What has happened to my kid?

[sarsar]

DS is 2 yrs, 3 months.  His day used to look like this:
6:50-7:15 wake
7:45 breakfast
10:30 morning snack
12:00 lunch
1:00 - 3:00 nap
3:30 afternoon snack
6:30 dinner
7:45-8:00 bed

A very sudden change has taken place, and I have NO CLUE what happened.

He suddenly started waking at 6.  He was fussy and rubbing eyes at lunch at 11:30.
I moved nap to 12:00.  He took forever to settle, finally napped around 12:20 and was up at 2:20.  I moved bedtime to 7:15-7:30.  He took forever to settle.  He started waking at 5:30, then 5. 

Yesterday looked like this:
5:15 awake
went to Mom's Morning out at 9:10 and was already tired
nap at 12:50
woke from nap at 3
Mom and Dad had Bible study and couldn't put him down until 8:10, but he was making noise until 8:45!
and up this morning at 5:15.

In the past, if he woke early and I put him down for nap early, he would compensate for his missed sleep just wonderfully.  When nap ends early, I put him down for bed even earlier.  But it doesn't work any more!!  What has happened?  He is exhausted all the time, red rims around his eyes, behavior has gotten worse, crying more.  I have poked around for 2 year molars and can't find anything. 

If he weren't so obviously exhausted, I'd chalk it up to getting older and move on.  But he is miserable -- not right after he wakes up, but a few hours later, when he realizes he is already tired again.

Today I toughed it out and let him cry for nearly an hour.  I couldn't sleep.  Now he's making noises, and I'm ready to go back to bed.  I don't even know what time to put him down today!  2 naps? 

Oh mommies, please impart your wisdom to this poor sleepy (and pregnant) Momma.  Thank you!  Happy weekend!

[louis-mummy]

((hugs))

i would cut the nap down to 1.5hrs max at that age and make the afternoon a time longer, so something like this

7 (ideally!) awake
12.30-2     nap
7.30-8.00   bed

if you feel he needs to catch up on sleep then make bedtime a little earlier

have you tried pain meds to see if that makes a difference?

[sarsar]

It looks like waking him from his nap earlier and making the afternoon A time longer is working (even though he's acting insanely tired, we're holding out).  Not every time, but it seems to have made a difference.  Thank you!  Unfortunately, many of the behavior issues that I thought were due to messed up sleep have gotten even worse.  I know it's typical 2-year-old stuff, but it's killing me.  At least we got the sleep back on track.
Thanks again!