16-month old naps gone bad!

[Lu_C]

Hi!
How is DD doing with walking? I'm sorry I didn't respond for a while, laptop messing me about and too many other things to do to bother with trying to sort it. Done now!
Update on Leo: he was sleeping really well, he's cut his AM naps to 20/ 25 mins, which means he's going down for PM naps at about 12 - 12.30, generally he sleeps an hour or a little more then wakes. I can extend to 2 hours using WIWO but I'm sure he's too tired OR just needs to cuut AM nap completely. He seems OT a lot and we've had a couple of EW (no NW though) should I give him a cat nap in the PM to see him through? With him waking at 2/2.30 after PM nap he would ideally sleep at about 5, I really don't want to pull evening bedtime forward as it has major mealtime implications. With #2 only 6 weeks away I would rather keep everything as normal as possible for him! What do you think? Not entirely sure where to go from here.

Have you managed to extend DDs naps or are you still having fun with that?

[elmarie]

Hi Lucy,

leo is gorgeous!!.  I think you can try dropping the am nap as it is down to 20min and bring the nap a bit forward to 11-11.30.  If he wakes early then yes I think you should then give him a cat nap at 3ish for 30 min if you don't want to bring bedtime forward.  At least the 30min will get him through bath time routine...

Goodluck for the last 6 weeks

[Lu_C]

Thank you and thank you!
It's all going a bit crazy at the moment. He's still sleeping 20 - 25 mins in the AM but waking during the PM nap at 1 hour exactly. I do WIWO with him but he keeps balling. Eventually he settles back down for a while, but only 15 - 20 mins.

DH stuck his oar in at the weekend and messed the routine up when he 'didn't understand what I'm trying to achieve'! He feels that DS is fine with 2 naps in a day...ARRGGHH it was HE in the first place who said he hated being a slave to Leo's naps, which was one of the reasons I started dropping one.
So weekend was all over the place, we're back to waking at 6.30 ish and balling when he wakes up.

There is no denying he's tired even by 9 am, but thought I may try pushing AM nap 15 mins forward each day so he is able to last longer without a nap and then push the PM so it's 15 mins more since AM nap each day (if you see what I mean)
So, if he goes to AM nap at 9.15 and wakes at 9.35/40 then he goes to sleep 2.45 hours later...does that make sense. So I extend the time he's awake after he gets up in the morning until it gets to 12, stick with 12 PM naps for a while and then slowly push to 12.30/ 1. Thing is he CAN go the whole morning without a nap - did it yesterday when we went ot playgroup and still woke after an hour of sleeping at PM nap but woke 15 mins later this morning.
Can't deny a mild temptation to just cut AM out now completely and see how it goes...I can always bring it back if it doesn't work. What are your thoughts?
He's awake again! Better go WIWO xx

[elmarie]

ahhh,yes dh's don't always understand what we are trying to do with the routine and why we soo obsessed with it 

Yes, you can try and push the am nap with 15min increments.  Tracy also suggests that (BWSAYP P.284) so go for it.  you can also try and cut the am nap and see what happens.  If the nap is crappy then you can do a pm catnap to get him to bedtime.

Keep me posted..

[Lu_C]

I bit the bullet! I cut his AM nap 3 days ago, first day he slept really well with only one WIWO after an hour, he slept just short of 2 hours (he HAD woken a little later than normal though in the morning). Day 2 wasn't as successful and I was WIWO with him for about 40 mins. Today he slept through 1h45, I was so excited he'd slept so well that I got him up when I should have done WIWO for the remaining 15 mins. Either way, I'm very happy with how it's all working out. I do miss the AM nap but he plays really well on his own still.
Have you managed to extend those naps yet?

You're a legend Elmarie, thanks so much for all your help x

[elmarie]

Glad to hear that it went smoothly and it does take time to settle down.  Just keep watching for him being OT.  On those days you do 2 naps. and yes wi/wo definitely is the best method I found to extend naps, especially since you have been using it at night-they get the idea very quickly. I had to do it yesterday with Courteney after 3 months of 1 nap days (had an EW) but last night was great again.  Yipee-you will find it starts making life easier as you can actually plan your day better   

[Lu_C]

He has been getting OT, but I think right now it's better to help him through it with quiet stories together and cuddles so that he gets used to being awake so much longer in the morning. We had a couple of EW but WIWO settles him most of the time (first night was rough and he makes a lot more noise at the moment but I think we'll get tehre as he sleeps more soundly in the day).

He seems more alert after his PM naps - provided I don't get him up too soon (!); we both think that we picke dhim up too early this morning as well, I reckon he would have had another 20  mins or so which would have helped the day. Either way, we did a 40 min car drive this evening and he stayed awake throughout so he can't be that OT!

Incredible how well it works - just wish tehre was a way of helping people who struggle with it and convince them persistence really does work!

x

[elmarie]

It is so true (thanks Tracy!!).  It is so hard in the beginning and you think it will never work, but once the lo's get it it is like a miracle.  I find it really settles my dd.  Had to use it again tonight(she has been a bit unsettled the last few days with hay fever and teething) but only had to do once to resettle her.

Quite time is good if you feel he doesn't need a nap.  I usually darken the room and put lo in her cot to play for 1/2h-45min.