Stuck in an OT hole with 26 month old

[jcsmom]

Hi everyone,
C is now 26 months. Sleep was going pretty good for a while (at last!) and we were getting nice long nights and naps and she was sleeping better and more than ever. Then the time change happened (for us November 6th) and pretty much since then we have been stuck in an OT rut that I cannot dig her out of. She had a few short nap days coupled with long OT NWs and now we are spiraling downward.

Our routine was:
wu 6:15/45 usually closer to 6:30
nap 12:30/1-2:30/3 usually 2 hours sometimes 1.5-1.75
bed 6:30 asleep by 7 at latest.

A 12 hour day on a 1.5-2 hour nap worked really, really well for her. Since DST we are getting wakings in the 5's where she won't resettle, short naps and major bedtime battles of the OT second wind nature. She's screaming and crying a lot through the day with crazy OT tantrums. I've been trying to stick to routine as closely as possible as usually she rights herself after a really good nap or night for a few days. But nothing is working to get out of this.

Today she woke at 5:40 (10.5 hour night which is always OT for her)
nap 12:30-1:50 (80 minutes is always OT for her)
am thinking a one off 5:30 bedtime and pray she pulls an epic night?

so by bed no matter what I do she will be OT. Ideas? Suggestions?

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Hun,

I wonder if the clocks changing was just co-incidence and maybe you're looking at UT turning into OT, often the way.

Is she low/average or high sleep needs 

Is there anything development going on right now which could be in the mix 

Any disruption in the family/home life situation 

At this age DS was on a 1.5 average nap with a 13 hour day.

In the first instance I agree that maybe early bed time or super early bed time could be the way to go in order to get a spring board for catching up, this was our saviour at that age. Does she tend to tack sleep on 

Once caught up, as a first port of call I would try for a 13 hour day and leave the nap length and time alone.

(HUGS) Sweetie.

Let me know your thoughts.x.

[Eva's Mummy]

Can I just add my DD was a great sleeper our day was:

WU 6:30 / 7
Nap 12:30 - 14:30
BT 7

After the clock change WU moved to 5:30 naps shortened it was just like you. I did EBT, longer naps (if she would do it to try to catch up)but nothing seemed to work. Then creations told me what she does at the clock change and that is to keep her DS up really late like a 8:30pm BT. To try to make them so OT that they just crash and have a later WU and that resets their body clock. I was really sceptical as DD1 was always so susceptible to OT and that always caused us EW but I thought It cant be much worse. So I did it, I think we only made 8:15pm but the next morning she woke at 7am and everything has been back to normal ever since. Back to 2hrs naps (sometimes 2.5hrs) and a 11.5 / 12he night.

I would say it is worth a try before changing routines