Frequent Evening Waking

[mrswalsh]

My DS is 15months old and over the last 4-5 weeks has been waking between 8.30pm and 10.pm.  He has always been able to go to sleep by himself and when he does wake and cry and we see if he can soothe himself if not then we do go up and give him a quick cuddle then put him back down to sleep (whilst still awake).  He does have around 4 molars coming through but if it was his teeth, why would they only trouble him between this time and not throughout the rest of the night?

His routine is roughly like this

6.15 wake
7am breakfast
10.30 nap for 30mins
12pm lunch
2.30pm nap for 1.15hrs
5pm tea
7.30 bed

[Layla]

Hi there - at 15 months most are doing 1 nap. Have you tried cutting the morning nap and bringing the afternoon nap closer to 12pm. Sometimes napping at the wrong time can also cause NW. Maybe try to keep hiom awake till 11ish to start with and then bring that nap until its closer to noon and make bedtime around 7pm (also bring it forward)

Is he sleeping through at night?

Let me know what you think
Layla

[mrswalsh]

HI
We have tried, he can make it through to 11ish but then he only sleeps one hour anyway which would mean a very long haul from 12pm - 7.30pm bedtime.  I think he still needs the half hour in the morning as he is asleep within 5mins!  Same with the afternoon nap and going down at bedtime.  He rolls around for about 5mins and then is asleep.  I am gradually trying to push the morning nap out but the only problem is if I push to 11, what time would he then have an afternoon nap?  He really wouldn't be able to make it until bedtime on that alone.  My mother looks after DS for me 3 days a week, on one of the days she tried to stretch it out and he fell asleep in his high chair having lunch.  He is a very energetic child and doesn't sit still for a second so maybe needs this sleep?

He cried out last night at 9.30, i left him for 5 mins and he went straight back to sleep by himself.  Could it just be habitual waking?

I really am grateful for your help.

Kelly

[Layla]

Kelly - you're right. Although alot are on 1 nap, not all are comfortbale staying awake till midday. Mine used to do this during the 2-1 transition so I wouldn't say its habitual waking, she was waking and crying from overtiredness.

At 15 months, Isabella's routine was: 6-6.30 awake; 9am (nap for 30-45mins); 1pm (nap for 1.5hrs); 6.30pm bedtime. She did transition around 15-16months but certainly on the days when she was tired in the morning, I used to give her 2 naps.

Have you tried maybe bringing his bedtime forward, to 7pm??? An earlier beddtime solves nightwakings for us 99% of the time.

If he is finding it hard to stay away then let him have the 2 naps. But if on the days you cannot get a morning nap in and he has a nap say around 11ish , then you should bring the bedtime forward - more like 6-6.30pm. If you keep him awake till his usual bedtime, he is awake for way too long and that leads to overtiredness (& hence restless sleep at night).

Try earlier bedtime & let me know how you go
Layla