Sleep Monster... he's sleeping forever!

[Lu_C]

PLEASE don't lynch me!! I know that most people here are having trouble with sleep and not getting enough of it... so please don't be mad at me!!!

I was here a couple of weeks ago with screaming when I put him to bed and taking an hour to go to sleep and now, all of a sudden, after a week of heavy GW and WIWO (with great thanks to people here for helping me!) I now have a child who sleeps from 7.30 pm to 9am, then goes back to sleep for an hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon. His routine used to be nap 9 - 10 and 1 - 3, I'm getting him down, with no fuss, at about 11 for 45 mins and 2 for a couple of hours- so he still has a a bit of time awake before bed at 7.30. There is no force in putting him to bed at any of the times- we use sign language and he tells me he's tired, so we read a book and he goes to bed.

This is ludicrous to think this is a problem but I was just wondering if anyone else had this around 16 months? I'm wondering whether I need to enjoy it whilst it lasts or whether I should see this as 'permanent change' and actually re-arrange his meal times and so forth. What do you all think?

I truly apologise to those who think I'm looking for 'problems' - if it helps at all, stick with GW and WIWO...it seems to work beyond your wildest (and very long!) dreams!!!

[JennŠ]

Good for you!!!!!!!!  We love success stories!!  Been meaning to ask, what the heck is GW?  (says the former sleep mod...)

[franchick]

Wow - that's fab - well done you for sticking to it - I am far too much of a wuss and have always caved so co-sleep some of the night.

Anyway, I imagine that your LO is maybe just catching up on some zzzzs from the 'training' period and you may find that he gradually moves to an 8am wake-up (which he might keep for a very long time). We have pretty much always had a wake-up time of sowmehere between 7am and 8am with only 1 9am wake-up that I can ever remember.

I don't know about 16 months in particular, but our LOs are always going through growth and developmental spurts, so there could be any number of reasons that he is enjoying all this sleep.

In total, from what you say, he is getting about 16.25 hours sleep in 24 hours at the moment - this is certainly on the high end, but, so what?!

What I would say is, if you can manage it, rearrange his meal and activity times on a day to day basis and just adapt to his wake-up time. I would keep his naps at the current times or maybe a little earlier if he wakes earlier and just play it a little ad-hoc until you see a longer term pattern emerge.

From my recollection, our DD slept about 14 hours in 24 hours at that age (12 at night one 2 hour nap).

HTH a little bit and enjoy it for the time being - you will all be more rested and can really enjoy your awake time together.

Oh, and well done with teaching the sign language - I bought a great book but never really cracked it - now DD can say the word 'tired' so it is not so bad!

xx

Jenn- GW is Gradual Withdrawal. I always get confused when I see these initials!!

[Lu_C]

Thanks for not abusing me about that post. I think just trying to make sure he eats properly is the mission - I also don't want to drift too far from his regular routine, in case things go awry and I have a hard time to put him back on it. I'll watch for a couple more days and see how it goes, then re-address.

Gradual Withdrawal RULES...I totally recommend it to anyone having trouble with sleep over a year - it's a win win method I think.

[Layla]

Thats great to hear

[franchick]

Yeah - you will just have to stuff his little tummy full with all sorts of yummy things!

I always feel a little wistful when I hear of someone who has cracked getting their LO to sleep really well, but ultimately that is down to the mummy and daddy and LO working together and is a cause for celebration, not abuse!!

I have been 'planning' on GW for, like, forever (we used PU/PD successfully when LO was 8 months old, but never went back after she had a cold...), but Katie is old enough and strong enough to cuddle me in a vice like grip, so it is really hard for me to back away from the bed, iykwim! LOL. So, I have decided just to stay with her till she grows out of it in, say, 5 years or so - hahahha! We get one NW many nights, but I usually end up in her bed not even knowing how I got there, so it is really hard for me to break the habit - in fact, I think it would be harder for me than for Katie.

My 'new' plan is to just keep talking to her from time to time about how nice it is when we all get a really good night's sleep without wakiing each other up and how great we feel in the morning etc etc till it sinks in. I actually relish the putting to bed part of our evening now as we seem to have sorted a wind down that really works for both of us - I think other people think we are crazy, but I don't really care.

The funny thing is, I know she can do this all herself because she does at nursery for her nap and sometimes at her aunty's or grandma's too. But I just don't want to give up those oh-so-tight cuddles.

Anyway, mega congrats again and let me know how the next few days go.

Sorry for blethering on...   

[Lu_C]

You know that sounds so lovely! LO would never sleep in the same bed with us (we tried it a couple of times and it really didn't work), maybe when he's older he'll want to crawl in with us - although if he keeps going like he is then we'll always be up already!!  When he was teeny I used to wake up panicking that I'd collected him when I was asleep and had rolled onto him...I'd pad about trying to find him when a quick look in the cot would have resolved the problem immediately!

I guess you're right though, if you're ready to give up the night cuddles then it'll be much easier to stick with GW (and you have to stick with it!)

This morning he didn't wake til 930...incredible. In the end I thought I'd move about outside his room to rouse him. I ummed and ahhed for about an hour, but decided to give him his milk when he woke up and cut the morning sleep (not really much time left for it if he keeps waking so late!). He woke asking for milk (good choice to have it ready!) then I changed him and he had breakfast (with recorded CBeebies!), we played, then a chair fell on his big toe...scream scream scream with a bit of blood, poor little kid! I gave him lunch at his usual time, 1145, the first time since this crazy sleeping thing started, we danced to Boogie Beebies after a bit of colouring (didn't think putting boots on and going for a walk would help the toe) then read a book and put him to nap at 12.45....15 mins before his usual afternoon nap. He was a bit grumpy which could be tiredness but more likely taht he hasn't been outside and he hurt his toe. He cried for 2 mins when I left, but settled himself. I am intrigued to see how long he sleeps this pm - it was 2.5 hours yesterday, I woke him up in the end.

I wasn't sure if dropping the first day nap was a good idea, but I've gone with it, otherwise we're nevver going to get anything done again. Nothing like a spot of selfishness to make the parenting world go round, eh?!

[franchick]

Poor wee toe - ~~~healing vibes~~~~

A lot of people find that co-sleeping just doesn't work and I think that is absolutely fine. I like sleeping on my own, in bed with my DH, with Katie, whatever, so it doesn't make any difference to me. Last night I got home very late (midnight) after helping my dad do some decorating, and I slipped into bed with Katie and just lay there watching her sleeping till I drifted off - it was very sweet.

LOL at you umming and ahhing outside his room - we often have to do this for Katie's nap at the weekend as she catches up a little from the week then. 9.30am is certainly a good lie in - it pretty much covers night sleep and day sleep!

I know what you mean about getting them outside - we find bedtime is a bit of a pain if we haven't all been out even for a 10 minute walk or a shot at the park.

I think that because he is having such a good night time sleep, dropping the first nap and just having one big nap is the right thing to do - the little bits of grumpiness will wear off within a week or so.

It is hard when they are sleeping when you really want to do something, especially if it is something you know that they would really like to do - you think 'come on, you're missing out on this fun activity'!! LOL

Hope you do something fun later today.

xx

OH, BTW, I just remembered my MIL telling me about a LO that stopped napping entirely when they were 1 year old, but had a 14 hour night from 6pm till 8am - I guess it definitely IS different for different LO's