Why Short Cat-Naps Are Not Good Enough

Posted by in No-Cry Discipline, No-Cry Nap, No-Cry Sleep

10 Comments

  1. rachel December 6, 2013

    Thanks for the guilt trip. My baby just WILL NOT nap more than 40 minutes whatever I do, I felt bad enough about it already. Perhaps you could get in touch with her and explain to her why it’s so important because it seems to me she hasn’t read all the books!

    • Elizabeth Pantley January 17, 2014

      Hi Rachel – No guilt trip intended! This information is based on science and how the human body works — and how it works best. Since we clearly can’t explain science to a baby we need to set up the environment to help aid good sleep. Keep the napping room dark – use quiet lullabies or white noise to create a soothing sound – use soft sheets ( like flannel or fleece ) – give a short massage before naptme – and make sure your baby gets plenty of physical activity during waking hours to create tiredness at naptime. If a 40-minute nap is your baby’s routine it may take a couple of weeks of consistent use of these tools, but it should help. –

  2. Larysa March 11, 2014

    Hj Elizabeth.
    I read your no cry nap solution and sleep solution books. I’m currently trying to lengthen my son’s naps from 10-30min. I have to intervene when he is waking up from the in between stages. I currently have a travelling crib that the sides come down so can keep him on the floor and ‘sleep’ beside him and nurse to sleep. I’ve been using the gentle removal plan, which sometime works. I have managed, with a lot of intervention, to get him to sleep 1-2 hrs!!! However, I am curious how he is going to fall asleep on his own with me doing this? I literally have to sit by the crib and pounce in and breastfeed/nurse or the window is missed and he’s awake. Do they learn to sleep with all this intervention?
    I have another question about night sleep and gentle removal plan but not sure this is the right place?

    • Elizabeth Pantley March 11, 2014

      Hi Larysa ~ Sounds like you’re making good progress! Keep going. In order to make this a new “habit” you’ll need to stay consistent. Also make sure the napping room is darkened and perhaps add some white noise to mask sounds that could wake your baby up. And don’t stay too close! If he hears/smells/senses that you are there he will of course want you! Scoot a little farther away. If you have more questions feel free to email me – elizabeth@pantley.com

  3. Susan Russo August 21, 2014

    Hi Elizabeth

    I have a 12 week old that only naps once or twice a day. She may nap 1-2 hours in the morning then another 2 in afternoon. She will be awake 5-7 hours at a time. I’m concerned she’s not getting enough sleep. On occasion she will nap 3-4 hours.

    She usually falls asleep around 10pm in my arms or on my chest and will sleep 4-6 hours, wake up and nurse then sleep another 3 hours.

    She wil go in crib at night but wakes up within the hour, I’ll feed her and then she will just cry if I put her back in crib so she ends up sleeping with me.

    I don’t want to create a bad habit but I also refuse to let her cry it out.

    Any feedback is most appreciated.

    • Elizabeth Pantley December 1, 2014

      Hi Susan, Congratulations on adding your new baby to your family! Sleep is something you’ll both need to figure out together, and takes some detective work! You are dealing with common newborn issues. There are lots of sleep tips for you here on the blog and on my website at nocrysolution.com.

  4. LeeAnn September 11, 2014

    Thanks for all your valuable information. My son is what dr sears would call a “high need baby” so he is a pretty sensitive/very light sleeper. He is 13 months old and still seems to do best with two naps. He’s been waking at about 40 minutes into his naps. I generally can get him back asleep right away, but not always. What do you recommended I do when he wakes early into his first nap and won’t settle back to sleep? When this happens, he becomes fussy and seems overtired very quickly but won’t go back down for at least a half hour. Should I try after that half hour, keep him up till his second nap, or move his second nap much earlier to accommodate how tired he is? Thoughts? (This happened today- woke up for day @ 7am, down at 9am for nap, woke at 945am, grumpy by 1030, finally back down at 12 somethig but his 2nd nap is “typically” closer to 130 or even 3 at times). With this early second nap, history has shown he’ll want another nap around 4 or 5 and then be up till 10pm OR crash at 630 for an hour or two and then be up till very late. We try to get him down for the night between 7-8pm. Any advice?

    • Elizabeth Pantley December 1, 2014

      Hi LeeAnn – Every child is different, and it sounds like you really understand what sleep your son needs, versus what he actually gets! There isn’t one exact answer – and you’ve listed a number of excellent ideas. You may want to try one way for a few days and monitor the results. If you didn’t see positive change, try something else for a few days. There are many tips in The No-Cry Nap Solution that could help you. Check out the many excerps here on the blog or on my website nocrysolution.com

  5. Alyssa March 4, 2015

    Hi Elizabeth! I’m so thankful to have found your book! Our nighttime sleeping isn’t ideal, but it is getting much better, thanks to your advice. My real problem is naps!! I have a naptime routine, keep the room dark, play white noise (since birth) and she will fight and fight and on good days, fall asleep after about 15-20 minutes of back rubs and ssshh-ing. But then she wakes up 20 minutes later. When I can get in there immediately she will sometimes fall back asleep. If not, it’s all over. Even if I do make it in there she’s usually up 10-20 minutes later again. Once she’s UP…should I keep her up a bit and try again, or should I stick to more of a time schedule…like: Naps are at 10 and 1 regardless of length. Trying to figure out how to get her clock on track. Is it better to stick to actual times, or more like intervals? Thank you for your help! Oh and my little one is 8 months old. She will only take long naps in her carseat!!!

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