What is happening to my 2yo???

[mama_tutu]

My DD is 2yrs 4mos old, and except for the normal regressions has always been a great sleeper. Textbook/angel baby for sure. Earlier this month, we moved her into a toddler bed. At first, she did fantastic. But then she started taking longer and longer to fall asleep, and then she started getting out of bed multiple times before finally falling asleep, and now we have devolved into her waking multiple times in the middle of the night, getting out of bed and trying to wander the house. We can't get her to go back to sleep or stay in bed.

Her day used to look like this - 8:00 am WU, 1:00-3:30 nap, 8:30 BT. (All give or take a half hour of course, bc nobody's perfect.)

We are totally lost as to what to do. I'm exhausted.... I FINALLY got my 5 month old's sleep sorted out, like this week, and now her big sister is keeping me up all hours. Is this a discipline issue? Or a routine adjustment issue? Please help! This board has gotten me through so many transitions with my girls. That's why I keep coming back!!

[ZacsMumme]

Honestly, I think the nap is causing most your problems. That's a really long nap plus 11 hr night for a toddler over 2. you may find she wasn't sleeping the 2.5 hrs in the cot but now she can get out she is doing so as she isn't tired.

So what is EAS looking like ATM? - is she taking the nap at all? What time is she going to bed and actually sleeping etc

[mama_tutu]

I was afraid you would say that! I love nap time!! But I'll trade the bedtime/night time crazies for a shorter nap. I should add that I put her BT as 8:30, but for at least a month she has taken well over an hour to fall asleep, so it's not a consistent 11 hour night. So then she makes up for it at naptime by sleeping forever. Lately, her EAS is like this:
7:00ish - finally get up and get breakfast (who knows how long we have actually all been awake after being up and down and dosing all night)
11:00 - lunch
12:00 - 3:00 nap (down early because she's a complete zombie mess by this point)
8:00 - in bed
9:30 - finally asleep

The past three nights she has been waking multiple times between 1-4 am crying for us an getting out f bed which is so unusual. She has been an awesome self soother (she has monkey lovey that is magic). We have been taking turns laying/dosing on the floor soothing her and keeping her in bed. DH left her room the last time at 4:00, and she slept on until 8:30.

So what's a more reasonable nap length? We've been dealing with a lot of OT hyperactivity, so I don't want to make that worse, but I think her night sleep is more important and will better remedy that, right?

THANK YOU!!!

[mama_tutu]

I realize I also left out her afternoon E's... She gets a snack when she wakes up from her nap, then dinner at 6:00ish, which is shortly followed by bath and BT routine.

[ZacsMumme]

I know Hun, I LOVE the nap too, but I prefer my evenings if I have to choose one

Given she's so sleepy come 12 from the short nights lets not push that nap later but cap it at 2 hrs to start with. 2hrs is considered a solid nap from 12 mths plus really (though lots of LOs will do longer at this age) She will take a few days to adjust but I think she will be ok

So...something like this
WU 7 - get her up at this time no later. (Just for now to reset her body clock)
A 5 - breakfast and early lunch (or late filling healthy snack)
Nap 12-2 no later.
A 5.5-6 I think you may need to see how she goes to work out the right A. She may need the full 6 but the shorter nap on the first few days may mean you need the shorter A to start with. Snack after nap and dinner. BT routine and in bed by
BT 8

Also, get her out and about. Ware her out at the park, the beach, gardening, sandpit, running around or soft play etc.

What do you think?

[mama_tutu]

Love it! This looks great... I do need to be getting her out more (farther than just our back yard). Between her sister's 3 naps and the fact that we're in the middle of selling our house and preparing to move, we've been homebodies. I'll make more effort there!

Thanks again!! You are such a blessing. I feel so much better just having a plan!! I'll try it out for a few days and let you know how it's working out.

[ZacsMumme]

Hope things settle, let me know how you get on.
I know it's hard with babys naps. Will your baby nap in a wrap or buggy for one of her naps?

[mama_tutu]

Unfortunately, both of my girls need dark and quiet in order to sleep... DD2 will take little catnaps on long car rides, but hasn't slept in a wrap since about 8 weeks.     Although, since her evening nap is short anyway, we're going to try her in a stroller one evening later this week when we take a trip to the zoo. It would be so nice if we could make that work!!

Last night was AWESOME. Followed the EAS exactly... up from nap at 2:00, then in bed at 8:00. She didn't get out of bed once and slept through until 6:00a.  Which leads me to my next question.... is 10 hours adequate sleep for this age? 6:00a isn't necessarily too early for me, it will just bring her nap up to noon on a regular basis which will take some getting used to. (Today, for example, we have a playdate from 10-12.) If I had complete control of the universe, she would sleep until 7:00, but alas, I do not. 

[ZacsMumme]

I think though 10 hrs is a short night if she is happy and rested with a good nap the. It may be what she needs ATM YK? Both my boys total sleep needs seem to drop when they are in developmental periods. Coming up to 2.5 is a known disequalibriam (sp?) period developmentally too. Maybe see how she goes, you may find things settle and you can push the nap back to touch, and the nights extend again as time goes on

[mama_tutu]

Good to know!! Yesterday looked like this...
6 wake, hubs tried to keep her in bed until 7
7  breakfast
10-12 play date at trampoline park... Wore her OUT.
12:30-2:30 nap
Snack... Play...dinner...bath and routine
8:00 BT

Again, she didn't get up once and slept until 7:45 (and so did her sister! I broke the up at 7 rule, but you have no idea how much I needed that little extra rest. Lol!) I did put a blanket over he window... We used to do that all the time, but between trying to sell the house and the fact that it didn't seem to bother her anymore, we stopped. Hubs wanted to see if it would make a difference and I'd say it does! Like I said.... My girls need dark and quiet. I'm going to try the 12:30-2 nap again today and see how this longer night changes things. Thanks for hanging with me! I just love reporting SUCCESS!!

[ZacsMumme]

My boys like it dark too and have white noise so whatever works right! (Particularly if it means everyone STTN)

You may find with the sleep in she isn't tired enough so you could cap the nap at 1-1.5 hrs to keep BT the same but definitely ware her out it's key with my boys they need to burn that energy and some kids need their bodies to be physically tired to sleep soundly YK? (Particularly between 2-5 I think)

Happy you got a fantastic night and sleep in well done