Support for Mum's of LO's 16-19months with sleep issues

[Lu_C]

Been a long time since this was an active thread, is anyone still using it? I'm getting a bit fed up with crazy nap patterns; already had some great advice but interested to hear other suggestions.

DS is 16.3 months; used to sleep like clockwork, we had a hiccup which sorted out beyond belief and he slet even better than before. Then he hit 16 months and seems to be losing it a bit

630 - 730 Wake up (used to be 7 - 7.15 even had a coule of weeks at 8 - 9!)
We used to give him a squeezie of fruit then moved his milk to when he woke up, I think this may be some of the problem). He now has the fruit again and I'm pushing the milk away from sleep times altogether.
8ish Breakfast
9/9.30 Nap (I'm now trying to lose this nap...at the moment pushing his nap back 15 mins every few days to extend his capability to stay awake longer)
10 Snack
1130/1145 Lunch
1215/ 1230 PM nap si also moving. Eventually I want to push the AM nap so it becomes the PM nap...what do you think?
3 Milk
430 snack
615 Dinner
7 bath
730 milk and bed

Sleeps through but often shouts out for a couple of mins around 12 or 1.

Anyway, any suggestions or idea would be great x

[Gippie]

I am going to ask how long his naps are?  If that AM nap is ONLY 1/2 hour and he is waking at 10am...going BACK to bed at 12:15 is a very short A time. 

We had some sleep issues and we needed to go to one nap and push bedtime sooner.   I know it gets suggested ALLLLLL the time and I thought it was crazy, but it was the start we made in fixing night issues.  Move bedtime sooner.   See if he can wake later and get naps at 9:30 and maybe 1:30 ish depending on how long they are.  We REALLY needed to make the 2-1 switch when her afternoon nap kept going later and later.   

Get him IN bed and DONE for the day at 7pm...it used to kill me since I work, but for that time period, it was the start of good things.   

HTH  Stacey

[Lu_C]

Thanks for the suggestions. You know what, I cut the AM nap a few days ago (I had been working up to it for a few weeks, cutting AM naps shorter and shorter) and after a couple of days he's settled into it brilliantly. I put him down any time after 11 am and he's often making it til nearly 12 anyway, which means PM is also not too long. Nights are wonderful as well now - woke at 7.30 his morning with no NW at all.

I still have to pull out the old GW every once in a while but WIWO usually works just fine IF he doesn't go straight down. Seems problem is over!!

Cheers for your help, Stacey x

[Gippie]

Very cool.  We phased out the AM nap and did as you did.   Our single afternoon nap used to be an hour nad a half and night was about 7 and then she started adding to her day nap and staying up later which REALLY worked for DH and I.  She is a solid 10 hours at night and 3 hour nap in the day......it always works.....Congrats on the new arrival.....comng soon I see?   

[laurencopenhaver]

Hi ladies, I too am in somewhat the same boat.  Early wakeups and hardly a nap.  Mine is 16 months and never really slept through.  Sick right now, so on 2 naps, but still haven't sucessfully transitioned to one nap.  On days we do have one nap it only 1 hr and 15 min at most around 11-11:30.  He's waking at 5-5:30, not screaming anymore, just can't go back to sleep.  Used to need the sippy but I weened that about a month ago.  If the time woulda changed the other way we would have been fine.  Here's what now looks like, and then I'll show you what one nap looks like:

5-5:30  wakeup, lay in crib fussing till get up
6-6:15   get outta crib
6:30-7:00  bf & milk
8:30-9   nap  45-75 min
9-wakeup  snack w/ water
11:30    lunch & milk
1-1:30    nap;  45-90 min
3:00     snack w/ water
5:00     dinner & milk
6:30-7   bath & milk
7:-7:30  bedtime  (last night 7:45)

1 nap days were before the time change and this is what it looked like:

6-6:30 wakeup
7:00  bf & milk
9:00  snack & water
11-11:30  nap; usually 60-75 min tops
1:00  lunch & milk
3-3:30   snack & water
5:00    dinner & milk
5:45-6:30  bedtime; (usually around 6)

Then he got sick, the time changed and first started waking at 5 (normally 6).  Have tried everything and no results.  Seeking imput.

Thanks, Lauren

[Dylans_Mommy]

Hi ladies,

I was having a problem with my 20 month old son with short naps until coming on here a couple days ago. My son wakes around 7. He usually does best if I put him down for his nap by 12, otherwise he gets overtired. What I realized on here is the importance of the wind down routine, both before nap and bedtime. In my case, I used to read to him than sing him a couple songs while he was in his crib. I had to realize that the way I was doing that was stimulating rather than relaxing for my son. My son is really verbal and we sing and read books all day long, so doing it the way I was (still asking questions about the books when reading and letting him roam around his crib while singing) wasn't winding him down.

I read on here to have him say goodbye to things in the house. We do that, brush teeth, I try to give him a massage (I read on here to focus on feet, hands, and behind the ears). I do read him one book (he'd revolt otherwise) but I try to use a quiet voice and not spend much time on it. Then we do pajamas and then I turn out the light and do a short lullaby while rocking him in his chair. It really settles him down. Then I put him in his crib, he lays right down. I say a short prayer and he goes to sleep.

I will say that I haven't rocked him to sleep since he was 2 months old, so I understand this wouldn't work for people trying to break the rocking habit. I started using BW when he was 8-10 weeks old so even when desperate I can't rock him to sleep. Our problem was that he was too hyped up so this helped. Hope it helps someone else.