Overtired 19month old--what the heck due you do to fix it?

[debo620]

yes, although I decided to buy the childrens 2yrplus advil tablets. they are a bit more IB then the the dose with the pediatirc drops. he is fine by his weight---he is 30lbs, so I am hopeing the more appropriate dose by weight will help. last night was better, he was awake from 4-5:30 but at least not for 3hrs. and then slept til I woke him at 7:30

we are still mega behind on sleep but he seems more pleasant today , and has gone straight to sleep at 12 for his nap.

[nursekat]

Good!  Keeping fingers crossed for you...although I'd still say if he's doing the super-long NWs to try a visit to the doc just to rule out anything else like an ear infection or what have you.  Although I also say listen to your mommy-gut, it's usually right. 

[debo620]

well, I'm just here for some support. I am feeling like the biggest sleep failure in the world! I  just cant catch a break and I really need some sleep vibes for Noah!

Noah is sleeping TERRIBLY and totally OT doesn't matter what I do.
Our routine is out the window, moslty because he is always showing tired signs, so it is very difficult to know when is the proper time for a good nap etc.
 we have had many 1hr 20min naps, and some more often then not, less then 11hr nights due to either EW or NW.
what is really killing me is that our routine was already earlier then I wanted it to be.

Sat night,
crib for 6:30
715 asleep
woke briefly at 3:30 probably for 30min
woke at 7am
tried nap at 12
he fussed about til 12:45, but then woke at 2
bed at 6:30 and alseep by 7 sunday night

today, woke from 4:30-6am
back to sleep til 6:45
tried 11:30nap---sraight to sleep but
woke at 12:50
I've just put him to bed at 6pm.

so it seems as though an earlier bedtime has really only brought our day forward because if he sleeps straight through, it seems to be more like 7pm-6am.


6:30pm and he is asleep, now what the heck time do I do his nap tommorow if he wakes at 5:30am?

aaargh, just needed to vent!

[nursekat]

I'm sorry, Deb!!  Vent away!! 

Ok, call me crazy, but have you considered undertiredness?  DD shows the same signs when she is UT as when she is OT, so it is hard to tell.  When she doesn't fall asleep at bedtime as long as your ds does, I take it to mean UT.  She's also younger than he is and is doing more total A time in a day.  Please don't feel I'm not validating your "diagnosis" of OT but I'm just throwing another idea out there...maybe try a later bedtime and see how he does??  DD can do 5hrs easy in the evening, sometimes even 6 without getting OT, just pleasantly sleepy.   

[KathrynK]

hey Deb
sorry you are having a rough time right now.
I was going to suggest the same thing as Kathleen- Sophie has this last 2 weeks suddenly extended her A time by about 30 mins with no warning- totally threw me for a couple days before I realised.
Our routine was very similar to the one you just posted, with 4.5hrs from nap to bed. But now we are doing 5.5hrs from waking to nap  (in bed 10-15 mins beforehand to have time to fall asleep) and 5 hrs from nap to bed. Any less than 5hrs from nap to bed and she'll take almost an hour to fall asleep. So we look like this:
6.30am wake
12pm nap
2pm wake from nap
7pm bed- often takes up to 30 mins to fall asleep now.

(I think I really should cut her nap slightly so she goes to sleep easier at night but I am such a chicken! ) Anyhow my friend's ds of the same age has also lengthened his A time this last few weeks so I think it's an age thing.
hope this helps a bit, thinking of you xxxxxx

[debo620]

thanks guys,

we had a great night monday night---he slept 6:20pm until 7am

yesterday  I layed him down for his nap at 12, and he fell asleep more like 12:25, I then woke him at 2:25
DH put him to bed at 7:30 (I'm trying to move things forward)
he was asleep within 10min
but

he woke at 5:40 this morning! so thats a 10hr night?----is that OT or too much sleep yesterday (even though Sunday was bad).
then stayed in room until 7am

aargh! so now I honeslty don't know if I should give him his nap at 11:15?
or should I just give it a little earlier--say 11:30/11:45

then he'll go to bed early tonight either way!

[KathrynK]

you know with Sophie sometimes I think there is no good reason for an early waking- maybe she does a big wee or has a weird dream, nothing I can prevent happening. I always have her in bed 5.5 hours from waking, so I would go for 11.15 and see how he does. let us know x

[nursekat]

Yes and remember it can take 3 days or more to adjust to a change, so give it a little time and let us know!  Also, is he possibly hungry at all?  I think it isn't unusual for a lot of LOs to still have trouble going that long between meals...I know dd wouldn't make it all night if she still didn't get her full 8oz before bed, she is such a skinny minny that it's hard for her to hang on to those calories.  Just another thought, gotta look at the entire EASY equation, kwim?   

[debo620]

yah, its hard too know, I'm thinking alot of sleep yesterday, he was not really grumpy or tired this morning despite the early wake and then slept 11:45-2pm when I woke him.

I think he is sort of outgrowing these 2hr plus naps, but its hard when he only had the 10hrs last night.

so I'll see how he does this afternoon, and probably shoot for a 6:45 bedtime---hopefully asleep by 7:15/30 type thing. a bit of a long day (14hrs) but...

hunger, I do think that sometimes---he doesn't always eat supper well, but then what toddler does? unless I only offer him cheese and bread!
he wasn't hungry this am , refused most of breakfast, so I don't think thats it.

I'm fairly sure we will be down to 1.hr40min naps and maybe 11hr night soon... Kathryn remeber me saying that Noah was only sleeping 12.5hr when we we going through all that crazy sleep at 11months...I don't think his sleep needs are as much as others but he is OT easily.

[nursekat]

DO you try giving him anything before bed like a glass of milk or smoothie?

[debo620]

we will usually do milk with supper, which he drinks well---at least 7oz at about 5:30pm. if he doesn't eat much for supper, I do give him a snack like a banana and granola bar or something sort of carbish!
but a smoothie is a good idea---I can use my magic bullet!

[nursekat]

No kidding, I had to dust mine off, LOL!  I know Bethany wouldn't make it even to 5:30am if she didn't have milk before bed, LOL!  Just a thought...if you're willing to try anything. 

[KathrynK]

Deb just wondered how things are. Are you all ok? Is it getting any better?

[debo620]

oh thanks Kathryn!

well we have absolutley no consistancy and that is driving me crazy!
when Noah was younger it seemed I could do a set nap time regardless of wake-up and he would nap 2hr 15min no problem.

today he woke 1/2hr early--at 6am,
nap was at 11:45---must have been too late because he woke at 1:25,
so we did bed at 6:30 instead of 7, and he had a hard time falling asleep---finally asleep at 7:15, so I am thinking rough night tonight!
he is sooo touchy and OT easily!

and honeslty I really hate these early wake, early nap, early bed scenarios,
the dreaded day light savings is coming up, and if anything I need to get his routine moved forward---absolutely impossible!

I just can't figure out the perfect nap and night sleep combination!
a good night, followed by a good nap, and normal bedtime ---we have an early wake (like today), followed by a crap nap, and probably rough night!

so yes some days are better--but never for a few days in a row.
I'm going to forgo a set nap and go with no more then 5.5hrs in the am.

I'm slowly going crazy!