Is DD getting enough sleep?

[*foxy*]

Hi everyone

DD is 2.5yo and Im worried that shes not getting enough sleep due to her behaviour and general ability to cope day to day. Shes a HSC so I know her reactions to things are more extreme than non HSC's but lately it just seems like shes massively over reacting to everything. Plus she looks knackered!

Her usual WU time is 6.10-6.30am (usually closer to 6.10)
She dropped the nap 6 months ago but I do take her out in the car around lunchtime if I feel shes struggling for 30-45 mins. This is usually the day after shes been at the CM. But this week I decided to try for a nap in the house, she strongly insisted on napping in our bed, I was very doubtful she'd nap at all as she hasn't for months but after 10 mins she was asleep!!  she woke up after an hour and ten mins. I decided to just let her sleep as she must have been seriously tired to let herself nap in the day and in a bed!! BT was 1hr 15 mins later than usual which was ok but she was up at 5am!!!!!  I was trying to catch her up!!

I try to keep her day at no more than 12 hours 30 mins max so BT (asleep) at 6.30pm.
Shes waking once a night and comes into our room and gets into bed with me as DP has been away and Ive been lazy and enjoying the cuddles  so yes bad habits that I need to get out of. She seems to sleep well next to me but I know she needs to be to be in her own bed.

I just cant seem to catch her up. Naps, even 30 min naps push BT back too far and doesn't seem to make any difference but she's really hard work (very sensitive) and just so OT at BT without one. Her BT seems pretty early as it is but does it need to be earlier? I do try for a 6pm BT if I can't offer a nap (being at work) but she just messes around until 6.30pm.

Any ideas? I know I need to do GW and take her back into her room at night but Im so tired atm! If its what I need to do to help her be more rested then I'll do it

[clazzat]

I don't have a huge amount of time to post right now, but one thing that helped us catch up when we were struggling with changing sleep needs was to allow a totally uncapped nap followed by a normal bedtime. If I did this, I normally found that dd2 would sleep for about 2.5 hours and then have a normal night sleep and we would be fine for the next day. It's not something that you want to do very often, but I can help when they are in an ot rut.

[*Kara*]

This is us right now too... just tagging along.. DD is 2y 4m and dropped the nap recently... she was all fine and dandy until she got a cold - still refuses to nap, but needs more sleep

[*foxy*]

Thanks for your posts. I let her nap for as long as she needed, she woke on her own but looking back I think she could have dropped off again but I didn't want her to nap too long and then not have a good night. There was no way that she was ready for bed at her usual BT that night and like I said she finally fell asleep 1hr 15 mins later than usual and then was up at 5am! But does that indicate that she was OT still?

Now she's got a cold it never ends! Last night was awful!!

[*Kara*]

That sounds more like the cold starting that woke her at 5am... we get wicked early starts when DD is coming down with something...

[clazzat]

It is one of those things that is really counter intuitive, but if they sleep for as long as they like (and that means that they wouldn't go back to sleep if left) then they are ready to go to bed at the usual time but if you disturb them before they are fully rested then they will resist bedtime even though they have had less sleep. Obviously I can't guarantee that it will work, but I would think it might be worth giving it another shot but this time giving her the opportunity to go back to sleep if you think she will.

I found it really hard to leave mine to sleep past the point where I thought they *had* to be awake to go to bed the first couple of times, but it really did help.

[*foxy*]

Ok thanks clazzat. Ill just leave her next time and see how she does.