Scheduled nap time for infants

Actually, I only have one that occasionally sleeps until 9. Andy, my first
born, wakes up usually by 6, but sometimes at 5, 4, or even 1 am. (today it
was 5:00) The other two usually get up around 7. We try to get them to bed
between 7:30 -8 pm. We've tried later times hoping that Andy would sleep
later, but it hasn't worked. He must have his internal clock set early.

When it's around time for their first nap, I put one down, get the second
one down, but by the time I get the third one down, the first one is up.
Would you then, keep them all in their beds until an hour had gone by?
Also, would you put them to bed even if they were not asleep or almost
asleep?

Gayle


"Ellen Kmetz" wrote in message
...
If it's possible, do you have any suggestions on how to accomplish this?
Or
is it not worth it until they are older?



Hi Gayle,

My boys were on a nap schedule at 5 months. I certainly don't thinks
yours are
too young, but all babies are different. A good "guideline" is 10 am and
2 pm
for naps. Of course if they are not waking up until 9 that won't work.
What
time do they go to bed at night? Maybe you can get them up earlier in the
morning so they are tired around 10. I really believe in strict sleeping
schedules, especially with multiples. They should be waking, napping and
going
to bed at the same times every day. I guess that's easy for me to
say...God
knows it has to be SO much harder with three than two, but I really
believe
that babies will adapt to the sleep schedule that *you* dictate. And it
will
keep you sane knowing that you have a few hours every day when they are
all
sleeping (or whatever the duration is). It might take a week or so to get
them
all in sync, but it'll be worth it if it works.

Good luck!

Ellen
--------
Erin 6/26/95
Bradley & Alex 10/5/00

My newborns were on a schedule set by the hospital. After they came home,
we tried to stick to their routine, but exhaustion took over :-). They
ended up on their own routine which was nice. We allowed them to sleep at
night for as long as they wanted, and it wasn't long that they were all
sleeping through the night. The problems began when they were 4 months old.
My mom left to go back home. We moved the kids into their room (they had
been in ours) and the "routine" was broken. Then when they were 4 1/2 mo.
old, they got RSV and got up constantly because they couldn't breathe.

And here it is 3 months later, and they still are getting up at different
times, taking naps whenever they please. My daughter tries not to take any
naps. If you even briefly put her in a position where she thinks she has to
nap, she throws a fit. For a while, the only way I was able to get her to go
to sleep, was to sit her on my lap, facing out, while I rocked her.

And now, two are definitely teething :-) Lucky me. So I guess I will have
to see how it goes.

Gayle

"H Schinske" wrote in message
...
Gayle ) wrote:

My triplets turn 7 mo. old this Friday. Is it possible to have them on a
nap schedule? (e.g. It's 10 o'clock, time for nap)

I'll tell you, what I found was that after the newborn period, my kids
fell
into a routine quite easily, and it was later in the year that routines
started
*not* working so well for us. But everyone else I know (except Rotten
People
with Perfect Babies who Always Sleep ;-) ) had the opposite experience,
that it
was no use even thinking about a routine until the second half of the
first
year.

I know, I know, no help at all, huh?

Things that did help: doing much the same things in the same order every
day,
so that whether or not the nap was at the same *time* it was always after
activity X; having a small routine thing that we always did when putting
the
baby to bed (with my son it was wrapping him in a particular blanket).

With three babies, of course you raise the odds that at least one is
teething
or otherwise out of sorts a lot of the time, so it may be harder to
establish a
"normal" day, but that's just a guess. It's also probably easier with one
baby
to follow its cues and know when it's getting tired before it's really
obvious.
Or maybe I just got better at it the second time around, don't know, but
certainly I found it somewhat easier with my singleton.

--Helen

My newborns were on a schedule set by the hospital. After they came home,
we tried to stick to their routine, but exhaustion took over :-). They
ended up on their own routine which was nice. We allowed them to sleep at
night for as long as they wanted, and it wasn't long that they were all
sleeping through the night. The problems began when they were 4 months old.
My mom left to go back home. We moved the kids into their room (they had
been in ours) and the "routine" was broken. Then when they were 4 1/2 mo.
old, they got RSV and got up constantly because they couldn't breathe.

And here it is 3 months later, and they still are getting up at different
times, taking naps whenever they please. My daughter tries not to take any
naps. If you even briefly put her in a position where she thinks she has to
nap, she throws a fit. For a while, the only way I was able to get her to go
to sleep, was to sit her on my lap, facing out, while I rocked her.

