Not napping and into an OT cycle...

[DavidsMomma]

I just don't know what to do.  After our paci wean a couple of months ago, I have had the occasional time that DS (almost 23 months) won't nap, but in the last 5 days, 3 of them have been without nap and today is looking like number 4!  I am going nuts!  While in his crib, he is taking cloths off, his diaper off.  I don't know how to fix this...  and even though I am putting DS down early for bed since he isn't napping, he is now having more NWings and waking early - ahh!!!!  Last night I put him down at 6:15 and that was too late.  I can hear him in his room right now, he just keeps saying "Out, out."

We were so close before this no nap started.  We gotten to only one NWing a night and sleeping from 8ish to 8ish. 

How do I get him to nap???  I am loosing my patience...

[*Natasha*]

Could you post the times he gets up goes for a nap and bedtime?

[DavidsMomma]

Hi, Natasha, sure...

When things were going good:
Bedtime was 7:45-8
Wake up 8
Naptime, in bed usually by 12:30, doesn't fall asleep until 1 and up between 2:30-3.

Right now we are all over the board...  hasn't been napping, bedtime is about 6, but since this has all started the NWings are increasing.  He is waking earlier. 

I think I just need to start trying for a longer time in the bed to winddown before nap...     which is what I am going to start working on. 

[Peek-a-boo]

Hey there--wanted to offer {{{hugs}}} my DS is starting to do something similar . . . soooooo frustrating.  Off to start my own post so as not to hijack yours.   

[DavidsMomma]

Well, I thought we might be getting better.  Tried a longer wind down of crib time and it worked, and then today, it didn't.     On the days he isn't napping I am putting him to bed about 2 hours early, 6ish, but is that enough? 

When he is waking early, I am still trying to put him in bed about 12:15, should I vary it to what time he wakes?

What is going on???  This is driving me crazy...

[dkjokisch]

When you put him down for the night at 6pm, does he go to sleep right away?

[DavidsMomma]

Instantly.  He doesn't even roll around, which he'll sometimes do to get comfortable when he goes down at 8, normal time. 

Ok, so today he napped.  He woke early, and I went with putting him down for nap at 5 hours after wake time instead of what it usually would be.  So, now after having days of missing naps, and having more frequent Nwings, what time do I do bedtime?  I think I should do it early, but how early.  There is such a fine line here.  Too early and he won't go to sleep, too late and we'll have tons of Nwings.  It's almost as if DS has to be put down to the perfect minute for it all to work.   

I also medicated today, b/c I think teeth might be adding to some of this??  So, maybe that helped too.  He has 2 more teeth to go before 2 year molars, but I can't ever see them b/c of location.  Man I hope they come quickly so we can get decent sleep soon!

I keep hoping when I get one day with a nap that we are back....  still hoping!

[dkjokisch]

How long did he nap today?  If he took a normal nap, I would say put him to bed at your normal end of naptime to bedtime interval.  So if he normally naps from 1-3pm and goes to bed at 8pm, but today he napped from 12-2pm, put him to bed at 7pm.  Does that make sense?  And watch his behavior through the afternoon to adjust as necessary.

[DavidsMomma]

Thanks Deborah.  I had put him down about 7:30, but that was too late.  He had NWings all night last night, 6 total - YUCK!!  But b/c of it all he woke closer to normal time, which was 7:30. 

Good suggestion to work from, thank you!