Support for "Dropping that last nap"

[aisling]

HUGS, hope Aiden gets better soon.

[rinajack]

Hugs for Aiden, Woohooo Karen and have fun shopping! and aisling, what fun!

Zara napped yesterday from 1:30 to 3:15, Hugh and I also napped from 2-3:15.  Then we went to a Bday party and didn't come home til 9:30, so I would guess Zara was alseep at about 10, and up at 7.  These shorter nights with naps are so far working out OK.  She is going to bed much too late, but we decided we will worry about establishing a bedtime when we think she is ready to drop the nap completely.....we have the rest of her childhood to worry about an established bedtime and if she is up this late when I return to work, I will get to see her tonnes every day

[aidenmc]

rinajack - i love your carefree approach! it's nice not having to worry bedtime it eh? I think I would definitely take that approach if Aiden was not waking at night. Especially with summer coming (eventually - we are under so much snow still), it would be nice to have long evenings. We are trying no milk and no cold meds tonight. He is still very congested and the cold meds usually make him drowsy but I wonder if what we are giving him is interfering with his sleep cycles later in the night? Anyway, DH told me it was about 12 times that he was up last night. I am just thankful that he isn't waking for the day at 4:30.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks guys! I had gotten so big and am now less than pre-baby weight (which was good because I had needed to lose some weight then). Been on weight watchers and running a lot and started a pescatarian diet recently (for health reasons). Am back down to a size 2 (from a 12) which is good as I'm only 5 feet tall! Was only able to find one pair of jeans, one pair capris and one top but need much more. Just so hard to find stuff with a 2.5 year old in tow!

Super rough day and night though. After her freakout this morning she was ok for a while then cranky and tired and then slept about 1.25 hours in car. Then was ok for a while but had another meltdown around 5:30 pm. Was asking to go to bed at 6:45 but DH insisted on keeping her up (ARGH) so she could see his parents. They got here at about 7:20 and then when we tried to leave at 7:45 she flipped out. She was supposed to go to bed by 8 but when we got home from our night out at 10 she was still up - sitting on the couch with them watching TV    and asking to go to the beach. We brought her up and read her stories and she asked for milk and tried to get her to bed but it's almost 11 now and she's still up in there intermittently crying. Going to be a LONG night and even longer day tomorrow.

Rina - that's a great attitude and glad it's going well! Stacy - glad Kaleb is still napping. Aisling - how was your night out? And Becky - have you tried soy or rice milk?

[rinajack]

Becky - can  you rule out ear infection etc, Zara often gets those with/after colds, and they cause her ridiculous NW like you are describing! She has had a couple with no temp too which took me longer to work out the problem...

Ugh Karen, that night doesn't sound too good...We are not getting ANY meltdowns from tiredness (some from plain old defiance though), and we would certainly put Zara to bed if she was asking, well I would, DH's have this whole other idea of how they should parent in relation to sleep Maybe your DH needs to be on NW tonight, since it was his bright idea

[Mom to M&M]

Yea I gave him an earful and he agreed that we should have just gotten her to bed - next time I guess. Luckily she fell asleep right about 11 and no NW. She woke up at 7:50 though so less than 9 hours and she's pretty cranky this morning. We are going out for breakfast (normal treat on Sundays) but she can relax in the stroller on the way there/back. What do you think with her nap? Maybe try lunch at 12 and then nap or is that too early? I know go by her cues but it's going to be hard today since she's starting out tired and cranky. And then what? Let her nap a full 2 hours or is that too much?

[aidenmc]

Personally I would go for the earlier nap (if she will take it) then let her go a little longer (if she will). Of course I am the one with the crazy night waker so maybe wait for others' advice. I too would have gone for the early night especially knowing that having the grandparents over would really prolong things. However, I am kind of a stickler for routine because of many bad experiences when we have let him stay up. Maybe when he is older.

I did take Aiden to the doctor's last Tuesday and she checked him all over. Said it was just a cold. I think if things don't improve over the next night or so I may call. He is perfectly happy now during the day though. Last night was a little better. Decided to get him down a little early with no milk or meds. He went down with very little fussing and was asleep by 7:35. He did wake about 5 times (I guess at every transition) but never for more than 2 minutes or so. He woke at 6:20 and was happy. I have caught whatever he has - bad headache, cough and slight fever - always a good way to know how they are feeling huh?

Anyway, we will see what tonight will bring. Heading out to the sugar bush today!

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks guys - she had a BIG breakfast at the cafe late - like 9:30. She just had a bath and is watching a few minutes of Dora now - will give her just some applesauce and milk at 12 or little after and then potty and get her in for nap and let her sleep up till 2:30 - hopefully she falls asleep fast -- she needs it!

