NW that last a few hours - HELP, I'M EXHAUSTED

[jessmum46]

With a 4.30am start no he won't make it on one nap, but allowing him two naps to catch up is probably fuelling the early starts.  Some LOs do keep 2 naps until 18 months but they are generally very high sleep needs and/or having short nights.  12 months I would say is fairly common, I read somewhere 15 months was average.

My suggestion would be to push out and cap the morning nap shorter - so 9.40/45-10 - for a few days and then if you get a better WU one day (post 6am say) then push him through to one nap at 11.30am or as close as you can get to it and allow to sleep up to 3h, bedtime as early as necessary.  If it's a total mess of a nap then try to get a late afternoon catnap, failing that super early BT.  What do you think?

It doesn't have to be one nap every day, but some one nap days may make him tired enough to sleep in

[jnduff]

That sounds like it could help.  I think he is a lower sleep needs baby.  And I have noticed that daytime sleep can greatly affect his night time sleep in a negative way.

Yesterday and today I was able to get him back to sleep and then woke him up at 6:45 to get ready for daycare.  So he is clearly still a bit sleepy and not staying awake the entire morning from 4:15 on through.

I may start changing the morning nap and cutting that shorter to help and then it is moving that afternoon nap to be where it needs to be.  It is difficult since I deal with daycare but hopefully she will agree to be on the same page.

[jessmum46]

Good luck and do keep us posted.  You could (if you get him back to sleep and don't wake him) just try jumping into one nap, perhaps at the weekend?