And now, two are definitely teething :-) Lucky me. So I guess I will have
to see how it goes.

Gayle

"H Schinske" wrote in message
...
Gayle ) wrote:

My triplets turn 7 mo. old this Friday. Is it possible to have them on a
nap schedule? (e.g. It's 10 o'clock, time for nap)

I'll tell you, what I found was that after the newborn period, my kids
fell
into a routine quite easily, and it was later in the year that routines
started
*not* working so well for us. But everyone else I know (except Rotten
People
with Perfect Babies who Always Sleep ;-) ) had the opposite experience,
that it
was no use even thinking about a routine until the second half of the
first
year.

I know, I know, no help at all, huh?

Things that did help: doing much the same things in the same order every
day,
so that whether or not the nap was at the same *time* it was always after
activity X; having a small routine thing that we always did when putting
the
baby to bed (with my son it was wrapping him in a particular blanket).

With three babies, of course you raise the odds that at least one is
teething
or otherwise out of sorts a lot of the time, so it may be harder to
establish a
"normal" day, but that's just a guess. It's also probably easier with one
baby
to follow its cues and know when it's getting tired before it's really
obvious.
Or maybe I just got better at it the second time around, don't know, but
certainly I found it somewhat easier with my singleton.

--Helen

My newborns were on a schedule set by the hospital. After they came home,
we tried to stick to their routine, but exhaustion took over :-). They
ended up on their own routine which was nice. We allowed them to sleep at
night for as long as they wanted, and it wasn't long that they were all
sleeping through the night. The problems began when they were 4 months old.
My mom left to go back home. We moved the kids into their room (they had
been in ours) and the "routine" was broken. Then when they were 4 1/2 mo.
old, they got RSV and got up constantly because they couldn't breathe.

And here it is 3 months later, and they still are getting up at different
times, taking naps whenever they please. My daughter tries not to take any
naps. If you even briefly put her in a position where she thinks she has to
nap, she throws a fit. For a while, the only way I was able to get her to go
to sleep, was to sit her on my lap, facing out, while I rocked her.

And now, two are definitely teething :-) Lucky me. So I guess I will have
to see how it goes.

Gayle

"H Schinske" wrote in message
...
Gayle ) wrote:

My triplets turn 7 mo. old this Friday. Is it possible to have them on a
nap schedule? (e.g. It's 10 o'clock, time for nap)

I'll tell you, what I found was that after the newborn period, my kids
fell
into a routine quite easily, and it was later in the year that routines
started
*not* working so well for us. But everyone else I know (except Rotten
People
with Perfect Babies who Always Sleep ;-) ) had the opposite experience,
that it
was no use even thinking about a routine until the second half of the
first
year.

I know, I know, no help at all, huh?

Things that did help: doing much the same things in the same order every
day,
so that whether or not the nap was at the same *time* it was always after
activity X; having a small routine thing that we always did when putting
the
baby to bed (with my son it was wrapping him in a particular blanket).

With three babies, of course you raise the odds that at least one is
teething
or otherwise out of sorts a lot of the time, so it may be harder to
establish a
"normal" day, but that's just a guess. It's also probably easier with one
baby
to follow its cues and know when it's getting tired before it's really
obvious.
Or maybe I just got better at it the second time around, don't know, but
certainly I found it somewhat easier with my singleton.

--Helen

When it's around time for their first nap, I put one down, get the second
one down, but by the time I get the third one down, the first one is up.
Would you then, keep them all in their beds until an hour had gone by?
Also, would you put them to bed even if they were not asleep or almost
asleep?


Definitely put them down while they are still awake. It will help them to
learn that it's nap time and to fall asleep on their own.

So I am guessing that a good half hour is passing between the time you get the
first and last baby down. Can you try to condense that so you are putting them
down much closer together? For example, have them all fed and changed so all
you have to do is literally put them in their cribs at the same time. You're
probably wanting to smack your monitor right now...as if you hadn't thought of
that, right? You could also try putting the baby who sleeps the least down
last. Maybe that would at least give you a little time when they are all
quiet.

I also really think they need to be on the same waking schedule so they are
tired at the same time. If the first one wakes at 7, get the other two up.

Gayle, this all sounds so simple when we are offering you suggestions. But the
bottom line is that it may not be so easy to get three babies on the exact same
schedule. You are doing a great job and I hope you are able to get this nap
thing down just so you get a break.