[rinajack]

A less than perfect night from Zara. but nothing dreadful.  She had another long late nap yesterday (to make up for the very late night the night before) but took until about 9:30 to finally go to sleep.

funny story though, she went to sleep at 9ish with DH laying with her....she came running out of her room at about 9:15pm, said "dummy bed" (since it isn't allowed out anymore) then said "daddy work"....she seriously thought it was morning time, we had to tell her again and again that it was dark outside and it was bedtime!

Up at about 6:45 this morning, and off to daycare today, she will nap there, but don't know how long for!

[Mom to M&M]

LOL Rina!

So DD was asleep around 12:30 or maybe 5 minutes after today and we let her sleep until 2:30. When we woke her she was in a pretty good mood for most of the afternoon although still a bit hyper and not herself. Tried to get her to bed at 8:30 and she went in ok but wasn't sleeping. Babbled to herself for a while and I started running on the treadmill (in the basement) while DH listened for her and cleaned some. By 9:15 he was telling me she was crying and saying her tushy hurt. By 9:30 she was apparently sobbing for me. I finished up quickly and went up there and had to go in and out twice reminding her we were here and it was bedtime (she was saying she can't do bedtime). I think/hope she finally just fell asleep now at 10pm

Seems like a mixture of overtiredness and maybe some SA? I'd say maybe her two year molars too (she still doesn't have them) but she doesn't have other teething symptoms. Developmental/age thing? Will have to wake her by 8/8:15 if she's not up as she has her Gymboree class tomorrow at 9:30 and we already missed it last week and we can't get refunds. Is that mean?

[rinajack]

Nope not mean, and will probably help you preserve nap time again!

Zara has some new SA going on at the moment too, so could well be developmental.  She told me two weeks in a row now "no daycare" yet when I went to pick her up, she was so happy she didn't want to come home.  There have been some pretty good tears when I drop her off (I stay til she isn't crying) but for a kid who has done daycare since 4mo, that is pretty out of the ordinary....

[Mom to M&M]

Another mom on the board with a similar age kiddo told me of similar issues too - seems like definitely an age/development component. She has tried a "toddler taming" tea with good success and I know others have used those homeopathic calms forte 4kids tabs with success. Both scare me a bit though!

So no NW but heard DD at 7am. She was still mumbling to herself when I snuck downstairs to get coffee at 7:20 but it seems pretty quiet now at 7:40. Not sure if she dozed back off or not but I'll wait and go in there at 8 either way...

[rinajack]

Zara napped 1 hr at daycare, and was in bed for about 7:30pm...went to sleep pretty easily, but needed DH to stay.....and has since had about 3-4 NW and it is only 10:50....SA related we are sure....

[MommaHolmes]

Hey all,

We're muddling through over here, but unsurprisingly having a bit of a struggle.
NW are gradually increasing and wake ups are generally early 

Our day started at 5:50 as DD woke for a feed and then DS woke shortly afterwards (so DD couldn't get back to sleep). Took both kiddies out in the stroller late morning to try and combat the problem of both of them needing a nap at the same time but one keeping the other awake crying and vice versa Needless to say, DD went to sleep fine but had a short nap (as she always does in stroller or car) and DS spent the whole walk going 'where are we going? where are we going? can we see the digger? going to the post office? going to look at fields? are we going to look at fields mummy?' etc. etc.!

Am now trying Plan B, which is in bed with audio book playing. Am not holding out much hope for him sleeping but at least he is getting some down time.

Don't know what else I can do except just ride it out. Am going to try and make sure we are out in the car at 'naptime' at least twice a week so that he does get some mini-nap-days.

Sounds like lots of other people have found ways to get naps happening again semi-regularly. Well done all!

Laura x

[debo620]

Hi everyone,
Noah is not dropping his nap at all. he is happily napping but his nights are total crap this last week. he is just not sleeping through, or sleeping through every 2nd night etc.

I am sure he is quickly becoming OT.

Friday night was rough---asleep 8:45 (bed , up 3:30-5:30, slept til 8, nap attempt at 1---play and asleep at 1:45 so we woke him at 3,

sat--bed at 7:45-and asleep at 8:15, awoke for the day at 6:45, out of crib 7:30, nap 1-asleep 1:10-2:45, bed at 8 and asleep by 8:20
not bad\but then awake 2:30-4:30am, talking and crying etc. I mostly slept through it..
awoke at 7:20am

so I am taking the approach of earlier nap, earlier to bed--even just by 15min---to see if that will help.....he takes along time to fall asleep at night anyhow