Need some help to get out of this rut

[confusedmummy]

Hi there, DD is almost 17months and for the last few weeks she has gotten into an EW EBT spiral. She now wakes before 6 usually 5.30 but has been 4.30 which makes her nap early usually about 10.30 even 11 but her naps have got shorter usually at most 1h20. This then means BT needs to be earlier but probably not early enough, usually about 6. I don't like to do too early as she doesn't tack very well.

I'm not sure if this is the 18mnth SR or just through OT. I just don't know how to get out if loop. I was thinking of set naps as from this week she will be doing some full days at the Childminder so her nap could be later. Ideally I would like a nap of 12/12.30 so she can have lunch first (cm always put her down without lunch as she won't do an early lunch for just or child) an I think that is partly why she short naps. Do you think with a WU of 5.30 this will just be too much? What time would be a good BT? How long before I could tell if it's working or just making things worse?

Hope someone can help. TIA xx

[Buttonbobs]

With my DD we've always been able to get out of EWs by making the morning longer. My suggestion for dealing with the 18 month SR would be to hold tight on your old routine and ride it out, and if anything were to change it would be a possibly slightly later nap rather than earlier.

I think once my DD got to this age she'd not wake too early from a nap for hunger, but even so nap without lunch is not ideal.

Perhaps a set nap and BT would work for a while. What times were nap and BT before this period of EWs? Any chance of teething  at all?

[confusedmummy]

Thanks Naomi. I don't think she's teething as she (touch lots of wood) sleeps ok once asleep she usually has several long NW's when teething. It's just short nights and EW's now. Her routine before was kind of all over the place as WU's would vary, but were always after 6am. She would do 5hrs A time in am then 1.5/2hr nap then 5hrs A time. This seemed to work but them when WU's go earlier BT got earlier then naps got shorter and So not to have a SEBT A times in PM stayed the same so I think she got OT.

Yesterday she pulled a 2.5hr nap but only a 10h20m night so still a 5am WU 😞. I just can't seem to break this cycle. If I stretch the nap to 12 then it would mean a first A of 8hrs (although I did leave it till 6am to get her up) which she has done before and has been ok on it, but just think if she doesn't start sleeping longer or waking later the long A's will get to her. I think I need a degree in baby/toddler sleep 😁x

[pinkladyangel]

With my DD we've always been able to get out of EWs by making the morning longer.

I agree. We went through similar about 3 mnths ago. We kept same routine whatever early time he woke and things sorted themselves out.

[Buttonbobs]

We kept same routine whatever early time he woke and things sorted themselves out.

I would say that we do exactly the same as this. When DD was younger we pushed and pulled things about quite a lot. But once she was on one nap we just kept things much the same until she got much nearer to two years. We also had quite a disrupted sleep period around 17/18 months with the regression. I'm sorry to say it was pretty horrid but it did pass. Hugs xx