Is there anything I can do to improve his mood?

[labrodyk]

Thanks for helping Naomi!

He's VERY good at lying quiwtly and can do it for AGES and tricks me into a false sense of security.

I ran him around the backyard last night and he fell asleep slightly earlier about 7.40 after pd at 7. I had to return him to bed a couple of times so perhaps 7.10 when he finally stayed put. NW at midnight calling for toys (Kindly woke me for New Year...oops!) haha. Then awake from 6ish.

He does stay put and waits for the sun on his gro clock which is set to 7am so he's doing really well in that regard.

We've been watching a movie the last week after nap time to encourage him to get up and be happy and it seems to help - without it he's a bit ed off! I'm keen to keep the earlier bedtime so will continue to cap . It's probably only about 1 sleep cycle by the time he falls asleep at the moment.

As for this holiday, it's 10 days away so we'll just go with it as you do on holidays and try and get back on track asap.

[Buttonbobs]

Sounds like a plan

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Hun, I'm so pleased things are much improved, well done to you Good idea about movie time Mama! Finger's crossed you're all well rested for your holiday.x.

[labrodyk]

Thanks Naomi & Vicki!

We had another quietly laying episode for an hour tonight - asleep just after 8 after 7pm pd. Is this UT or OT and should I be doing anything about it? With the earlier rise this morning I don't want to get into another UT/OT loop and ER issue especially as we're going away.

Getting him to stay in bed and not protest when I leave the room is also proving more difficult, which I assume is normal? What tips can I use to encourage him to not yell "mum, come back here now!!"

Thank you

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I would think ut if he is laying quietly at bedtime for that long. Personally I would either be capping the nap a bit more or pushing bt to 7:30 if possible, plus loads of running around if it helps. Love the movie idea!

[Buttonbobs]

I agree - sounds like UT to me too.

[Truly Blessed]

Yup, I agree UT, bless him for lying quietly, DS was never a fan of this when UT! this always made it harder to tell the difference between OT and UT, he just went loop the loop regardless lol.x.

[labrodyk]

Hello ladies!

I'm sorry, I'm back

We went away on holidays (went back an hour in time zone) and things were crazy in that he was extremely upset the entire time we were away. I tried to keep naps and bedtime the same but we had to remind ourselves it was a holiday for us too. He was having naps of 30-45mins Max an hour in the car/pram. Pram nap meant a lot later nap of 2/2.30 until just after 3 rather than his usual 1-2 in bed.

What was amazing was that he did not fuss one single bit in all the hotels and motels we stayed in each night. He told me to go away and was asleep in 30-45mins just quiwtly lying there. Same for naps if it was in a bed (asleep within 15mins) but I was letting him sleep until he woke (Max 1hr20min)

First night back home and he did the same, and slept until past 7.30 - it was fabulous but I assume this was accumulated OT and the timezone change. But now, every nap and bedtime he cries and screams for me to come back complaining about not enough toy cars in the bed or requesting the door open when it is open (we then go through 1million variants of open before I say enough is enough).

We also had a 1hr night waking last night from 11-12 crying and upset and getting out of bed. Wakeups are back to well before 7 but he just lays quiwtly or chats until 7 on his gro clock.
Today I woke him at 2 after into bed at 1 (asleep in 5mins!!) and he was SO angry with me and was grumpy and upset - by bath time he was bouncing off the walls and very excitable but still upset and crying when leaving his room.

I just don't know what to make of it - I'd really hoped the change at BT would continue once we got home. It makes sleep times so stressful.

Do you have any ideas? Thanks so much.

[Buttonbobs]

Since coming home have you stuck with the shorter, later nap, or have you gone back to a nap at the earlier time you were doing before your holiday?

[labrodyk]

Went back to the routine we were doing before holiday and still trying to implement whilst away of 1-2 which usually works out about 45mins of actual sleep in bed. In the car it was about 1.45 he was waking when falling asleep at 1. Pram we only did 1 day as DH and I were so traumatized (that was 2.30-3) but that same day H tantrummed non-stop from 12.30 when we were at the Zoo! Crazy child....

Bedtume 7.30 home and away (a little later a couple of nights).

ETA: despite the battles, H was asleep by 8 from 7.30pd so he is tired.

[Buttonbobs]

I guess I would take from it that whatever you were doing on holiday suited him better, were you outside more? Perhaps those shorter car naps were good for him and the later nap in the pram that day didn't harm either, although he might have been tired/hungry I suppose that day leading to the tantrum.

It does sound like you felt more able to go with the flow a bit while on holiday - do you think you could continue with this now you're at home?

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Hun,

Lots of ((HUGS)) for you first of all, that sounds like a lot of stress, but some suprising success amongst it gladly.

Personally if you possibly can I would return to the routine he was on before the holiday. Even though he is OT I think it will be the quickest way to get him back on track. WRT the negotiating at BT, it is all delay tactics and I have BTDT so many times. My suggestion is that before he goes to bed discuss what will  happen, ask him to pick the 1 car he wants to sleep with tonight, and tell him that is the final decision, then stick with it. If he wants the door open that's fine, but it is open and that's that, no 'tweaking' of openness (if that is even a word lol)

It's super that he is waiting for the gro clock in the morning, that extra rest will really help.

Thoughts 

x.

[Truly Blessed]

Cross posted Naomi.x.

[labrodyk]

Thanks ladies!

Yes, it was easier with facilities at our doorstep and he was swimming a lot (we don't have a pool or close by) plus cat naps were easier because we had the car. I don't drive so with DH back at work I can't continue with those.

I'll continue with our existing times and be consistent with bedtime as I had been doing and see what happens.

[Truly Blessed]

Everything crossed for you Hun.x.