17.5mo EW - teeth/developmental/OT

[K-JDA]

Hi all - am back with EWs again!

DS is 17.5 mo. Had a long and horrible 2-1 transition which coincided with poor sleep after starting nursery, molars, various illnesses - really horrible. Lots of EWs since the end of October and horrible OT.

Finally over the last few weeks we had settled on:

WU 6ish
Nap 12.15-2
Bed 7ish

And now since Monday the EWs are back.

Am pretty sure it's a combo of canines as they are really bulging/white under the skin and developmental as he is making lots of new noises and really trying to tell us something!! Maybe the beginning of the 18m SR too.

This week had been a bit of a disaster with 5am starts each day and hit and miss naps at nursery so definitely got OT going on.

Thursday was:

WU 4.45 (NW at 2.20 for 1/2hr - gave meds)
Nap 12.15-2
Bed 6.30

Yesterday was:

WU 5.15
Nap 12.15-1.15
Bed 6.40 - lots of crying and had to stay with him after put down at 6.25

WU today was 5.20 so not a bad night length overall.

Have tried DF meds but makes no difference to EW or ability to resettle.

If he EWs after 5 there is no chance of resettling but he is waking up upset so I know he is tired. He won't nap more than 1hr45 generally so 10 hours ONS doesn't seem enough. He does not really tack on either but have been trying bedtime about 20 mins earlier than usual to catch up.

He is quite LSN but I think other things are at play.

So I suppose we need to ride this out but my question is how best to deal with EWs when he won't resettle or stay in his cot but gets v upset so we have to pick up and then he's up for the day.

Plus how best to minimise OT to eventually try and get us out of the EW rut!!

Thanks guys.

[jcsmom]

Hey there,
My DD is 17.5 months as well and sleep has certainly been wonky for us too the last 2 weeks. What is probably happening is he needs more A  time in the AM before his nap so he is EW then is OT by nap, short napping then is OT by BT and then the EW perpetuates. We have been there/are there. The only answer for us is to push the nap later. You may need to cap it too. I have found 1.5 hours get us about 11ish at night. I think my DD is average sleep needs.
Our routine was looking like this from about 15 months:
wu 7
nap 1-2:30/45
bed 7 but have had to push bt later and later, often 8.

We started getting EWs and now short naps due to OT and in retrospect I probably needed to cap or push her nap later. So we are in an bit of an OT loop like you. But I have found the only way out is to push through the OT. Usually takes my DD a week or so to see any improvement in wu from an EW by pushing the nap. Good thing is, DST is this coming weekend so hopefully you can push his nap later with a later wu.

[pinkladyangel]

If you know for sure its teeth give meds about an hour before earliest wake up. Our lo was ew cos of teeth so we gave meds around 4am and he managed until 7 which is a decent time for us.

[K-JDA]

Thanks ladies!

How much would you push the nap by? When you say to push through the OT do you stick to normal bedtime?

I am not sure about capping to 1.5hrs just yet - he only ever does 1hr45 so would 15 mins make much difference? Feels strange to be cutting daysleep when we have only had 3 weeks of being properly settled in 1 nap and a max 11hr night (all he has ever done). Is that pretty average or LSN?

Last night was a horror - 3.5hr NW from 8pm after only an hours sleep then 5.30 EW but managed to resettle til 6.45 so only about 8/9 hours ONS. Wil just muddle through the day today - am going for nap at 1pm and 7pm bedtime and hope for a better night. He is in a remarkably good mood today so no idea what is going on with him!!!

[Eva's Mummy]

Hi honey, i think my DD is slightly higher sleep needs but we went throught the same for a few weeks between 16.5-17.5 months. Canines at their worst, we still dont have them all through yet, but we just rode it out once one cut she went back to normal, then was off again for a while then the second cut and she went back to normal again. We had 5am WU and short naps so am dreading the next 2 coming through. For the first time meds didnt seems to help, i think those canines are killers. I would be tempted to not change anything till that first 1 cuts to see if it is teeth. He is not really getting that much sleep, i know everyone is different but capping would just have made my LO worse.

Has he always been LSN?

[K-JDA]

He has only ever done 11hr nights from 4/5 months old (he has done a 12hr STTN like twice ever!!) and never really napped over 1hr45 for any nap so not sure if LSN or not? 11hr nights and 1hr45 daysleep doesn't seem loads to me at 17mo.

I do feel canines/developmental stuff is the major culprit here and he has got OT along the way. Just not sure how best to help him as he doesn't really tack on and is a touchy toddler so as the OT gets worse we get in a right old pickle!!!

I found with molars than painkillers just didn't help either and we had 6 weeks of hell as they came 1 directly after the other!! Will be opening a bottle of champagne when all his teeth are through!!

[Eva's Mummy]

oh so will i, 2 more canines then the dresded 2year molars 

We are 18 months and my LO can definitly not do 12:15 nap after a 4:45 or 5:15 WU. The latest i would be able to get her too without short napping would be 11am, have you every tried an earlier nap, earlier BT just to see if he will catch up on OT a bit?

[K-JDA]

The main problem is he is at nursery every day and won't take a morning nap there unless in the pram on a walk and then it is short and he won't take a second nap so gets even more OT!

Am just hoping we can catch up a bit today after a later WU plus he had just had 1hr50 nap so will do a 12hr day today and see if that helps.

Other than that we are putting to bed 20mins early to see if we can catch up that way. Not sure what else to do.

[Eva's Mummy]

How long has he been at nursery? My DD wouldnt sleep at nursery either, we actually changed to a CM and she sleeps like a dream there (not that i am suggesting you change). At the CM's DD naps about 1.5hrs later than she does at home, she gets OT from the longer morning so naps earlier on home days to catch up.

[K-JDA]

He's been at nursery for 6 months now and has settled onto 1 nap pretty well there generally doing 1hr45, same as at home.

I do tend to try and earlier nap at weekends if he is OT.

So after a 12hr day yesterday we still got an EW. Up at 5.15 and held in dark til 6 as was going ballistic otherwise. He only did an hours nap at nursery 12.25-1.25! Will do a 6.30 bed and see what happens but feels like we are completely stuck in this EW cycle at the moment and can't see my way out!

[K-JDA]

Hi - back again. Week 3 of EWs nearing an end 😕

1 canine has come through. Lots of SA at bedtime - had to stay with him tonight til he fell asleep. Very strange naps - they have lengthened out but taking them very late at nursery as he is apparently mucking about in the bedroom when they try to put him down!! It has been 2pm some days after being up from 5.15!!! He normally really struggles with OT in his behaviour but he is coping really well at the moment. He has come out with 5 or 6 new words this week so sm pretty sure this is developmental plus teeth causing SA...

Hardly any chance of a resettle of EW after 5am even with APOP. Am trying EBT of 6.30 where I can (he has never tacked on) and an earlier nap on weekends to try and catch up a bit. Bad habits with the EW definitely starting to form as he is so upset so having to pick him up/cuddle to calm him then can't get him back down.

Am just trying to hang in there but wondering if anything else I should be doing? Thanks guys.