WHY DOES MY SON KEEP REGRESSING BACK TO NW'S

[babybarr]

Yes we most definately have a "window" if we go too far over then it'll take DS up to an hour to settle.  TBH his bedtime now is pretty engrained and I think that has a lot to do with it.

Just for my sleep deprived brain please can you remind me how old your LO is now an what routine you are sort of doing?  Have you always driven him for naps - am wondering if this is part of the problem...

[exhaustedmum]

hi laura
sorry its been a while since my last post. Things in work have gone from mad to just pure mental meaning i've had to wrk to additional evenings last week. Needless to say I have not been able to get online.

Apart from work its been an awful week for my ds in terms of sleep and his general behaviour.  His temper tantrums have increased ten fold and the smallest thing was setting him off. He has started to cough this week as week and my gut feeling is that after having the viral diarrohea bug two weeks ago his body didnt get a chance to fully recovery before this chesty cough started. He has begun wakening up again at night demanding a bottle of milk. It's  mostly just once a night but he can be up and not settled for up  to half an hour. It doesnt sound a lot compared to how he use to be when he was much younger when it could have been up to 6 or 7 times a night.

Naps at the weekend at still very much hit and miss. Today was just a complete diaster. just like every weekend i put him in the car around the same nap time as he gets a nursery. I drove around for almost an hour and he just kept saying he wanted to go home despite showing his usual signs of sleepiness. By 6pm he was so beside himself with tiredness that he was crying unconsolably. Despite this it was 7:30pm before he finally went over. Major case of OT today. Even though he is two and a half he still very much needs his nap during the day.

In answer to your question my ds routine is
6:30/7am wakes up
8:30am - 5pm my ds goes to day care monday to fri (hubby and I work full time) ds gets a nap at 12 noon for an hour and hr. He goes to sleep by himself in nursery no problems.
6:30pm dinner
7pm bath and wind down time
Between 7:30pm and 8pm ds goes to sleep normally going over by himself

At the weekends, the routine is pretty much the same in terms of wakening, naps, meals and bedtime.

I have been using WI/WO for a few weeks before the viral diahorrea bug hit which was proving successful with a few full nights sleep occurring. But now we these illnesses it just gone out the window.

Because this week meant I had to work two additional evenings on top on my normal 40 hour week, I am wondering is this why my ds had an increase in temper tantrums and disturbed sleep. His nursery even commented that on thurs he was very unsettled and "aggressive." He also bit another child because the other child had a toy he wanted.

Please help....whats going on with my ds??? Is this all down to illness? Why cant he go over to sleep at weekends for naps just like he does at nursery? Yes I have almost always had to resort to driving him around for daytime naps. Any ideas anyone??

Thanks in advance
X

[babybarr]

Oh dear, you poor thing.

Ok a couple of things really - the first was, has he got all his teeth?  If he is still yet to get the last molars that may be part of it (read the 2nd year molar support thread )
I think he needs to be well and then you need to do wiwo with him for *every* nap he has at home.  Also is it worth asking nursery what they do to get him to sleep?  Do they sit with him for instance and if this is the case then that may be a route to follow to start with.  My DS has big trantrums too if I've been at work.  I'm a teacher so have just gone back after 6weeks and TBH he's a bit of a mess too!  Clingy and attention seeking.

[exhaustedmum]

hi laura
thanks for the quick reply. He was still getting those last molars down a few weeks ago. Have to confess I havent really checked his mouth recently to see if they are completely down. As you probably know its not always easy to get a two year old to open their mouth on demand! But I will check tomorrow. Will also have a look at the thread you recommended and ask the nursery how he goes over for naps with them.

As always thanks for the advice. i hope things have settled somewhat for you and your lo's sleep. Being a teacher you must be so exhausted with the stress of work and trying to manage things at home. I work in a professional capacity as well and can understand how you feel. I know for me its like being constantly pulled in all directions and your so tired some days you just struggle to cope to do the simple things. Sleep deprivation is no laughing matter but a smile from your lo seems to make up for it all. I never really knew what unconditional love really meant until i had my ds.

Will keep you informed
x

[babybarr]

Will keep you informed

Please do!!

I hope you LO feels a bit better soon.  You take care of yourself as well.  It's hard finding time to do that isn't it

[exhaustedmum]

Ok.......so its been a bad night with my ds followed by a really sh** day at work for me, followed by a trying evening to get my ds to sleep since 7:45 ...................and he has just literally gone to sleep.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where am I going wrong?

No nap all weekend and very little eating by my ds. Needless to say last night saw a total of 5 NW's the last at 5:30am and starting at 11pm.

He had a great day at nursery - good as gold, slept well at nap time with no probs and ate really well too! Every get the feeling your child is trying to make a lier out of you?

In total my ds got out of bed 4 times since I tried to settle him at 745pm. The first time he wanted the remainder of his bottle of milk only yo blow a gasket when I refused to sit on his bed to give it to him. Same thing the third time but I didnt give him any bottle. Fourth time he "whined" calling out for me because he couldn't find his toy helicopter then when I gave it to him he said he had a sore tummy but a kiss from mum made it better again.

Would I be right in guessing my beloved son is testing boundaries big time?

I have no doubt tonight might be a repeat of last night because he was clearly very OT by the time he went over to sleep there, and when he is OT he is more unsettled during the night with lovely NW's. Where did my lovely boy go that only use to wake the omce during the night let alone the few nights he has slept thru.

Please any advise would be greatly appreciated. Or am I just over reacting after such a bad night and day?

[babybarr]

((((hugs))))) for you hun and no I would feel the same after a day like that too!

What time did he nap at nursery and for how long?  Did you find out how they put him to sleep now?  Have you checked for those teeth?!

Do you know what... I really think bedtime is too late.  He must get very exhausted at nursery and he has a long afternoon and morning esp. after a bad night.  Why don;t you try getting him into bed by 7pm (if poss) for the next few days and see what happens?