Happy Update! Back again, same kid new issues

[Mel_bhs2010]

I've been here before when I was struggling to get my oldest son in his own bed when we was 18 months old.

Now at 3 he goes to bed easily, we don't even prompt him. Hell ask to brush his teeth and wash his hands and he goes to bed on his own. Our problem is he doesn't sleep very long at all, then he's up all night.

He will go to bed on his own around 9pm, then he's up between 12-1 and he stays up in his room playing all night, sometimes not going to bed until 10 AM after breakfast! 
Then he sleeps until about 4pm and does it all over again.

I've tried limiting the nap to just a few hours, I've tried taking out his light bulb so he can't play in his room during the night, I've tried an earlier bedtime, I've tried a later bedtime. I don't know what to do anymore.

He's turned into a crabby little monster and everything I've tried hasn't worked, anyone have any suggestions?

[Haribo2012]

Hi there oh bless you that exhausting, he sounds like he's got his days and nights mixed up a bit like jet lag when you've been on a long haul hols.

I'd start by moving his day with BT, set it at say 7pm, can you take toys out of his room to avoid stimulation? Is he playing alone?
Then if he's up in the night a little CN at 10am for 20 mins then another CN 2pm for 20 mins then BT 7pm. If by any chance he sleeps at night I'd wake at 6.30/7am latest and aim for CN of 20 mins at 2pm then 7pm bt.
At this age a lot of kids have totally dropped naps so 20 mins is often enough to get them too BT.

[Mel_bhs2010]

The past few nights I've been following your advice, he keeps waking up at 1am and the being crabby all day. He's nightingale waking up from his naps! Before he strated all this he wasn't taking a nap at all! I don't know what his issue is! Last night I got him back on bed around 4 am and he slept until 6 so I thought maybe tonight he'd get back on track but I had to run errands without him (he sleeps in the car) and hubby let him nap for 2 hours! I'm so upset. Now of course it's almost 10pm and he doesn't want to go to bed.

[Haribo2012]

Then I'd prob go for a no nap day after later BT get him up still at say 7am but have him in bed by 6.30/7pm to make up for short night.
If he was on no nap before this I'd prob try to get back to that and keep his day to 12 hours or allow 20 min CN about 3pm just to push through to 7pm bt.
Ah Hun these kids do like to keep us on our toes, it can take a good few days for things to get better x

[Mel_bhs2010]

Since I last updated,  We put him to bed at 10pm because 7 was a fight, At his doctors suggestion we gave him 1mg of melatonin abs it worked nicely,  he slept until 8 am.

The next night,  we put him to bed at 7pm with 1MG of and he woke up at 5am for the day again.

He's always been a night owl, always ready for bed between 9-10 and sleeping 12 hours (until recently anyway) do you think the later bedtime will hurt him in the long run?
My younger baby can handle the early bedtime fine, I'm not sure why my older one can't handle it,  I've done nothing different between the 2.

[Mel_bhs2010]

I should add she suggested melatonin for a few nights only to get him back in the routine of staying asleep/putting him back to sleep. She suggested using it a few days to a week.  Nothing long term.

[Haribo2012]

I have no experience of melatonin so can't comment on that.

Later BT and shorter nights might lead to a build up of OT but if it works for you for now then you have to go with what's right for your family. If mine have a run of late nights they either crash for a longer night or fall asleep and nap xo

[Mel_bhs2010]

Happy Update!!!!

We figured it out!  He was potty trained right before issues started and he wasnt pooping enough, and when he did go he wasn't getting it all out!  He cleared the constipation, with a little help from apple juice and a still softener, and he sleeps straight through 915p-9a!

We are planning on moving this back since he will start school this year,  wish us luck because he has always been a night owl!

[Haribo2012]

Good update x