Support and Chat thread for moms of early waking toddlers

[Layla]

I am so angry with myself . Everything was going really well with Isabella... 10.5-11hr night with 45min-1hr nap but then about a week ago she was woken up earlier than 6am & slept for 1.5hrs during the day (I let her). Since then she's been doing 1.5hr nap & a stupid 10hr night! So its been 5.30wake ups & this morning I woke at 5:28 & she was already awake....all happy & singing the ABC song . So as of today I am going to again start waking her up at 1hr & push her nap to 12.30 again as it has slowly gone back to 12pm & I don't want her awake from 1-7pm as she is more sensitive to the A times before bed. I hope that the hours add onto night sleep ASAP!!! She wakes early & she wakes her sister up almost straight away!

I forget sometimes that she is no longer ok on a long nap & I will pay for it as she is in the process of dropping it...

[debo620]

Layla, I feel your frustration with these 10hr nights/longer naps----seems like we both can't have both a long night and a long nap.
Noah is the same though, quite sensitive to A time after his nap.

I think I've said this before but I have a friend whos son sleeps 11hrs at night plus 2x2hr naps, and if he's cranky or whatever had less naps that day--they put him down for nap late in the day with NO affect on his night. he is 20months old!

Stacy I do agree that these 10hr nights straight are better, and he is MUCH better on a 2hr nap then a 1.5hr nap. and he is getting over some OT so things will hopefully improve
so I am waiting for a pattern to develop and going with the flow a bit (this is where you can laugh at me). is it fair though then to keep him in his crib til 6:30am?? (I would like him sleeping to 6). he is happy in there for an extra 1/2hr after waking--so an extra our is a struggle.

today he went easily for his nap, was asleep by 11:45 or so, its been almost 2hrs.

[binxyboo]

Add me to the 10 hour night club.

So annoying, and no matter how I try to tweak his nap, we end back there. He's not OT, but Mommy is!

[rinajack]

LOL. 10 hr night here, and she wants out IMMEDIATELY! Has been like that since birth.

Sadly, I am now up hours before her with Hugh, maybe he realises this is the only time he can get me to himself

[Layla]

Well I did it! I pushed Isabella's nap to 12.30..she played around a bit & fell asleep at 12:50... which is fine as long as she is asleep by 1ish & I woke her up at 1:50pm. I kissed her on the cheek.. hate waking her but hey something has to give. So bed at 7pm, fell asleep around 7:40pm & this morning I wanted to wake at 4:30am to do w2s (never done it before though). Well there are no alarms in this house so I woke naturally up at 4am (too early) so went back to bed. Then woke at 4:15am & wanted to stay up but just couldn't do it.... so fell back asleep & woke up at 5:25am. Stayed up & was staring at the the ndeo camera. Isabella opened her eyes at 5:30 & I was praying that she would go back to sleep.... & she did . For another 20mins but better that the last few days where she was already wide awake at 5:28am . So thats it for us... the nap must be no more than 1hr . I guess thats expected since by 3 I can already see her no napping at all or once a week if anything .

[debo620]

yeh Layla!

we had a great night Friday with just a 30min NW at 4am, after asleep at 7pm, but then he slept til 6:40am!---so close to 11hrs, and then 2hr nap 12:15-2:15 Saturday.woke so happy and well rested!

but I want to SCREAM at my sister who babysat lastnight. I told her bed at 7:15 (trying to slowly move Noah ahead) but she put him down at 7:40, asleep by 8pm
and he woke at 5:30am. he just can not handle big jumps in his bedtime, I know that, she doesn't, but she could have at least followed my instructions,
I'm trying for a 10min nap this am at 10:30, if not then nap at 11:30 and bed at 6:30ish, back to square one all over a 25min to late to bed lastnight.

[rinajack]

YAY Layla!

Oh Deb.

Zara had been doing great, sleeping through for her 10 hours.  Then we went to a community event and stayed for the fire works, she didn't get to bed til about 9pm (she did great that day, she only short napped that day too).  Next morning she woke early, but DH layed with her and she went back to sleep til 5:50.  No sleep in after such a late night.

Then yesterday she had two naps, so went to bed at about 8pm, but took a bit to fal asleep, then woke early again, and dh had to lay with her. today will be just one nap, daycare, so bed will be nice and early.

[debo620]

wwo Stacy, 2hrs!!!!! we've had those in the middle of the night LOL.

so Noah did nap today at 10:15 for 10min
napped again at 12:15 and then woke 1:50
so maybe 1hr45min total
so I am aiming for bed just before 7pm, so that he's asleep by 7:15ish !!!

