HELP! 16mo started to cry before naps/bed!!!

[Shellha]

And here I was thinking I was 'done' with sleep issues! As they say, just when you think you've got it all sorted out .....

My DS is just 16mo and since about 10mo has been sleeping BEAUTIFULLY! A cuddle at bedtime, then lay him in his cot in a darkened room and he would reach for a dummy (he has one in his mouth but has one in his hand for 'comfort') and away he would go immediately.

For the last 3 days we have had crying at naps/bedtime. It is instantly alleviated as soon as I go in to his room - he seems to want a cuddle and not to be left. Last night and at nap time today I had to cuddle/rock him to sleep, but just now (after 1 hr of it) I got him to sleep by just telling him it was sleepytime and giving him a rub on the back and walking out (over and over).

There don't seem to be any changes to his environment (I am 7 weeks PG but I doubt he can pick up on that), although my ILs started sitting him for 1 day/week. I don;t think this is an issue as it has been going on for a month now and he adores them, although my MIL does like to cuddle him for longer than I would like before bed!!!

Is this something we are going to have to live with, what strategy would you suggest I use to get him out of this and back to the lovely sleeper I had???

Our routine is:
wake 8.30ish
9am Breakfast
10.30 small snack (grapes etc)
12 dinner
12.30-3 nap (he has no more than 2.5 hrs from which I usually have to wake him - although not as much lately!)
3.30 snack
graze throughout the afternoon
7 dinner
7.30 bath
8 bed

We don't have any bottles, we have a dummy but he has loads in his cot that he can put in when and if he wants.

I know for his age this is alot of sleep over a 24 hr period and I am wondering if maybe this 'behaviour' before bedtime/naps is due to too much sleep. It has been working beautifully for so long, but now its not so something has to change!!!

If anyone has any ideas I would be forever grateful. MS and a crying toddler do not mix :-)

M xxxx

[momofclaire]

Hi,
How long has he been on one nap?
I know you said that the nap is getting shorter in length, what time is he generally awake from that nap?  Do you think he might be able to handle a little more A time in the morning so that his A time before bed isn't too long?
Often times toddlers tend to go through a big of separation anxiety.  I would try gradual withdraw over the next week or so and see if that helps.  Are you familiar with that?

[Shellha]

Hi there

He has been on 1 nap for about 3 months, the transition (actually we just went from 2 naps to 1 nap it worked) was easy and this nap is fine. When I mentioned that it was getting shorter, I just meant that I no longer seem to need to wake him from it at 2.5 hrs, he is waking himself around that time.

He is generally awake from his nap at around 3, and is up till 8. He has 4 hrs A time in the am and 5hrs in the pm.

The GW method is what I was doing last night (I think!!) - letting him know I am there, but removing myself slowly so that he gets used to going back to sleep again by himself?? Really need to get my Toddler book back from a friend.

If there is a description of the GW method online and you can point me to where I can find it, that would be wonderful

Thanks for your help

Shell

[blue2006]

(((Shell))) hang in there he'll get back to beautiful sleep again soon!  The GW sounds like it'll work. I'd like to see any info on it too.

Tx

[blue2006]

Did yo see this thread.  Support for mum's of lo's 16-19 months with sleep issues. https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=81790.0

[Layla]

Shell - here's a link to the sleep training methods for toddlers (GW is there) https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63896.0

With the nap - I actually think its ok that he is waking himself up at 2.5hrs. The av is only about 1.5-2hrs & if you have been waking him up constantly from a 2.5hr nap then I would say his body is "used" to that amount & the rest has added onto night sleep.

Let me know if you have any q's about the GW method

Layla