playing in the middle of the night!

[debo620]

the last two nights in a row, we have had 1hr play sessions in the middle of the night. he doesn't cry, just talks and talks and talks....and then finally quiet and asleep 1hr later!
he has then been sleeping past his normal wake-up time.
I'm just wondering how I should adjust his routine to stop these play sessions. Does he need an earlier or later bedtime?

Sun night played from 3-4am,
woke at 7 (instaed of 6:30am)
I tried to stick with normal times for nap and bedtime
nap normal time 12:10-2:25
bed at 7:15,
fell asleep at 7:45
I thought this was ok, as he had sort of average amnts of nap time and wake time but then,
woke talking at 2:30-3:30am

woke today at 7:15
layed him down for nap 12:10 but he only fell asleep at 12:25
assuming he sleeps til 2:30 or so
should bedtime be 7:15 again? or earlier or later?

TIA

[mari]

Hello Deborah.

Nightwakings tell me that it is down to overtiredness.  When did he switch to one nap?  Perhaps he's having trouble adjusting so try him in bed a little earlier, 6.30-7pm.  Other than that I'm not sure, although if he isn't crying, then don't go in to him, let him fall back to sleep himself.

[debo620]

Thanks Mari,
I have been wondering about OT, we have been on one nap for about 6weeks, although there have been days where he has woken early and taken a very short (10min am nap)

todays nap was only 12:25-2:15, so I told Dh to try him at 7:00pm, I guess we will see what happens. he may just need an earlier bedtime EVERYDAY, like 7pm instead of 7:15pm.

Usually when we have OT night wakings they are earlier and they involve some crying and need for resettling, so this is new...

[mari]

How are things going Deb?

[debo620]

oh well, every day seems different.

No more play sessions,
the day I last posted---he wasn't asleep until 7:45(my DH put him down at 7, thought he was alseep and went outside and then came back to him crying and he then took awhile to settle) sounds like OT but maybe something was just bugging him and then he was madd when no body heard him, then he slept til 6:15.

WED
woke at 6:15
nap was 12:05-1:50, 
bed 6:50 and alseep by 7

THUR
slept til 6:20
nap was 12:05-1:45, but he woke happy and rested and talked to himself in his crib til 2:30
he honestly didn't seem that tired for his nap today, was really well rested all morning.
seems happy this afternoon and I've tried to keep him rested and bed will be no later then 7.

we were getting 2+ hour naps but night have always been less then 11hrs, seems the last couple days-the nap have been <2hrs , this worries me a bit,

anyay, he won't sleep in the morning anymore, so not sure what I can do about it.

[debo620]

Hi Mari, any tips?

I am convinced he is OT
last night slept 7pm-6:30 this morning
but I heard him stir and fuss a bit at 7:40, 9pm and 10:15---so like every sleep cycle or two.

my dh tried nap at 10 and he refused
nap was at 11:50--he played for 10min and then slept 12-1:15 
bed was 6:30pm, but probably could of and should of been earlier.

how do I correct this OT?
I am thinking I will have to force a monring nap at 10:45 and cut it to 10min, so that he will still sleep in the afternoon, maybe by 12:30/1.
ssems like 2 nap is the only way I can do it, and he is 16.5months---so what go back to 2 nap for a few weeks? even if the am is only 10min? a 15min am nap keeps him going 3hrs!

[mari]

Could you try to bring the nap earlier if he wont do a tiny morning nap?  It might stretch it a little. Perhaps 11 or 11.30am instead of 12.

[debo620]

yes, just worried that it will still only be 1.5hrs long and I won't be able to get another.
I think I'll try 10min am nap at 10:45 or so
after a 1hr NW last night, he slept til 7:15
tried a nap after some yawning etc. at 10:15---but he was still not asleep by 10:45, I should of just left him in there, because he was rubbing eyes during lunch at 11:15, was in crib for 11:40---fell asleep at 12 and woke at 1:30
so another 6:30pm bedtime.

I'll see what time he wakes in the morning and maybe I'll get a short am nap.

Thanks

[mari]

If I were you I woould keep trying for that little am nap and if he doesn't take it then go for an early nap.  In my experience of naps (but I do realise that they are all different) the earlier that I can get them to nap, the longer they seem to go for. 

[debo620]

Thanks Mari,
he slept last night 7pm-6:30
I did a 10min am nap 10:45-10:55,
put him in the crib for 12:30, but he played until 1:20 and I woke him at 2:45 to preserve 7pm bedtime.

so really that didn't work either to get him a good 2hr nap.
so I'm back to one nap tommorow (I think)...