I'm back with an OT kiddo!

[coopers_mommy]

A few months ago, DH and I decided to implement set nap/bedtimes.  It was working great right after DS got in 3 of his molars.  I was so excited. 

His schedule was this....
wake - 7ish
nap -1
wake - 3
bedtime - 7:30

I had figured since things were going so smoothly that this is what he needed.  Well, within the last 3 weeks that final molar has started moving up.  Every week I keep thinking "maybe this week it will come thru.....but it doesn't. 

DS went through SA right after the holiday (2 weeks ago) and was having trouble going to sleep on his own.  After about 2 days of helping him to sleep, that went away.  Now he goes down easily, but then around 5am (every morning for the last 10 days) has been waking up.  Some mornings he goes back to sleep, some mornings he goes in and out of sleep for the next 2 hours (every 10 minutes making noise), and some mornings he doesn't go back to sleep at all!  I was trying to still stick to my set times and see if he could just readjust, but I'm now getting the feeling that he's OT and that tooth is not helping any at all. 

We aren't getting any NW's really and up until yesterday were still getting 2 hour naps (yesterday's was an hour!). 

My questions are....

Should I stick with my set times or adjust to his A times which I know work?
Should I really be trying a 7 oclock bedtime instead of 7:30 regularly to hope for a 12 hr night?  I'm curious if the 11.5hrs a night wasn't enough and finally caught up to him. 
Should I do a super early bedtime tonight (6:30?)....it's been a while since I've done early bedtimes to overcome OT...I'm afrraid it will backfire on me now!

[M and N's Mom]

I'd try the early bedtime as a 1h nap and ew are bound to have caught up with him.  Maybe go back to the A times you know worked and then gradually work back to the clock times once the OT is gone.  Some kids seem to work with clock times and some with A times.  My DD was clock times, but with DS I still have to do A times, and throw in the occasional early bedtime for him when necessary.

[coopers_mommy]

We went by A times yesterday afternoon.  His nap was again only 1.5 hrs.  UGH!  So, with 4.5 A time, that was working for a while, he went down at 7.  Cried for a minute but then was out.  He had one NW, but went back to sleep on his own.  5:20 came around though and sure enough he was up!  He did got back to sleep, but Id on't get why he keeps waking up at that time every morning. 

He ended up sleeping till about 6:20....still too early in my book.  Now that I know he can sleep till 7 or 7:30, anything before 7 is just too early for our day. 

Today is going to be thrown out the window as we're taking a day trip....who knows maybe it's what we need to get him back on track!

Any sugestions?

[M and N's Mom]

My guess is that you need to stick with A times for a week or so and see if that helps.  If he really is OT than one night won't fix it.

Enjoy your day trip today.

[abaker89]

Just wondering if maybe he is getting too much sleep??  I may be way off here but we have noticed at 19 mths that less sleep is needed.  We had been getting 12.5-13 hr nights with 1.25 naps and now it is less.  You were getting 13.5 total with 11.5 hr night and 2 hr nap.  Is it possible he is just ready for less?  Most of the kids in our playgroup who nap 2 hrs, do not sleep more than 11 at night and usually 10-10.5.  Ignore me if this doesn't seem right.  I'm not sure what is typical total at this age.

Aileen

[coopers_mommy]

That would make me sad if his sleep is decreasing!  I guess the one thing that shows me that he is tired at 5am when he wakes is that he is crying.  It's normally not a happy wake up.  Yesterday wasn't awful, but the nap was in the truck, so it wasnt' the best!  He did sleep on the way home, fell asleep at 7:30 and slept all the way thru till this morning at 5:00!  Ugh!  We left him for a while, it was a restless sleep.  He would wake up crying a little  and then go back down.  We finally went in to change his diaper and give him some milk.  He did cry for a minute when we put him back down, but then slept till 6:45.  He is OT today from the busy day yesterday.  Hopefully he'll get a great nap in and then be on a good track for tonight.