Another post about the nap situation

[apples and bananas]

I need help, what I have going on is not working.

I have 4 kids.

Kid 1 is an amazing sleeper and is the only one on a cot. Sleeps in the playroom currently on the main floor.

Kid 2 another great sleeper. In a playpen and sleeps on the main floor same room as kid 1

kid 3 an ok sleeper, but wakes up mid nap frequestly, cries for a few min and soothes himself back to sleep. Sleeps in the bedroom upper level

kid 4 a disaster! 1 good day and that was it. Will sleep for maybe an hour then scream, jump and cry for as long as I let him. Sleeps in a seperate bedroom on the upper level.

I really dont' care if they only sleep an hour, but I can't bring 3 and 4 downstairs because they will wake up 1 and 2. Ideally I'd like 1, 2 and 3 to all sleep in the playroom, but the mid nap wake up will wake everyone.

So, what do I do? I can't put kid 4 on the main floor because he'll wake everyone up with the screaming. I dont' mind letting him scream it out but it seems today that 3 and 4 just keep waking each other up.

What would you do? Currently, I'm letting 3 and 4 scream it out. I just can't go up there again. They're safe, and my sanity is on the edge.

the upper level kids and the lower level kids dont' wake each other up. The floors are pretty sound proof.

Thoughts?

[crafty]

See all my kids sleep in the same room in playpens right now. Some will chatt and scream playfully for a very long time which really bugs me but does not prevent from anyone else from falling asleep. When one wakes up mid nap I tell him nap time is not over and he still needs to staty there quietly and let him be. I have not had MAJOR screaming problems yet. Maybe I would seperate them if I letting them cry/scream it out does not work. But I would do it for a few weeks. They can be very persistant so we have to be more persistant and consistant I guess. Before nap time I tell them... It's quiete time and I will see you when nap time is OVER. Ofcourse I go check up but they don't know that ;0)

[Crayola kiddies]

Well it seems like what your doing is the best .... The two quiet ones are down on the main level and the two criers are upstairs .... If you switched it around then you wouldn't get a peaceful break ... The criers will eventually figure if out.

[Crayola kiddies]

Can you put on music or some sort of noise in each of the screamers rooms to drown them out and maybe not wake each other up?

[apples and bananas]

I have a fan going in crier number 4's room and a humidifier going in crier number 3s room already. I think tomorrow I'm just going to let the two of them cry it out. Turn the monitor down and see who exhausts who first. Let the sleepers sleep.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I second the playing of solitude type music ... aka instrumental no words ... played loudly enough that it provides the 'consistent noise' in the house and mid sleep cycle noise just becomes background noise as part of the music.

This works awesome for me my crew have all consistently slept 2.5 - 3 hours and I never have an issue when a newbie starts with them hearing them and waking up if they are having adjustment issues.

I just transitioned in a horrible sleeper myself this past spring .... mom had to start a job 4 months earlier than anticipated and had not had time to prepare him for group care but despite his issues everyone else was sleeping through it ~ just him and myself who were exhausted those first few days and now he too sleeps 3 hours plus in the afternoon on his own without issue ... consistent expectations that it was time for him to sleep and when he would wake mid sleep cycle I would help show him how to soothe back to sleep again and than weaned back with that support once he was sleeping 3 hours so that he needed less and less assistance with self soothing and now at 14 months climbs onto his cot by himself and goes to sleep unassisted ~ never was able to get him into a crib swear he has claustrophobia cause he hates confined spaces!

[Mamma_Mia]

My dcbaby also wakes up 3 or 4 times during her nap, let out a cry and then falls back asleep. I have the video monitor on and now have seen that she does that while still sleeping! She's in the room with my 3yr good sleeper. He too falls back asleep when she's done.

I'd say if they know how to self-sooth then put 1, 2 & 3 together. It wont be easy the first week but they'll get used to it and fall back asleep too.

Good Luck

[fruitloop]

Can you put on music or some sort of noise in each of the screamers rooms to drown them out and maybe not wake each other up?

I agree with this! I have spa type meditation music playing in all of my bedrooms and I have a noise machine in the hallway to drown out any cross noise from outside the bedrooms. It works awesome!

[apples and bananas]

Ok, I'm going to try to spa music for the downstairs crew and let the upstairs crew cry it out until I can get something more effective then the humidifier for background noise.

Thanks for all of your tips.

I've also cut out the am nap today for number 4. He has a good night last night and I'm hoping he'll be ready for a good solid 2 hours by the time lunch time comes.