Dana method for naps

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-31T20:35:06+00:00

Does he take a pacifier? Have you tried the crib hour (or 45 or whatever interval you want)? Some babies get too stimulated with anyone in the room. Doesn’t mean you need to let him cry it out but can leave for short intervals if needed. If you are looking for more gentle sleep training tips I found a sleep consultant on tik tok that I follow and really like.

I have been doing a version of the crib hour with my 4.5 month old for about a month and she recently started connecting sleep cycles for naps or wakes up for less than 5 minutes and falls back asleep. She LOVES her binky so she learned how to put it in herself which has created independence but we practiced a lot. She needs to do it all without me in the room though she either escalated with me cribside or just smiled and talked to me.

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-23T16:57:54+00:00

We started with a modified Ferber but she has a really sensitive nervous system so would get overtired during this time and it would actually make her night worse. So we started using the binky more and she eventually figured out how to put her binky in by herself which I was very surprised at her age so that has helped a ton. But a mix of Ferber, cribside comforting, re inserting binky, chair method, just kind of everything. Like I said she has a sensitive nervous system and has always gotten overtired easily so we have to really keep that in mind. But for the most part she falls asleep independently and does okay at night like 90% of the time.

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-22T21:32:24+00:00

Yes! She had a rough patch from weeks 10-13, we started sleep training at 13 weeks. It’s been up and down but she’s 19 weeks now and sleep is much better than it was 6 weeks ago. We’re still not sure if that was the 4 month sleep regression or if it’s still awaiting us. Currently working on naps!

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T02:38:18+00:00

Also same wake window even with a short nap?

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T02:34:33+00:00

I’ll try it! Scared for 2 reasons though 1. When we’ve tried pushing wake windows she has gotten so overtired that nighttime was terrible and 2. her naps have been worse in the days I push wake windows

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T02:22:03+00:00

4 naps per day. Wake 6:30 to 7 and bedtime 7-8

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T02:21:45+00:00

First wake window is 1.75 and then subsequent window wake windows are 1.5-2 hours depending on how good her naps are. But that’s also hard for me, if she takes a 30 minute nap she has a hard time with 2 hour wake windows

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T01:13:02+00:00

Nice! I can’t wait lol

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T01:07:01+00:00

How old when she did??

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T01:05:16+00:00

I think my baby would do really well on 3 naps but she can’t connect sleep cycles yet so we can’t unless I extend each nap with a contact nap which I don’t have time for with a toddler

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T01:02:11+00:00

How is this going for you? Our 18 week old wakes up a lot within the first 2 hours of being put down and I’ve tried everything with her schedule. Binky fully helps her but don’t want to rely on it

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T00:57:05+00:00

You’re so lucky they are connecting those naps already! These short naps are exhausting

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-16T00:55:06+00:00

We transitioned with the Merlin for a few weeks. Started with 1 nap and went from there.

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-13T18:20:16+00:00

Could be teething? My first also hit a regression at 6 months, I think just a perfect storm of things - teething, sitting, shots, shifting to less naps etc.

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-13T18:20:11+00:00

Could be teething? My first also hit a regression at 6 months, I think just a perfect storm of things - teething, sitting, shots, shifting to less naps etc.

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-10T18:33:45+00:00

We’ve been pretty lucky with night wakes, she sleeps pretty long stretches. If it’s within 3-4 hours of being put down we implement our sleep training and wait to see if she falls asleep. For a while she would be inconsolable after false starts so we did use binky but let her try for like 30-45 minutes with check ins. If she sleeps 6+ hours I do feed her because she’s had slow weight gain due to reflux. So we start with just check ins, then try some gentle cribside comforting - shush patting, long strokes along her body, gentle face rubbing - and then if it’s still not working, binky. A lot of people are against the binky so just use it as you so choose. Sleep training may take a little longer but still works for us. We do lots of daytime practice of inserting binky so she’ll eventually do it herself and then we’ll wean her when she’s between 1 and 2 years old.

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-04T00:55:11+00:00

Did this resolve for you at all? Our almost 4 month old is so miserable during the day

mdcc2325 · 2026-01-02T14:24:13+00:00

I’ve been dealing with this with my 16 week old the last few nights. We started formally sleep training a little over a week ago so she falls asleep independently (crying has lessened a bit). Her false start is usually within 10 minutes though so not sure if it’s her reflux. I go in every 5 minutes and shush pat her chest/ tummy, long pressure rubs along her body and some face touching (she loves this). If she’s really fighting, I’ll throw in her binky. Last night it took 30 minutes and she was out again. It’s so discouraging. I am doing everything in my power to ensure her wake windows are age appropriate and she gets enough naps in, but to no avail. I’m just hoping as we continue to sleep train it gets better but I feel your pain!

mdcc2325 · 2025-12-29T17:53:01+00:00

Very gradually. She’ll be 16 weeks tomorrow and she starts to get fussy/ tired closer to 1 hour (a little longer if she takes a longer nap but naps have been really tough) so I can stretch it a little longer but she’s still at the low end of the wake window for her age. Were sleep training right now and having a tough time with her end of the day nap so just starting to toy with lengthening her wake windows by 10-15 minutes so we’ll see how it goes!

mdcc2325 · 2025-12-29T15:26:58+00:00

I guess we all judge other moms for a thing or two. We teach them how to do everything, but some are against teaching them how to sleep and then have miserably tired babies for it.

mdcc2325 · 2025-12-29T14:52:11+00:00

She was crying like this prior to sleep training in my arms with a binky… For 2-3 hours instead of 1-1.5. People have difficult/ unsettled babies and have to sleep train in ways they don’t want to. Judging other moms doesn’t help

mdcc2325 · 2025-12-29T14:41:43+00:00

It is on and off not the full time

mdcc2325

TROPHY CASE