I have a 21 month old who takes regular naps once a day for a couple of hours. I have a 7 week old who sleeps before and after these naps. How do I train the 7 week old to sleep at the same time as the 21 month old? Is this a gradual process or something I need to just start training?
Yes it is gradual. I had a 9 month old in my daycare, she is 1 year now. I had to start shortening her morning naps and make her wait until 2 for the afternoon nap. It took about 2 months or so till she was actually sleeping when she was laying down. Now she takes an 1/2 to an hour nap at 10 and a 2 hour nap at 2pm.
Hi, They won't nap at the same time. Your infant needs two or three naps daily and your 21 month old usually only one nap mid day. This is very normal and while it is understandable that you would like them to nap at the same time, their bodies require different napping schedules. I had three children under three and have run infant & toddler day care facilities for the last 17 years. Your little ones are sleeping perfectly.
If anything you need to train the 21 month old.. not the 7 month old... the 7 month old is going to need more.. and longer naps.... try to adjust the 21 month old's naps to a time when the 7 month old is also taking a nap.... even it it means getting her up just a bit earlier.. and take a nap with her. Enjoy your time with the 21 MO while the other one is taking additional naps by reading to her, playing with play-doh or other crafts. This is an important time for her because they are both so young and that almost 2 year old still needs a lot of attention from you as well as the 7 month old.
best wishes...
JG
My girls are 14 months apart and my oldest was down to one nap when the little one came along. By the time the little one was 10 weeks old, I had their afternoon naps at the same time. She would also sleep in the morning and after dinner. But I got at least an hour and half to do "me" things from 1-2:30pm. I also didn't feel trapped in the house that way, because the younger one would sleep in the car or where ever we went in the morning. It allowed me to still go to playdates, grocery shopping, to the mall, whatever in morning - home for lunch, naps, etc.
Good luck!
Young babies sleep most of the day when they are not feeding. If you want a quiet hour with both baby and toddler asleep at the same time perhaps you can arrange to feed the baby half an hour before the toddler settles down. This way they will nap together. It takes time to figure it out but children love routines and they soon fit in with yours.
Once a nurse, mother to four and grandmother to six.
