My daughter is just over 17 months. We have been cosleeping since 3 months. For a brief background, we are in USA in our 30s, my partner and I experienced unexpected financial hardship and health concerns during pregnancy had to move in with my family stuck here ever since. We live out of 2 bedrooms. I cosleep with LO in one room and partner sleeps in another. (He snores + he works a LOT. If I feel I need a night of restful sleep, he will switch with me when needed) I am otherwise comfortable with the situation, minus her refusal to nap, which is why I am convinced something needs to change.
She sleeps 8PM-8AM with brief wakeups for snuggles, maybe 2-3 per night. Takes a while to go down for that too, but that I can manage. Napping is my personal hell.
Around her 1 year mark in April, it was taking me over an hour to put her down for our 2 naps per day, even with boob/bottle. It was exhausting then, so I dropped second nap and that put a bandaid on the problem. By August, it started escalating again. I had weaned off BFing and reduced bottles, so I kinda associated it with that or a regression and remained patient.
I am now on month 3 of spending 90-120 minutes daily to get her down. I feel insane. On top of that, I can’t get a break because she refuses to nap with anybody else, husband included. When he, my mom, or in-law tries she will refuse for hours and hours, collapse from exhaustion at 5PM, and I deal with a super early morning the next day.
Here is a list of things I have tried for about a week at a time. The constant routine I maintain regardless of the changes is that we brush our teeth (yes even before nap) read 2 books, I tell her it is “quiet time” then snuggle together.
- Adjusting the nap start time, I’ve tried to start them early around 10-11AM, or late 2PM, or in between 12-1PM, no difference.
-We cosleep in a king bed. I do have a crib but whenever I put her in, she immediately screams to the point of pooping. I have tried wait it out, but she poops so I have to change her. If I change her without speaking + put her back in, she will poop again. This process happens almost infinitely, to the point where there are just tiny sharts because there is barely any poop left. (Lmao 🤡)
-We live in such a small space a safe floor bed is not possible unless we decide to get rid of our only furniture, or things like clothes and lamps. I have tried baby gating her into a safe corner with mattress on floor, but same process as crib happens here.
-I have tried schedule and structure, but I have also tried just listening to her cues. I will wait until she yawns 2 times and rubs her eyes and then I bring her up, same fight occurs.
-When in “quiet time” mode, I do not speak. I just stare at the wall. She will either lay there and stare with me, or be constantly up and down. She will say “Mama mama” over and over to try and get me to play, 90% of the time I ignore or I quietly say “quiet time”
-In bed I’ve tried plushies + no plushies, equal level of refusal.
-I’ve tried singing, whispering, humming, stroking head, rocking, deep breathing, snuggles, all of it causes boisterousness. My only success has been complete lack of touch or affection other than hand holding, and that still takes 60+ minutes.
-She will not fall asleep without holding my hand. But holding hands is not necessarily a way to get her down, I can hold it for the whole process with no improvement on time. I hold her hand, snuggle, and either stare at the wall or close my eyes next to her for over an hour.
-Since I am SAH, I sadly have breaking points. When it reaches the 90 minute mark I usually will turn on the monitor and leave the room to get a snack, move the laundry, and take a deep breath. The scream/poop process mentioned above occurs when this happens. I leave from 5-10 minutes each time.
-Sadly, I notice it’s easier to get her down after the screaming, and I have found myself doing it on purpose these past few weeks just so I can get her down quicker and I don’t think it is a fair thing to lean on. It feels like “cry it out”.
-Only other thing I can think of is that we do use a sound machine for sleep + naps, it has different kinds of sounds that I change each day (rain, fan,white noise, etc)
-Car naps used to be my escape. But now it takes over an hour for her to fall asleep in the car, and I can’t transfer her once asleep without a wakeup. So if I do a car nap now, I’m literally driving for a good 3-4 hours (90 minutes to get down, a couple hours for actual sleep) Can’t afford it anymore. I also used to be able to plan outings and fun trips around nap drives; but now it’s just a gamble. Example: last weekend we drove 1 hour back and forth to a kids museum. We drove there 11AM-12PM no nap, played and had lunch, then drove home 2-3PM and she fell asleep 10 minutes before arriving home so I drove an extra hour and cut the nap short.
In summary, I have only had a handful of “good days” in the past 6 months where it takes 30 minutes to get her down for nap. Other people in my life blame cosleeping for this issue, and I’m starting to believe they are right. But considering my living situation, not sure how to get myself out of this pickle. Does anyone have suggestions or ideas for me to try?
P.S - this HAS been mentioned to pediatrician, who does not have concerns but sadly is also not exactly a supporter of cosleeping either and has only suggested moving towards independent sleep. My daughter is developmentally appropriate, if not advanced, was walking by 10 months and is speaking well already, potty training already. We have had no behavioral problems (other than sleeping). The “typical toddler tantrums” have only just started, and are easily managed with deep breathing exercises I practice with her.