Problems with sleeping 18month old....HELP!

[J & J's Mum]

Hi,

Our DD is 18 months old and all of a sudden I'm having problems with her going down or her night time sleep.  She used to go down easily before!!!

This is kind of like her day:

6.30-7.00 wake
12.00 nap for 2 hours
7.30 bed. 

At the moment, she's not settling until 8.30, sometimes 8.45, which is way too late for her (and us!!!)

Last night it was 8.30.  I left her crying and she eventually went to sleep.  I had been trying to put her down since 7.30, but she was beside herself crying and screaming and to be honest, she didn't look tired at all!  So she was asleep by 8.40 and she slept til 7.30am this morning.

Do you think I need to reduce her afternoon nap?  I really don't know what to do!

Help please!!

Thanks
Rachel x

[Mashi]

Hi Rachel!

There is a drop in sleep needs at about 18ish months, and there are a few threads ongoing with a whole lot of us in the same boat!

I am finding here the same thing, it's just reverse to yours. DS will still go down to bed, he'll just wake early.  The past week or so I've had to limit to a 1.5 hour nap -- we do wake at 700, nap 12-130, bed 730.    A few times this week I've let him sleep a bit longer for his nap, and although he'll still go down at 730ish, he wakes that much earlier in the morning.

It might be worth cutting her nap down by 15 minutes first, and see where that gets you, and then another 15 minutes if you have to. Rather than cutting it 30 minutes all at once, kwim?

[J & J's Mum]

Hiya Mashi!!!!!!!

How you doing??

Yep, I'm going to try to reduce her nap. 

Thanks 
x