, but still, body temps do drop during sleep.

I know you've posted several posts about sleeping issues. You must be so exhausted!!!!

Tulip & The Three Amigos
Born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!
Aimee, Let's bump heads!
Edward, Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', Got to keep on rollin'!
Hope, Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!
http://www.tripletconnection.org/dcforum/forum1/14349.html

Tulip & The Three Amigos
GBG born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!

I am a Velveteen Rabbit, and the birth, love, kisses & magic that are my children has made me Real.

Tulip,
They are on a 3 hour schedule. They seem to cry at 3 hours for food, mostly because they don't ever finish their bottles. I guess if I let them cry a bit and go to 3.5 or 4 hours they might eat more.

They did all nap today for an hour at one nap. The first nap forget it, because I had to load them all up and take them to school to drop off my 10 year old. Always messes them up. They did not take a nap, other than 20 minutes in the car.

Do you use the white noise at night too, or just for naps?

I know one is warm enough her room is warm. The other two the rooms are not so warm. I have them separated because I was going to try to CIO with one and he always wakes the other ones. But that kind of didn't happen. Or, it did, but we didn't make it.

Yes, I've posted about naps and sleeping and yes, I'm tired! I guess if this is how it is going to be that's okay, I just want to know if I'm doing something wrong, KWIM?

Ann

BBG born 7/7/03
33 weeks 3 days

Mine are 6 mos as well and I've been trying to get them to sleep through the night as well. They too also take short naps during the day. I've tried getting them to nap about 2 hours after they've woken up and it works pretty well but it's a chore to get them to go to sleep. I put them all in their bouncy seats and turn on a tape of me singing (because this is the only thing that makes them fall asleep) and bounce them for about 15 min to a half hour to get them to sleep. Most of the time, however, one refuses to fall asleep, which throws their whole napping schedule off. My kids still eat anywhere from 3.5 - 4 hours apart. We've tried everything to get them to sleep longer at night. We now give them 1 Tblsp of cereal and a veggie at lunch along with a 6oz bottle of formula and we add 1 Tblsp of cereal to 8oz of formula to their last bottle, which is around 7:30-8pm. They still wake up anywhere from 1am on. What I have been doing is going in and getting them back to sleep but I'm up at least 2-3 times a night doing this. Sometimes I think it would be much easier to just feed them the 1st time they wake up than keep on going in and rocking them back to sleep. But I'm trying to get them to lose the habit of eating during the early am. I finally do feed them anywhere from 5-6am. It's really tough but I don't know what else to do. I feel what you're going through. It's tough. I have a ped appt today. My kids are scheduled for their synagis shots, flu shots and their 6mos shots. I really don't want them getting all these shots in one day so I think I'm just going to have them give them their synagis and flu shots. Meanwhile, I'll ask the ped for some advice on what I could or should be doing to help them sleep longer.

Oh, yeah, I forgot......I also give them Humphrey's tablets before their last bottle to help them sleep longer but it hasn't worked yet.

Good luck and please, let me know if you get any helpful advice for your kids.


Cristina
Proud mommy to Daniela, Bobby and Vanessa
Born June 28, 2003 - The best day of my life!!!

Cristina
Proud mommy to Daniela, Bobby and Vanessa
Born June 28, 2003 - The best day of my life!!!

Cristina,
What are Humphrey's tablets?

Your situation does sound a lot like mine except I feed mine during the night. Not sure if they need it or not though. They weigh 14, 15 and 16 pounds. It seems they should be big enough.

2 of mine get 2 tblspns of rice cereal in each bottle for reflux. One does not because it had upset his tummy. I just started spoon feeding them some cereal and applesauce this week. They seem to be okay with it but had woken up a lot the last few days. Someone mentioned that they will do this when you start introducing new foods. I only feed them by spoon once a day and I am wondering whether to go to 2 or 3 times a day.

Please let me know what your ped says. I will also let you know what mine says as I'm going on Weds.

Thanks!!

Ann

BBG born 7/7/03
33 weeks 3 days

Ann,

Humprhey's tablets are little tiny pellets that are supposed to help with teething and wakefullness at night. I don't remember who told me about them but I was told I can get it at any pharmacy. It's over the counter but the pharmacist usually keeps them behind the counter. He highly recommended it as well. There is also another product for teething and such that I haven't tried but it's called Highlands that my pharmacist also recommended. Unfortunately, my pharmacist didn't have any in stock so I went do the road to another pharmacy and asked the pharmacist there and she said she used it for her kids and it worked wonderful. At this point, I'll try anything that's safe!!!

Anyway, I went to my ped today and she told me that they were eating alot during the day and that they shouldn't want more food at night. My kids eat anywhere from 6-8 ounces per feed every 3-4 hours plus cereal twice a day. She told me to feed them as much as possible and as often as possible during the day and that she allow them to sleep longer during the evening. She said there was no reason why they shouldn't be sleeping 12 hours a night. Can you even imagine!!! I'd be happy with 8 hours!!! She also suggested trying the Furber (sp?) method. She did it with her kids and it worked great. I have to look into getting his book. I think his name is Dr. Richard Furber. It's basically the CIO theory which I'm not too crazy about but I think I'm willing to try it.

Good luck and let me know what your ped says.

Cristina
Proud mommy to Daniela, Bobby and Vanessa
Born June 28, 2003 - The best day of my life!!!

Cristina
Proud mommy to Daniela, Bobby and Vanessa
Born June 28, 2003 - The best day of my life!!!

Ann,
I should get paid for advertising for this guys book, i just posted another post about this--but i read a book called "healthy sleep habits, happy child" but Dr. Marc Weissbluth. It is EXCELLENT!! he ran a peds sleep clinic for many years and is a pediatrician. anyway, this book maps out everything about sleep you ever wanted to know and he talks about each month of the baby's life and what you should expect sleep-wise at each stage. he also discusses how to know when they are ready physically to sleep longer at night, etc.
anyway, i got it from our library, i'm sure it would be easy to find. i highly recommend it if you have questions about sleep.

Meg

Meg,
Thanks, I do have the book. Trouble is I can't get the babies to follow it! I keep going over and over the book wondering where the chapter for babies from outer space are!

Ann

BBG born 7/7/03
33 weeks 3 days

ha ha!! i hear you on that one. don't we all wish we had "textbook" babies?

Meg

Seriously, I love the book, it has awesome points and I have learned a lot from it! If I had just one baby I think it would be a piece of cake!

Ann

BBG born 7/7/03
33 weeks 3 days