1 yr old early waking and short naps, what changed?

[sophiems]

Ok, since this is a early waking and nap issue I just decided to post here instead of picking one! 

Luke just turned 1 and as rather suddenly been having a hard time napping and is also now waking earlier in the a.m.   It first started about 1.5 weeks ago with naps...crying for 10-20 minutes and me or DH doing pd with him.   Then he started only sleeping 25-45 min for his naps instead of the usual 1- 1.25 hr naps he had previously done.  The nap thing has improved somewhat overall but occaisionally he'll have a nap where he just looses it even before we're done the story and cuddle!      Ok, then last week he had one day where he woke up at 5:30, instead of his usual 6:30 or 6:45am.  I thought it was just due to a cold.  A couple fine mornings but then 2 days in a row of 5:30 and now this morning it was 4:30!  It seems he only shifts in hours.   

So this morning we just went in and did pd with him until he was just in a screaming fit.  Then my DH just rubbed his back for a while until it seemed he was asleep.  By the time DH got back to bed Luke was screaming again.  I went in with him and just layed him down and stayed in the room with him. He would keep crying out about every 3 min or so (he couldn't tell I was still in the room).  I'm not sure if he was "asleep" between those times or if he was just laying there awake.  This went on until about 5:45 am when he finally stayed asleep and then worke up at 6:45am, his usual time. 

I can't tell that there's any externals going on, no different noises, light, etc.  I was thinking that maybe the early wakings were because of short naps, but that has never affected him before, even days when his routine gets upset and he's only had a very short nap in the car, he still sleeps fine at night.  And also, yesterday, his naps were fine. 

So any ideas what is going on?  I can't imagine that he's ready for 1 nap yet, but could it be?   
Or could this be a milk issue?  He started on whole milk about 4 days after I noticed his naps were getting difficult. 

Ok, so here's his normal routine: 

6:30 wake and breastfeed
7:30 breakfast
9:15-10:15 nap (I limit this to 1 hour)
10:30 snack
12:30 lunch
2:00 nap
3:30 snack
5:30 dinner
6:30 bath, breastfeed
7:00 in bed

[andibig]

lukes routine is the same as Sashas -although shes shortening the length of her am nap and it starts at 9.30
this could be a sign of transitionong to one nap as hes fighting them
or could he be teething?

[TDR'smom]

My ds began transitioning to 1 nap THE DAY he turned 14 months.  So it is quite possible he is transitioning..

Or..as Sashas mummy said...teething.

Regarding the milk....why don't you take him off it for a while to see if it is making his tummy hurt???

Hi Sasha mummy....haven't seen you in a little while...we are probably on different posts???
I like your new picture of DH and Sasha! 

[andibig]

TDR's mom
Haven't been on recently as started back at work and working shifts. so i get on BW site at werid times LOL.

[*Natasha*]

I think he probably isn't tired enough to go down for his nap yet and that is why he is crying. Could you try and push it out a little later? Is he fighting both naps? Also early/night waking can often be caused by being over tired due to crappy naps. I find that Catherine sleeps in later in the morning when she has had a good nap the day before. HTH 

[Kimberly®]

I would say its time to move to one nap. My DD was doing the same untill we settled onto one nap. Push the first nap later untill it reaches mid day, then do lunch earlier so that your LO isn't hungry and make sure bedtime is early enough (7-7:30pm) this should help.

[Mydreamcametrue]

Hello:

Uh, don't you  hate it.  Once you think you have a routine figured out something always changes.

Here is what I think:

1.) It could be that he is trying to go to one nap

2.) Could be teething

or

3.) the comment that you made (He would keep crying out about every 3 min or so (he couldn't tell I was still in the room). 
* This makes me believe that it could be the milk.  Zach would do that.  He would be fine and then all of a sudden start crying and screaming (gas pains).  He is on Lactaid (it is lactose free whole milk).  He WILL NOT drink regular whole milk.  I have tried several times.  He gets really bad gas and I guess he hates it because he want drink it.

Good Luck and keep us posted!  I think Zach is changing to one nap also

KARITA:  What is your routine with your lo now since she is on one nap.  I am trying to get Zach to take just one long afternoon nap because we have started a morning work out group together and that is from 9:00-10:00, when he would normally nap.

[lucmom]

Hi sophiems,
It sounds like transition to one nap, plus a little of all the new developmental things thrown in.  Before you try the nap transition, you might try to eliminate the other possiblities (give some pain med for teething and/or try a different type of milk or cut back for a couple days).  That way you can be sure it's not those things before you try transitioning -- it takes a while for a lot of LOs -- we've been struggling with it off and on for 2-3 months with mine, who always was a good sleeper before this.  There are a lot of threads on the topic in the sleeping for toddlers section of this site, and people have gone about it in different ways (some pushing back slowly, some jumping in, some alternating 2 and 1 nap days) based on whatever seems to work for their LOs.  You'll find lots of support and ideas there -- good luck!

[crazycanuck]

so your dilemma sounds very identical to Logans right now - the pattern the time he is waking and his behaviours when he does wake - Logan is teething major right now!!! His eye teeth are coming in and he is really struggling with it.... Logan has a very distinct cry when he is in pain - more of a scream - if your lo is doing this it would be a red flag for teething and or gas pain to me..... as you know frm our birth club thread I struggle off and on with Logans sleeping and the time he arises in the am - we have tried everything with him and at this point we are settling (esp since he is teething) for if its one nap great and if its two naps great.....he is sleeping through the night again now that i am home and his routine is more constant....he tends to sleep the same at night whether he has great naps in the day or just one in the am - why don;t you rid the milk for a few days and see then eliminate something else to see exactly what it is.....I hope tings work out for you - I am hoping things for us will get better soon too and a little more predictable!!!


sarah

[KellyC]

Hi Sophiems

It seems like this is a bit of a difficult age for our LOs.  They have all those nasty teeth coming through and are learning all sorts of new things like walking and talking which must both turn their world upside down and then there are all the nap issues just to make us mummies really confused 

Zander has been showing signs of wanting to drop to one nap but he just can't make it happy until after his lunch so I'm going to try letting him sleep as long as he likes at around 11am (which is when he gets tired).  If he sleeps a couple of hours and makes it to bedtime happily then I'll stick with this routine on the days he's not at nursery and gradually move the nap out until after lunch (I'm going to split it in the meantime so he's not too hungry to sleep for a long time).  I have no idea what he'll do at nursery on the other days, just go with the flow until he settles into a pattern there I think.

I agree that 9.15 might be too early for the first nap and Zander reacts in exactly the same way if I try to put him down too early.  I'd try moving this nap later and possibly making it a bit shorter to see if that helps.

Kelly x

[sophiems]

Ok, so yesterday went better.  His morning nap was still just about 30 min, but his afternoon nap was regular although he took a lot longer to go down (but thankfully not screaming, just in his crib awake for a while).  Also, he went to bed fine and slept until 6:36am!  Yay!  So I think what we will do for now is to move back both of his naps about 45 min and see if there's any changes.  I'd rather do that for a while and see if that solves it before switching to the 1 nap.  Then I'll be visiting the 2-1 nap board for specifics.  I'm quite sure it's not teeth pain or milk thing.  His cry is just the "oh poor me, i'm grumpy because I'm tired and I just don't know what to do with myself" cry.  I know at some point he was grumpy because he was congested, but that hasn't been for about 5 days now.  Thanks everyone for your input.