BabyWhispererForums.com
SLEEP => Sleeping For Toddlers => Topic started by: cliffrose on August 04, 2006, 22:40:02 pm
-
My almost 16 mo LO has been having short, 1 hour, or 1 hour 10 minute naps since the day he started walking (June 28th). We (he) is also moving his nap later- up to about 4.75 hours of wake time. I should say I try to let him stay up until he signs that he wants to go to sleep-- he has always been good about that. Very occasionally he gets a two hour nap- but hasn't in a week.
Our day looks like this: (we've been EASY from day one)
7 or 7:30 WU/ bottle
8 b'fast
8-11 play, take a walk
11 Eat
11:30-11:45 bottle, nap
12:30 or 12:45 WU
1:15 lunch (more food, milk)
2-4 errands, etc.
4PM bottle, more play
5:30 dinner
6:45 bath
7:15 bottle, down for the night.
He often sleeps through the night, sometimes wake up in the first few hours. No real drama there.
Today I tried wake-to-sleep- put him down at 11:45 or 11:50 -its hard to tell when you put him down slightly awake), went in at 12:40 (OK- 12:38) and touched him gently, he twitched and turned his head. he then slept until 1:15. I am happy it was an additional 30 minutes or so, but can anyone help me figure out how to get that last half-hour back?
I really need that downtime!
Thanks so much--
Elizabeth
-
Short naps are often a sign of overtiredness. Your wake up time and nap times are good but I would move his bedtime earlier. With a wake up time before 1pm, his bedtime should be closer to 6pm, not 7:15pm. Henry has a 7pm bedtime (although he doesn't sleep until around 8pm) and he usually naps until at least 2pm. Going from 12:30pm to 7:15pm is almost 7 hours - WAY too long for your LO's age.
You might also try moving his nap a little later. Although it contradicts everything I just wrote (happens sometimes - its not an exact science ;)), maybe if you push his nap to 12pm or so, he'll sleep a little later and then you won't have to adjust bedtime.
Henry's schedule is and has been since he moved to one nap -
7am - wake
12:15pm - nap
7pm - bedtime
That way he has about 5.5 hours in the am before his nap and about 5.5 hours after his nap before bedtime. That really seems to work well for him and most others here.
This is really rambling - sorry, its been a long day. Let me know if you have any questions. HTH!
-
Actually, Jake has only had one nap since he was 8 mo old, and he's been fine.
Could there be another reason?
Do I need to tweak the wake-to-sleep routine? was it too early? too late?
eliz
-
I haven't ever successfully used wake-to-sleep with Henry so I'm not really in a position to answer questions about that. Hopefully someone else will have some advice.
-
I would second Sarah's opinion too. Especially factoring in wakings in the first part of the night - normally a sign of overtiredness. LO is probably more tired since starting to walk - more energy being expended!
Unfortunately I am also a no goer with wake-to-sleep. the only time I tried, I managed a 4.30am wake-up for the day! LOl!
-
I would be nervous to try Wake-To-Sleep with a Toddler. IMHO they are too aware of what is going on. My DS would most likely pop up and think it was time to start the day!!! GRRRRR :-\ :-\ :-\
-
Hi Elizabeth,
My DS is moving to 1 nap as well and is just starting to walk, too! He doesn't have very long naps much of the time either (1 hour, 25 min. usually). I do try to put him to bed early (6-6:30pm most of the time) and he does well with this usually.
I don't have any W2S advice for a toddler but I know that Michelle (aka "Megs Mom"), one of the nap board moderators, did it with her LO when she was having short naps when she moved to 1 nap a day. I believe it is on the nap board under the FAQ section. It is called "From 2 to 1 nap, how, when and the bumps". You may have to read a few posts until she talks about how she did it.
Hope things get better for you!
Suzanne
___________
William born 3/23/05
-
OK, I put him down early for the last couple nights... 6:30 PM the first night- he slept until 8:15 the next morning (no joke). 6:45PM the next night, I got him up at 7:30 AM yesterday (we had a doctor's appointment). Last night, put him down at 6:45PM, he woke at 6:20 AM this morning. i got him up at 6:40.
HOWEVER, naps are still crappy. I tried earlier naps, but he just plays a little and falls asleep at the 4 hour of waketime mark.
Does anyone of you great moms have any ideas on how to extend the naptime? he wakes up crying horrifically after these too-short naps and signs that he wants to sleep but if I try to put him back down he screams even more and fights, flailing (this is VERY unusual. he is a textbook, happy baby).
Thanks!
-
Its wonderful that his night sleep has been so good. Here's hoping it continues!!
As for his nap, he may be ready for a longer awake time before nap. Try moving it later by 15 minutes to see if that makes any difference. When Henry's naps are short, that sometimes helps. I wouldn't move it by much more than 15 minutes, though, or he'll end up overtired and you'll get a short nap anyway.
HTH!
-
I would treak your daily routine a bit.
Try giving him an early lunch 11:30/12pm. When my son started taking 1 nap a
day I found that he slept MUCH longer when his tummy was full. So this meant
to give him an early lunch and he went down around 12:30pm until 2:30pm.
He still does this to this day.
Wake to sleep has worked for us during bedtime hours but definitely not
during nap times. Changing his lunch time was the only thing that worked :)
GOOD LUCK. :)
Diana