Help here please!!

[newmama12]

Ok, here's what we've got going on and I can't seem to fix it:

We have EW's most mornings between 5:45-6am. Makes trying to get on one nap very difficult b/c she's often tired by 10:30 and that seems way too early for 1 nap. She only naps for 1.5-1.75 hours most days. Bedtime is usually around 7/7:15pm. So being up from 12-7pm is just too long.

I can't seem to get her to sleep longer than 6am nor will she nap longer than 2 hours. So, we're really in a rut. Do I go back to 2 naps. One around 10 (when she wakes up early) and only for about 30 min. Then another sometime around 2:30ish? Do I try and keep her up till 11:30ish for 1 nap? Do I just move her bedtime earlier to about 6:30pm?

ETA: The reason we're going to 1 nap is b/c she was refusing (and/or taking a very long time to fall asleep) for both naps, especially the morning nap. We were also having EW's, but we're still having those even though she's only doing 1 nap.

[kvmom]

I just wrote a post vey similar to yours today.  I don't have any advice just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

[coopers_mommy]

I don't have much advice as DS is trying to transition right now to one nap.  Although to correct the EW (which we used to always have!) we had to push his bedtime up for a few days.  It sounds like she's OT right now.  Maybe try a 6:30 bt for a few days and see how she does with sleeping.  Get a good routine down with that and then slowly extend out her A time from there to get back to a later bedtime. 

I also have a post (Sarah/ANYONE Please Help) that you might want to read though.  Michelle has given some great advice to me.  Also it might be good to be flexible with the 2 or 1 nap days, especially with EW's!

[mari]

I think that pp is right to suggest an earlier bedtime.  The pm nap isn't long enough so she is tired by bedtime and I think 7.30pm is too late.  Whatever time she wakes in the morning try a short nap (45mins)around 10ish and then try a longer nap around 1.30-2pm. 

EWakings are difficult but I found that my DD's were (and still are) down to being overtired when she goes to bed.

[jcsmom]

I may not be the best person to give advice as we have the same problem but I second a super early bedtime when naps are short. Go as early as 6:00/15. I was soooo afraid of the 5:15 waking but alas, he usually does his 12 hours to make up for lost sleep. If not I know he is really OT, IYKWIM?

What seems to work for us on EW days is a 20 min nap around 4 hours post wake and then a nice long nap no later than 2 hours later. This seems to help combat OT and also helps to get a long nap and a bit later bedtime. Eg. 5:45 wake 9:45-10:05 nap #1 12-2 nap #2 7pm bedtime and hopefully a later waking the next day. Anything longer than 20 mins means no second nap  and it also means driving for ages just to get it but does the trick for a day or 2 to get back on track. HTH!

[newmama12]

Jcsmom, what you suggested is what I'm going to try tomorrow if dd has an ew again. She got to bed an hour later than she was suppose to tonight. We were having dinner with my MIL and it went a bit longer than planned.
If she's up at 6 am tomorrow, I will put her down a little before 10am, in hopes that she's asleep at 10. Then only let her go 30 minutes. Then I will try again for a 2nd longer nap 2-3 hours later. I'm hoping this will help straighten things out and once we're doing well again I can start bumping back the am nap and moving towards 1 again.

[mari]

It might not straigten things out immediately but try it for a couple of days and hopefully she will get into the groove.

[jcsmom]

Sounds like a plan. I think the idea is 20 minute nap then a longer nap 2 hours later. 30 minute nap, try for 3 hours later. Sometimes the 30 minute nap can backfire as it's just enough for them to feel rested enough not to take a second nap. I find the 20 minute nap takes the edge off the OT then a nice long nap follows. GL!