Nap Scheduling Update

The best laid plans.... well, you know the saying! I gave it a full week of trying to get the girls on a nap and feeding schedule. The feeding schedule was laughable! It didn't last through the first day. The girls are definitely NOT ready to go 3 hours between feedings, they need/want to nurse every 2 hours or less. If they're hungry I'm going to feed them, so we went back to feeding on demand. Since they only take 5 minutes to eat now, I don't mind the frequent feedings.

As for naps, they will take the first morning nap with usually no or very little crying! It is still short, usually 45 minutes to an hour, but at least I can count on that nap. It varies in time, depending on when they wake up, but it is usually around 9:00. The second nap around 12 is a little less dependable. Candace will go to sleep 90% of the time with minimal fussing. She sleeps at least an hour, sometimes 2! Cassidy, on the other hand, will take this second nap only 75% of the time, and usually with some fussing. The third nap around 3... well, this is when all h*** breaks loose! Candace will sleep for less than an hour about 50% of the time, usually with quite a bit of fussing. Cassidy took this third nap only twice all week and it was very short, about 30 minutes! If I let Cassidy cry for this nap, she gets herself so worked up there is no way she will sleep. That girl can throw a tantrum!

The sleep expert, Dr. Weissbluth, says that if they are fussy and hard to get to sleep as the day progresses, it is because they are getting overtired. So maybe they need less time awake between naps? I am considering going to 4 naps so they are only awake for 90 minutes at a time. They just may not be old enough and developmentally ready to be awake for those 2 hour stretches. This whole thing is so confusing and has really become trial and error! Eventually we will find something that works for us all.

Nights are a mess still, but I really believe that this is the result of poor naps in the afternoon. On the few days they sleep well during the day, the nights are much easier. When they don't nap very well, they have a very hard time falling asleep at night. I really believe if I get this nap thing figured out, then bedtime will fall into place!

So our sleeping adventures continue! Any advice or wisdom is welcome. :)