post #1 of 1
8/3/11 at 6:52pm
Thread Starter 

Hi ladies!  

 

I'm a nanny for a very sweet little boy who is 3.5 months old.  He is a classic catnapper, and I'm trying to figure out strategies to help him settle into a better napping schedule.  

 

Right now he's only getting about 8-9 hours at night, and MAYBE 3 hours (total) throughout the day in naps. I know this isn't enough.....not only from my years as a nanny, but also because he is clearly getting more and more over-tired as the weeks go on.  And now even his nighttime sleep (according to his parents) has started to suffer.

 

I realize he is very young; some babies absolutely "just grow out of it" at a certain age, and some will just never be good nappers no matter what you do.  But I'd like to help this little guy get some sleep if I can!  :-)

 

If it were my own kid, obviously I would be trying different things (co-sleeping, nursing to sleep, etc).  But as a nanny, my options are somewhat limited.  He just began using his crib; he had been sleeping in a swing at night (before I started working with them), and "just didn't sleep at all" during the day, according to his mum.

 

I can USUALLY get him to go to sleep at naptime; and for that I'm thankful.  I'm also thankful that he has pretty obvious sleepy cues (he does 2 yawns right in a row) and if I give him a bottle / rock him, then burp him and put him in his crib awake, he will find his thumb, roll over, and go to sleep without much fuss.  Occasionally he will "complain" a little during this time, but if he's ever REALLY crying, I just take him out and settle him, and try again in a few minutes.  If it just stays as complaining, I lean over the crib, pat his bum, and help him find his thumb.  Usually it works.

 

But he's up again in 15-30 minutes!  Like clockwork!  And he's up SCREAMING, not happy or rested.  He doesn't really even seem fully awake to me when I go in; he's thrashing, and screaming with eyes closed.  I've tried just comforting him in his crib (singing, "shh"ing, rubbing his back, etc).  But this just wakes him up more.  He's never once gone BACK to sleep after he wakes up like this.

 

I'd be fine with him sleeping in the Moby wrap (which I brought with me from home!  Thank goodness for that thing, I don't know how anyone parents without one!), but the problem remains...he still will only sleep about 20 minutes, then he's up (and upset).  

 

I have gotten him to sleep for an hour two times; both times I laid him on my lap in the boppy in the rocker, and rocked him continuously for the entire hour.  He stirred 3 times during the hour, but when he began to stir, I would hold him close, help him keep his thumb in his mouth, and he would drift back off.  I absolutely don't mind rocking a baby to sleep (who doesn't love that?!?), but I'd rather not begin the habit of NEEDING to be rocked the entire nap.  

 

Suggestions?  Ideas?  

 

Thanks!!!

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