Ah, Naptime. I Will Remember You Fondly.

Napping has pretty much been a constant issue since the boys were infants. Early on, neither one could lay flat for more than 30 minutes because of reflux. They napped in carseats, swings, or moving cars in order to remain upright. They often woke up too early, causing a terrible cycle of overtiredness that made it even harder for them to fall asleep. When they started medication for reflux, Ethan finally was able to nap, but Lucas continued to struggle. With the exception of a few weeks here and there, he was always awakened 45 minutes into his nap by something internal that we couldn’t seem to figure out.

Finally, right after their second birthday, we started Lucas on a gluten-free diet in the hope that this would relieve some of what seemed to be stomach discomfort, and in turn hoped that this would help him get the day sleep he so desperately needed. We were actually quite surprised when this worked almost immediately. So for several blissful months, at age two, we finally had one beautiful long nap each day, allowing me a break and the boys some rest.

Then a few months ago, as the boys’ sibling bond was really developing, naptime once again became challenging. If they were in a room alone together, they would laugh, play, run, scream, and eventually fight or get hurt, rather than sleep. We tried many ideas to get them to calm down and rest, but the draw of a playmate who shared a deep love of hyperactivity was just to strong. Eventually I had to separate them in order to get them calm enough to rest.

For several months, Lucas napped in our bedroom and Ethan napped in their bedroom. At times I would have to lie down with whomever was having more trouble settling down, which I really didn’t mind, as it bought me some rest and some cuddle time. Eventually, however, both boys wanted my company and we settled on something I never thought I would do. Group naps. I just put both boys in my bed, plopped myself between them, and the three of us would snuggle close together as we drifted off to dreamland. Years of sleep training out the window, and all I could think was, “I should have done this years ago!” Cuddling with two warm, sweet, beautiful boys each afternoon? Sign me up! Most days I left the bed after they have gone to sleep, which leaves them to cuddle with one another in their sleep.

This lasted a couple of blissful months. In fact, we all still fall asleep this way without a problem. However, the trouble arises at bedtime. It seems that this daytime sleep is making it hard for the boys to get to bed at a reasonable hour, and they are waking up at an equally unreasonable time. This has led to nighttime waking as well. I think they might be trying to tell me something. So the experiment has begun – the forced dropping of naps. Will this buy us earlier nights and later mornings? I don’t know, but we’ll give it a shot. Today was day one. What do we do all day, when we don’t have to nap? Why, wash the car, of course!