Over an hour to fall asleep - OT or UT?

[clazzat]

Arrgggh!  She's still taking over an hour to go to sleep and it's driving me nuts!  We've tried a shorter nap, later bedtime, shorter nap AND later bedtime and nothing seems to make a difference - she won't fall asleep before 8pm and she is awake before 6.30pm (not sure exactly when as she is quiet until her light comes on).

I would really appreciate it if anyone could come up with any ideas as to what might be going on.  I have thought of teeth, but giving her meds hasn't made any difference to how long it has taken to go to sleep.

[scucci1979]

I don't have advice but I can offer hugs!
Could it just be developmental? Even with the meds, I still wonder if her teeth are playing a role?

[LucySol]

oh clare im sorry E is still taking so long!

D seems to have stopped for now and we have done 2 things.i turned off her nightlight...it was only a tiny monitor light but still lit her room up a bit and also i knocked 15 mins off her nap and woke her by 2pm.i know you say you have tried the shorter nap but could you wake her a bit earlier?even if it means she has to nap a bit earlier to get the same length.you wake her by 2.30 dont you? maybe if you woke her by 2.15 or even 2pm?

[clazzat]

I might have to try that, Lucy.  The main problem is that we are always out in the morning (particularly now that it is the holidays) and getting her down early enough to get a long enough nap is really difficult if I'm going to wake her by 2.  I have tried waking her at 2.15 for a few days but that didn't make any difference either!

I'm trying so hard just to let it go as she is sleeping through once she goes to sleep, but it's just so frustrating!

[munzle]

Might not be UT or OT - we went through this at the same age with dd and I really think it was developmental. She was learning to string more and more words together so would lie in bed just talking to herself. I tried tweaking her routine all over the place and was pulling my hair out, but nothing that I did worked, and in the end, she just grew out of it. Something similar happened more recently at 28 months but we seem to be coming out the other side again. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, there's not that much we can do!

[*Becky*]

yes i agree with this completely!

[clazzat]

Thanks - I've kind of come to that conclusion, but it's still frustrating!  Will try and ride it out in patience.