13 month old still not sleeping through the night

[andibig]

TBH thats not much more i can say than just be patient.he has only just started back on one nap after being ill so its going to take him a while to get back on track.
as i said b4 6am may be his wake up time.although you would love a 7am wake up it may just not happen.
so i'd keep the routine consistent and when its settled move the routine later.

[finlays mam]

Hi Lauren,

well, after kind of reading/skiming this post i have to tell you that i am reading my life thru yours!! our lo's are very similar and know how to play us!! ..i laugh but it isn't funny and i am sooooooooooooo bloody envious and totally pee'ed off as all the other mammy's around me have their full nights sleep every night...my little man had me up for 1.5 hours off and on last night, so...i am with you.  However, just a couple of suggestions that i have tried and may help.  ok..bear with me..

This may sound strange but i try to manipulate him and his naps if he's been up early,..i try for a 2 nap day so, if Finlay has an early waking i will put him down roughly 0945 - 10am for 15-20 minutes only.  By doing this i find Fin is likely to have a longer more restorative nap in the afternoon.  Some days when he wakes later we'll do a one nap day for two hours, anywhere between 11 - 3pm (IYKWIM)  I give him his lunch at about 12ish. Whatever time he falls asleep i always wake him at 1500 - 1530.  Some days we can get ot but you and i both know that no matter how and what we do about this the agenda always changes so now, i just go with me and my instincts.  Sometimes it works and he sleeps great but other nights i'm pulling my ears off with sheer frustration!!!! but i stick to 'my' routine....Lauren, i don't want to confuse you and complicate your life anymore but am in it with ya!!

here's to joining the 'sleeping all night club'....eventually!!

Debbie

[laurencopenhaver]

Thanks Debbie, that's sweet.  I'm glad, for my sake not yours, that our lives are torturely similar.  The internet's been down for a few days so heres the update:

I guess things are better; the last 2 days he's waken at 6:30 and 6:15.  He's still stirring around the 5:45-6 timeframe, but seems to go back to sleep cause quiets right down for another 10-15 min.  Nap 2 days ago was: woke after 1 hr, mantra cried for 10-15 min and went back to sleep till the 1 hr 45 min mark, so really got about 1 hr 30 min nap total.  And today he was doing great, but got woken up at 1 hr 15 min by a lamp that got knocked to the ground.  Woke screaming!  But I put him to bed EARLY, (5:45) and was sleeping by a little after 6.  I was shooting for 6 but he rolled around and cooed till then.  But anyway, maybe things ARE getting better, I don't know I can't tell yet.  Either way, I haven't had to get up w/ him at 5:30-5:45 for the past few days so I'm happy about that.  And before, when he got up at 6, if I waited till 11 to put him down he would wake after 30 min crying, and he's not doing that now so I think we're on the right track of getting to one nap.  I'm going to do the rest of this week at 11 and then next week shoot for 11:15, and see if I can gradually push back the nap.  I'm fine w/ an early bedtime, just not w/ the ot before bed and night wakings.  I could care less if he went to bed at 6:30 for the next year, just trying to get past the crabbiness and early waking thing.  I have to be sooooo quiet, literally tiptoeing down the stairs carrying the dog so I don't make any noise, otherwise will wake up at 5:30.  Anybody else have such light sleepers?

does it sound like things are on the right track?

[andibig]

I think he is doing really well and is on the right track for one nap.you've done really well honey

[laurencopenhaver]

Thanks, things seem a little better.  Before on the one nap he was having terrible nights, plus waking at 5 or 5:30 crying and not going  back to sleep.  At least now he's not doing that, knock on wood, this morning he woke at six, I didn't get him out till6:20.  I dont know if he went back to sleep cause I could hear him whine about ever five min.   I'm okay w/ things now, I can live w/ this schedule.  It was the waking at five and back and forth from 2 to 1 nap that killed.   That went on for six months I think.  But we're not out of the woods yet.  the nex challenge will be to try to push back the six am wakeup.  I'll keep ya updated. 

[finlays mam]

Lauren, that's absolutely fantastic!!it's worth just watching and waiting coz they'll take great delight in changing the whole set up

[laurencopenhaver]

He's sooo confusing.  He WAS taking an hour-1.5 hr nap at 11, now the past few days it's been 30-45 min.  What's going on there?  The day before yesterday when he did that I put him to bed at 6 and he didn't sleep well.  Yesterday we had thanksgiving at 2 different places; he only napped for 40 min, woke up crying and didn't get to bed until 7:00, but slept good, only waking at 5 crying for a few seconds then slept until 6:15.  I don't understand.  First of all, why all of a sudden are the naps short, and does that mean I need to put to sleep sooner or later?  He's showing tired signs around the normal 9-9:30 naptime, but haven't been putting him to sleep till 10:45-11.  He's not waking for good early, so is the one nap working or is it going to  backfire?  At 16.5 months now I really don't want to go back to the 2-1 nap every other day.  Should I just ride it out for a couple more weeks and see if the one nap is going to work?  And should I keep the early 6:00 bedtime or do the 7:00 like last night where he slept better than usual and woke a little later?

[andibig]

Hi Lauren

I'd ride this out to be honest.the 2-1 nap transition is tough work.I'd be careful with the bedtimes and not push him too far.He may have slept well 1 night when he went to bed later but that doesn't mean he will always do that and when they are transtioning to 1 nap they can get OT really quickly.
I see that you posted another topic and Aisling has given you some great advice.
I know its frustrating but you will get there and so will he.As i've said before you have done so well, you should give yourself more credit honey
HTH

[laurencopenhaver]

Thanks, it's hard to give myself credit when I've been on this website with the same problem (naps)  for 13 months now; over a year, and things aren't that much better.  But thanks anyway, it's nice to have the support.  And yes, I did post about the nap transition b/c the early wakeup has subsided for now, but I'm sooooo scared it's going to come back again, cause that's what he does when he's ot. 

I put him to bed at 5:30 and he threw a fit for 15 min, then finally calmed down and it's 5:55 now and I think he's finally out.  So hopefully he doesn't wake early and I will try to put him down by 10:30-10:45 tomorrow and see if that helps things at all.  I would love for you to convert to my other post

[andibig]

Lauren I'm more than happy to answer your other post if you want me to . Just thought it'd be good for others to give opinions too!!!

Let me know if you want me to answer the other post or leave it a while and see what others say.

[laurencopenhaver]

No, I need all the imput I can get.  Yesterday I put him down at 10:40 and slept for 1.5 hrs.  Then today, w/ same bedtime and same wakeup, put down at 10:35 and woke after 30 min crying which indicates ot.  I'm totally clueless as to what to do and when to do it.

[andibig]

No probs.let me just have a quick read of the other post .might not be able to answer till tomorrow as i've got a mega early start to work