Take care,

Ellen
--------
Erin 6/26/95
Bradley & Alex 10/5/00

When it's around time for their first nap, I put one down, get the second
one down, but by the time I get the third one down, the first one is up.
Would you then, keep them all in their beds until an hour had gone by?
Also, would you put them to bed even if they were not asleep or almost
asleep?


Definitely put them down while they are still awake. It will help them to
learn that it's nap time and to fall asleep on their own.

So I am guessing that a good half hour is passing between the time you get the
first and last baby down. Can you try to condense that so you are putting them
down much closer together? For example, have them all fed and changed so all
you have to do is literally put them in their cribs at the same time. You're
probably wanting to smack your monitor right now...as if you hadn't thought of
that, right? You could also try putting the baby who sleeps the least down
last. Maybe that would at least give you a little time when they are all
quiet.

I also really think they need to be on the same waking schedule so they are
tired at the same time. If the first one wakes at 7, get the other two up.

Gayle, this all sounds so simple when we are offering you suggestions. But the
bottom line is that it may not be so easy to get three babies on the exact same
schedule. You are doing a great job and I hope you are able to get this nap
thing down just so you get a break.

Take care,

Ellen
--------
Erin 6/26/95
Bradley & Alex 10/5/00

When it's around time for their first nap, I put one down, get the second
one down, but by the time I get the third one down, the first one is up.
Would you then, keep them all in their beds until an hour had gone by?
Also, would you put them to bed even if they were not asleep or almost
asleep?


Definitely put them down while they are still awake. It will help them to
learn that it's nap time and to fall asleep on their own.

So I am guessing that a good half hour is passing between the time you get the
first and last baby down. Can you try to condense that so you are putting them
down much closer together? For example, have them all fed and changed so all
you have to do is literally put them in their cribs at the same time. You're
probably wanting to smack your monitor right now...as if you hadn't thought of
that, right? You could also try putting the baby who sleeps the least down
last. Maybe that would at least give you a little time when they are all
quiet.

I also really think they need to be on the same waking schedule so they are
tired at the same time. If the first one wakes at 7, get the other two up.

Gayle, this all sounds so simple when we are offering you suggestions. But the
bottom line is that it may not be so easy to get three babies on the exact same
schedule. You are doing a great job and I hope you are able to get this nap
thing down just so you get a break.

Take care,

Ellen
--------
Erin 6/26/95
Bradley & Alex 10/5/00

I put one down, get the second
one down, but by the time I get the third one down, the first one is up.

I don't understand this. Do you spend a lot of time rocking them until they
are asleep or something? I would just wait until they were somewhat tired and
lay them both down at the exact same time. I'd rub their backs if (when) they
began crying. I've heard a lot of positive (and I mean a lot) about Ferber's
book. I personally didn't read it, but everything I've heard about his
techniques seem identical to what we did from recommendations of nurses and
other parents. It may not be for you, but it also might be just what you are
looking for.


Missy in Indiana http://hometown.aol.com/mhrust/overviewforng.html
Morgan Olivia & Julia Lucille 4/28/01 (YAY!)

I put one down, get the second
one down, but by the time I get the third one down, the first one is up.

I don't understand this. Do you spend a lot of time rocking them until they
are asleep or something? I would just wait until they were somewhat tired and
lay them both down at the exact same time. I'd rub their backs if (when) they
began crying. I've heard a lot of positive (and I mean a lot) about Ferber's
book. I personally didn't read it, but everything I've heard about his
techniques seem identical to what we did from recommendations of nurses and
other parents. It may not be for you, but it also might be just what you are
looking for.


Missy in Indiana http://hometown.aol.com/mhrust/overviewforng.html
Morgan Olivia & Julia Lucille 4/28/01 (YAY!)

I put one down, get the second
one down, but by the time I get the third one down, the first one is up.

I don't understand this. Do you spend a lot of time rocking them until they
are asleep or something? I would just wait until they were somewhat tired and
lay them both down at the exact same time. I'd rub their backs if (when) they
began crying. I've heard a lot of positive (and I mean a lot) about Ferber's
book. I personally didn't read it, but everything I've heard about his
techniques seem identical to what we did from recommendations of nurses and
other parents. It may not be for you, but it also might be just what you are
looking for.


Missy in Indiana http://hometown.aol.com/mhrust/overviewforng.html
Morgan Olivia & Julia Lucille 4/28/01 (YAY!)