When my son Dylan was about 4 months old, I started “nap training” him. At first, I was so desperate for him to get the right amount of sleep, I would simply let him nurse and fall asleep on me. It wasn’t all bad…I got to relax, put my feet up and watch some TV. But, after months of being trapped on the couch for hours at a time, watching every single episode of Sex and the City multiple times, it got a little old. Plus, I was not able to get up to get food or water or use the bathroom. In short, nap time was a problem. We finally decided that it was time for Dylan to sleep in his crib.
So, I devised a new strategy. When he seemed tired, I would nurse him and he would fall asleep like before. But instead of letting him sleep on me, I’d transfer him to his crib.
It wasn’t easy. Getting My Brest Friend unhooked, holding a sleeping baby, and trying to get off the couch without jostling him out of his slumber was like a scene from The Hurt Locker. Every step I took could wake him up and derail the whole process. Wanna talk about stress? In the mind of a tired stay-at-home mom, defusing bombs is easier work. Then there is the part where you have to put him down in the crib, let go and walk away–all without disturbing his sleep.
It took about two weeks of sweaty hands, nervous rocking and trial and error, but I managed to get it down. And I learned some new tricks along the way. Most importantly, I started to cue nap time with nursing, soft music and rocking. I didn’t talk to him and remained very calm. If he woke up while I was putting him down, it wasn’t a bad thing. I promptly left the room, so he couldn’t see me and kept pretty quiet. The number one thing that I realized during this process was that I had to do this whole nervous dance with confidence. When I felt confident, it was so much easier. It made Dylan feel more secure (and less like he was being carried like a bomb ready to explode at any moment) and it was easier on me too.
At the end of two weeks, Dylan started taking naps in the crib for anywhere from one to three hours at a time. I loved it because it freed me up for some much needed mommy time, and I could focus on some of the important things I’d been wanting to do. You know, like go on Facebook and read Us Weekly.
Naptime became a vital part of our schedule. I was lost without it and so was he. Then one day…he began to rise against the perfect nap machine that I had created! Why??
Next: Part II–The Uprising.
Check back with the blog soon for this next installment!
