Tuesday, August 4, 2009

NAPS!

We are having a hard time with naps this week. Emma won't go down without some fussing. Which is fine, sometimes she needs to cry or whimper herself to sleep. But she cannot make it past the 45 minute mark. Once she starts transitioning, she wakes up every time and is unable to put herself back to sleep. Part of it is probably the pacifier, which I think has become a sleep prop. She has a really strong sucking reflex, so if you don't let her have it, she lays there reaching for something to suck on until she wakes herself up. However, if it pops out of her mouth, she generally will wake up (unless she's in deep sleep, in which case she doesn't notice). We can't leave one hand out of the swaddle yet, since she'd still wake herself up and also hasn't found her mouth with her fingers consistently yet. I've read the books and websites about Cry It Out and No Cry and all the other methods of sleep training and soothing to sleep. Now I am just frustrated. She is so tired and needs to nap, but she fights it. I'm hoping it is temporary. She's gaining a lot more control of her neck and limbs so maybe that's part of it...she'd much rather be moving them around than be swaddled. She had been doing farely well with naps...she'd take at least one that was 2 to 2 1/2 hours, and the other 2 naps were for about 1 1/2 hours. Now she takes about 30 minutes to fall asleep, stays asleep for 45 minutes, and sleeps fitfully for just a few minutes after that. I need help!

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