Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

DD is a notorious "cat napper" every 2 hours she naps for 30 minutes, sometimes a little longer - unless we are out and about then she sleeps most of the time

For bedtime she gets eats and goes right down- no crying, goes down drowsy and falls asleep on her own.

For naps- its a constant battle. We are either walking up and down the halls with her, rocking her, putting her in the car, stroller anything.

Today after I put her down in her crib she woke up and started fussing. I left her for a few minutes and she started crying- after 2 min I went in and the second she SAW me she stopped. I gave her the paci and left again, same thing. This happened about 3 times and then I went and got her.

DH does not seem to understand CIO- he insists to just put her in the stroller to get her to sleep. I am trying to explain to him that a lot of work now will mean she will be a better sleeper later. He just doesn't get it.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

IMO, 12 weeks is way to early for any type of CIO. They are still young and need the comforting...

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

a lot of my friends do it.

i am not a cio person...but if i were, i really don't see a difference in 3 mos vs 5 mos or whatever.

josh's bff's mom is a babywise mom. she starts at 6 weeks.

the # in my moms group seems to be 3 mos.

good luck

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I say no. As long as you know the difference between the cries. If it's just a whiney pick me up mommy cry, let it go, if it's more than that, then check. It may take a few nights. do a few minutes one night and then slowly increase it if your DC is still upset.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I think it is too early. At this point, I would try something else-I was using the swing for DD.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

way too young, sorry
I know you think she is probably "playing you" since she stops crying once you show up, but at this point she needs comforting.

I would say the earliest 5-6 months!!

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

Posted by MrsYank

Posted by BAM 2009

IMO, 12 weeks is way to early for any type of CIO. They are still young and need the comforting...

Thanks, any suggestions though? She is such a good baby but when overtired she gets like a nutcase

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

Definitely too young.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

ok thanks everyone i didn't mean to come off as mean mommy. i go back to work on monday and feel bad that we dont reAlly have a nap schedule

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

Do you have a swing? That thing was my BFF for the first 6 months for naptime.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I think 12 weeks is too early. My DS is the same way. He needs to nap every two hours otherwise he is a cranky pants. I find the key is to try to get him to sleep before he is overtired. I still have to rock him a little and give him the pacifier but it usually works well if I do it before he starts getting really cranky. I actually started holding him in the glider and telling him a little story and he is out within 5 minutes. Of course he still naps for anywhere 10-30 minutes, but he needs it

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I would say to put her in the swing, though cat naps at her age are not abnormal.

I am not a cio mom though. but if she's sleeping really well at night, I wouldn't get to crazy about the nap sched.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I don't even know what CIO really entails since my kids all were very good sleepers and I guess I never had to find out.

My older DD sounds a lot like yours and I also returned to work at three months and as it was 5.5 years ago, I don't really remember how it all worked out.

However, since your DD and my DS are the same age, I am currently in the midst of this stuff. First, if you don't have Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, I really recommend that. I read it with my younger DD and again now. You might be missing the sleepy signals. Also, at this age, I think they're ready for a nap at between 1.5 and 2 hours of awake time. Lastly, maybe I AM a mean mommy. Beginning around 8 weeks, I began putting DS in his crib only for naps. No swing, car, etc. I think the Baby Whisperer motto is "Start as you mean to go on..." I also would let him cry for up to five minutes. At this point, I'd go in, give him the paci and hope for the best. I may have had to repeat this two or three times. If after that, it wasn't working, I would pull the plug.

He is 13 weeks now and currently sleeping for the past hour in his crib! He typically takes 3 good naps per day. He rarely cries any more!

So, agree, disagree or whatever...but this is what worked for us!!

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

At three months I would let DD cry for a full 15 minutes before picking her up, naps AND nighttime.

Fussing/whining/ complaining - she could do that all day and I won't go get her lol

I AM a mean mom when it comes to certain things. and I DEFINITELY agree with "start as you mean to go on!"

Naps are in the crib only, and have been since birth! IF she falls asleep somewhere else, I actually transfer her! (crazy, i know)

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

Posted by d-h2008

Posted by MrsYank

Posted by BAM 2009

IMO, 12 weeks is way to early for any type of CIO. They are still young and need the comforting...

Thanks, any suggestions though? She is such a good baby but when overtired she gets like a nutcase

Maybe your putting her down too late, like she is already overtired so has a hard time sleeping? Try to put her down 15 mins. earlier than what your doing now, it might help.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

eta: I think I'm confusing you with someone else .. sorry

My opinion is generally only mommy knows best with regards to CIO.

I totally understand all the "IMO too early", I felt that way with my DS.

I did very gentle method where I went in picked him up, put him down, waiting for a cry, went in, picked up, put down, for hours and hours and hours, and had him sleep trained by 3m. I started around 12w. I followed the book Baby Sleep Solution by Giordano and I found it very much in line with Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, expect its more of an instruction manual, and gives guidelines based on how much CIO you actually want to do.

But its not for everyone, and its not for every baby. And IMO if you feel your baby will sleep train, you know best, and you will know best what to do.

I really don't know that there is nothing proven to be medically or psychologically harmful with doing CIO on a newborn, as long as they are fed, clean, etc..etc..

I'm still waiting for someone to send me something to prove me wrong.

Message edited 1/28/2011 10:46:13 AM.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

my ds was the same exact age and then i started to swaddle , we just started 2 weeks ago and his naps got so much longer , their reflexes wake them up as they are more alert at this age and we added the sound machine sheep

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I wouldn't say its too early for any kind of cio, i would say its too early for extinction cio IMO.

If she is full on hysterics I would not let that go on for more than a couple minutes at that age....if that long, but if she is just complaining, whimpering etc i'd leave her be for a little bit at a time.

I do agree with PP about trying to not miss the window. I read that if they are rubbing eyes, yawning etc they are already over tired. The very first i'm sleepy cues are very subtle and different for every baby. Good lucl

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

Posted by Ophelia
sorry OP for the hijack.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I did cio at 4 months as per my dr. I don't think 3 months is too early. I would let her fuss for a while, as long as she is not wailing for not longer than 1/2 hr. She what happens. Do you have a mobile?

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

IMO, it's way too young for CIO. There's nothing wrong with letting DC fuss, but I wouldn't let a 3 month old CIO. Some babies are cat nappers. That's great that you don't have any problems at night. I'd try a swing or wearing DC for at least 1 nap during the day.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?

I don't schedule my DD's naps. At 3-4 months she would nap about 1/2 hours before her next feeding time and wake up on her own for that feeding. At that age, I think they still need to get plenty of sleep whenever they can. And at 5 months now, she doesn't nap as often but has instead extended her night sleep on her own. In my opinion, I wouldn't bother with or aggrivate myself with scheduling naps as I've seen that she's adjusting herself on her own.

Re: Is 12 weeks old too young to CIO for naps?