BTs are ridiculous...

[cuckoochick]

Ok well I've been going around in circles with this one for ages, months in fact.

BTs are ridiculous here...with any length of nap really. 1.5hrs/1hrs/45mins and we still get settling at BT of taking between 45mins to an hour and the other night she ended up OT and it took 1.5hrs until she fell asleep.

I am pretty certain it is not OT. C moved to 1 nap early 10months ish. We cut her nap back to 1.5hrs a good few months back but BT troubles have been going on for ages.

There have been a few occasions where she has refused to nap in the last month or so and a couple of times where we've had a days outing and she hasn't napped. Of course at BT she is out like a light. The last two days she hasn't napped. Yesterday she refused to nap despite a 1hr journey in the car. I would have liked her in bed earlier than she was last night but we were out so she slept a 13.5hr night and I let her sleep in until 8:30am. Today, given that she was up so late, she didn't nap but was in bed asleep for 7pm. Again out like a light.

Seriously cutting the nap to 45mins or 1hr doesn't seem to make a jot of difference but really she CANNOT drop the nap so early. Can she? I need that nap more than her and I know MIL likes a rest in the middle of the day when she's looking after her but BT is ridiculous with her calling us in, asking for more lullabies, screaming/laughing/carrying on. I need her to settle well at BT and earlyish because I have all my school prep to do.

This has been her routine for aaaaages.

Wake up 7:00-7:30ish
Nap 1:30-2:00
BT- Never before 8pm. Usually always nearer to 8:30pm if not later. It has been almost 9pm in the last few weeks.

STTN until the morning when we are pretty much always waking her, probably because she is falling asleep so late.

Any ideas...please?!!!! Thanks

[~Karen~]

Can you bring the nap forward at all or is she not tired enough?  She's unlikely to be ready to drop the nap but be warned, the 1-0 can drag on for a long time!  Lewis naps about 1-230 right now but won't go to sleep till 830 as late as 9 some nights.  I find this better right now though rather than him not napping as we're more likely to get a nw if he hasn't napped.  Tbh he's handling no nap days much better now he's getting older but at first no nap meant OT nw's. 

Maybe try waking up at a certain time no matter what time she went to sleep to see if that helps.  So always wake by 230 and 8 bedtime for example?

[clazzat]

I would suggest putting her down earlier for her nap too - maybe work on bringing it back to 12.30 and waking no later than 2?

[cuckoochick]

Karen- that routine I posted is wrong! Grrr!

Nap is somewhere from 1:00/1:30 until 2:30pm. We never let her nap beyond 2:30pm now although MIL is known to let her nap until 2:45!
I try to get her down as close to 1:00pm as I can but lately she's resisting so often it's nearer to 1:30 when she's asleep.

We don't get OT NWs. She sleeps through without a peep mostly. We're more likely to get NWs when she's UT at BT but usually a quick resettle and that's it.

Thanks hun!

[cuckoochick]

Sorry Clare- posted at same time. There's no way she'd go to sleep earlier than 1pm. We've tried!

[Shiv52]

Was going to ask how she is settling for her nap and is it possible for MIL to run her ragged in the mornings so shes physically tired enough to sleep.

How often have you been letting her lie on?  Maybe making sure you have a set wake up time will stop her catching up at the weekends and fuelling the silly bedtimes.

[Buntybear]

Hi, I am if the opinion that even low sleep need LOs can't go from 1.5 hour naps to dropping the nap overnight! I doubt that she is ready to drop it yet.

I would be trying for a nap every day but capping it to maybe an hour.

We had a similar situation when Olly was a month before turning 2, I thought he was dropping his nap but at 2.5 we have on,y just started having proper no nap days!

[~Karen~]

If she moved to one nap at 10 months then chances are she'll drop the nap quite early as well.  How about cutting back to 45 mins consistently and see how that goes?

[cuckoochick]

Thanks ladies. On weekdays we can't really let her sleep in beyond 7am so her weekday WU is pretty consistent. The later weekend wakeups are more to do with her lazy mummy and daddy!!!!

She has active mornings with MIL (more so than with us actually) as she is at playgroup, the library and MIL takes her out in town on the reins (crazy woman!!! ) so she is ready for her nap. Nap resistance is pretty uncommon- which is why yesterday threw us for a loop when she wouldn't nap at all in the car after a morning running around at the farm. We were just hoping for a 45min nap.

So I know she still needs a nap but it's just the BTs really that are ridiculous and then I get a bit panicky that she is having shorter nights.
So if I cut the nap back to 45mins what time should I PD for the nap?
1:30-2:15?? Then aim for a 8pm BT. She seems to need at least a 6hr A after any length nap.


Thanks so much!

[~Karen~]

That could work but you may need to play around with it a bit.  I'd like to think she'd go down better with a shorter nap. 

[cuckoochick]

I'm going to chat with MIL about it tomorrow and see what she thinks as well. They have such busy mornings I know that getting lunch finished in plenty of time for a 1pm nap is an issue. If we could get a nap 1-2pm that would be better I think.

Thanks ladies. I'm sure I'll be back!!

[cuckoochick]

Just a little update. I know it's early days but this child is perplexing...

So yesterday we made sure to get her up at 7am. She had a nap 1:15-2:15 but still took 45mins to fall asleep at BT finally settling at 8:25pm. STTN and DH woke her this morning at 7am.

Today...she refused to nap again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DH tried for 45mins but no go-er. Absolutely fine all day. Yawned once at around 6pm. Went to bed like a dream and asleep for the night by 6:40pm.

Will continue trying to be consistent for a few more days but any thoughts?!

[shivi]

Can't remember the whole toddler sleep thing so well as its been SOOO long since I've had a napping kid.

Oscar needed the nap for as long as possible due to 11hr or less (usually on the 10-10.5 hr side) nights.

Emma COULD and wanted to do 13.5-14 hr nights at this age so we dropped the nap. Initially by accident at around 21-22 mths. Then for good at 24mths.

We haven't looked back with her. She still does regular 12 hr nights, sometimes 13 if she needs more at 3.5.

I was terrified but somehow knew it was the right thing to do as we had some BTs drag till even close to 10pm.

hugs and totally BTDT - with the planning evening time as well ;-)

[cuckoochick]

Thanks shivi.  I feel selfish for complaining really as I know it could be worse but I really have to be able to get on with my school work at a decent time. I'm working until 11pm most nights and leaving the house at 6:30am. I just cannot keep doing this. That is another post entirely though.

Tonight has been a dream. I've been doing schoolwork for almost 2hrs and have loads done and it's not even 8:30pm. I might get to bed at 10pm tonight!!!!

[shivi]

I'm working until 11pm most nights and leaving the house at 6:30am. I just cannot keep doing this. That is another post entirely though. 

let me know when you start it....will come and hold your hand and yawn along with you!

S x