[Finnegans Mom]

I'm so happy I've found this post!  I'm loosing my mind with my ds waking up at 5.30am!  In all honesty, it started back in May, but he was in a crib, so it was easy to ignore.  The end of summer, he moved to a bed, and oh, boy, that didn't go well.  Now, we have worked through most issues (goes down just fine, sleeps through the night) except the early wake ups.  He had been taking a 2hr nap, so I shorten those to 1.5hrs.  That worked for a week, but now we are back to early wake ups.  There were 2 days of no naps, and I really don't think he is ready for that (I'm definitely not).  He became OT and the next day took a 3hr nap, went down fine at night, slept till 6.30am!!!  Only lasted that one morning.

So, now I really don't know what to do, except go to bed when he does  .  He still seems so tired all day and needs a nap.  With it so short, he is ready for bed (and, so am I).  I put him to bed on some nights early (6.30-7pm) because he is so tired.  It doesn't mater when he goes down, he still wakes up at that dreaded hour  .

Here is his schedule... we've been moving things around, give or take a half hour, depending on how tired he is.  Also, he will wake up on his  own from a nap.  On the really bad days, I'll just let him sleep, but not past 3pm.  Nothing bothers his bed time, just his wake time 
5.30am -wake up
12 - nap
1:30 - up
7-7:30 - bed

I would love any help you can give!

Cheers!
Jill

[debo620]

Jill, have you tried doing a 6:30 bedtime, so that he is asleep by 7. ?? I'm really not sure but I would think keep the nap at 1.5hrs but put him to bed earlier so that he is sleeping 10.5-11hrs.
he may continue to wake at 5:30, but as he becomes better rested you will be able to sort this out a bit to a more reasonable time of 6/6:30

[debo620]

 

why can't I ge anything right??

lastnight was good, slept 7-6:25 this am.
I layed him down at 12:10, he took about 5-10min to fall asleep, so about 12:15, and he has just woke at 1:30,
I must have layed him down too late, but I was hopeing he'd sleep til 2pm or so. aargh!

seems as though the OT monster is still here, he didn't seem tired or cranky this morning, so I just don't undertsand. he went happily to bed, but was rubbing his eyes when I was changing his diaper.

ok so if he was woken super early, like 5:30, he must be zonked for his nap at 11:30/11:45 and has no problems sleeping 2plushours.
but if he woken at a decent hour of 6:15/6:30, then 6hrs is too much---does that make sense?
or maybe its the time itself, ie. 11:45 that he loves.

so another early bedtime of 6:15/6:30 here. 

[rinajack]

I agree with Stacy.

Regardless of nap length.  If he is sleeping through and not cranky during the day, there is nothing to fix.  If he woke cranky from that length nap, or it disrupted his night, then you would have a problem to fix.

[debo620]

ah ha!! it DID disrupt his night!
awoke SCREAMING at 1:30, I calmed him down and he may nor may not have gone back to sleep, but then was awake again at 2:30 talking, crying by 3:15 and then I'm not to sure when he went back to sleep finally. up this morning just before 7. I seemed to drift to sleep inbetween anyhow.

we have not had two good nights where he has had over 10hrs of sleep all month. so he is always just hovering OT and I know thats whats making him so sensitive. we just need a few good nights in a row and he'll be back to normal and then his nap length won't matter as much.

[debo620]

this just shouldn't be so complicated. this transition to less sleep seems likes it more complicated then the 2-1 switch. so fine he only needs 12-12.5hrs but goodness I can not find the right split.

so with those NW last night, and since I don't really know how long he was awake for---at least 1hour but probably longer I thought less A time and nap around 12 would work out. since he woke just before 7. plus we had swimming this morning.
well its 12:30 and he is jumping in his crib! he just started crying and I had to go remind him it was naptime and gave him his lovey and left. he cried when I left.??
I hope he goes to sleep soon.
I guess I'll have to start waking him at 6:30am even on NW night.
we have to leave here at 2:30 to drop him off with DH before I go to work.

[heatherstired]

My 18 month old has been waking at 4:45-5am for weeks now (used to be 6-6:30 am) - seems as though ever since the time change, we can't get on normal schedule.

4:45-5am - wakes (crying, wanting mommy - will not go back to sleep, ready to start day)
12noon - 12:30 -- nap for 11/2 - 2 hrs
7-7:30 - bed

For the past week, we've been putting to bed earlier (7pm) but he's still waking by 5am (1 day he slept until 5:45, but other 6 days no). In the past, I tried a later bedtime since he seems to only sleep 10 hours or so, but he still was waking early and then too tired/cranky. Maybe I didn't try it long enough or maybe I didn't move the time gradually?

PLEASE, any advise is much appreciated!! Should I try a quick morning nap along with afternoon nap, earlier or later bedtime?!     I'm so confused!!!