Support for "Dropping that last nap"

[Katet]

Layla (don't let it be known) part of it was while they were watching TV & I was reading the Goodweekend from last weekend (OMG the story about an Aboriginal community in Cape York) & then later we were outside & they played tag, one would run around for a while & the other would be crying etc. What gets me through, apart from coffee & crying on dh shoulder (alot) is the fact this too will pass.

[Mom to M&M]

Huge hugs Kate and Layla too. I so hope that if/when we have a second child they are half as good a sleeper as DD is.

But tonight she's just so sick. Fever back up to almost 103 with meds and SO cranky and shaking/cold. She fell asleep just after 7 and just cried out now at 8:20 but seems to still be sleeping...

[aidenmc]

Marisa's mom - your poor babe. I do hope she gets better soon!

Stacy - I hear you on the ice cream and chocolate!

Meg - I am really not sure what is behind these wakings. Part of it is our inconsistency in dealing with it. He was doing very well up until last October (okay that is an overstatement - he had had a good few months). THen he stared developing fears and lots of real tears and hysterics at bedtime off and on for a few months, then the transition to bed. Prior to this we managed to train him to be a half-way decent night sleeper by having DH do bedtime and nights (ds just never fights as hard for his company). BUt we had to abandon that when Aiden started being afraid of things in his room etc. We also had the 2 year molars in there (he has always been a horrible teether) and illnesses and holidays. Anyway he is over the fear but has recently been ill with a bad virus that I have had over the last 4-5 days and I understand why he had been waking many many times. During the last week on his best couple of nights he woke maybe twice and dh was able to just go in and rearrange his blankets and he was back to sleep pretty quickly. But last night he was up many times (I think 10:45 then 12 then 1215, 12:45 and a couple of other times after that) and I really am not sure why. He did not nap yesterday but was asleep a little earlier for the night. Today he had a 40 minute nap but was not asleep until about 8:15 (after waking at 6 for the day). I am a little apprehensive about what the night will bring...

Kate - I totally understand your frustration! It is so hard when they are not regular. I love sleep and need lots of it. I have given up hope that Aiden will ever hit the average amounts of sleep for his age. He seems to need much less, but then when he gets too much less he becomes the tazmanian devil...well not quite, but he can certainly be a handful when overtired!

[aisling]

Massive hugs and sleeping/coping/get well vibes for the long weekend all.

A x

[PeepersMom]

Becky, we have bad hapbits too.  Ours have to do with day time sleep.  I rock PJ to sleep for nap and sometimes up to an hour before he falls asleep.  That goes in phases.  There are long stretches when is falls asleep in 3-5 min and it is no big shake, it is only once a day, why not.  I know everyone is thinking this is why he takes so long at night to fall asleep, but I have proven that theory wrong many times.  He just seems to get the differenc between nap time and night time and he is much more willing to sleep in the day thatn at night.  But once he is asleep at night for the most part he is asleep for the night.  Or at least if he is awake he rarely needs me unless he is really sick.  Now I have gotten myself in so deep w/toddlerhood defiance hitting full force that it seems to be rocking at nap for as long as it takes, or until I go batty, or no nap.

I am sure you have had tons of advice here and you have tried a million different things to get him to sleep through or at least with only 1 wake up.... but I just have to say stay consistent.  I am sorry, I'm sure you hate to hear it, but consistency is key.  Also, I read in the No Cry for toddlers that all toddlers are horrible sleepers and it doesn't get back to normal until the start school, so keep that in perspective.  Even my mom friends with perfect sleepers now suddenly have horrible sleepers on their hands and they are beside themselves b/c they don't have the tools we do - never needed them before!!

For some reason PJ totally melted down at dinner and just never got himself back together again.  Really, this isn't him.  He does plenty of terrible 2's behavior, believe me, but he tends to not be a tantrum thrower.  He rarely throws himself on the ground and cries and tonight it was for about 20 min straight and I really was at a loss and I am sure didn't help by asking him what was wrong.  Finally he was just sobbing so hard I rocked him.  We went straight to bedtime routine and he was in the crib at 635, but I betcha a million bucks he will be awake until 8.  It just isn't him to crash early. 

Oh man, I hope everyone has a better night tonight and these illnesses are done with soon.

Meg

[PeepersMom]

stacy, too funny, I have a British mom friend who just recently explained that to me about the smarties.  I feel so 'in the know' cuz I could follow you. 

Well, 730pm and PJ is still awake.  Sounds like he is quieting down, so maybe soon.

Meg

[aisling]

Stacy LMAO, you are crazy!

Meg confession........ for the last year, I pretend you are really Gwen Stefani and Peepers is your son Kingston. Now, I see you mention the time, so you are west coast, maybe you are in LA and surely you know about smarties from when you live in the UK no?!  Are you really Gwen?!

DH had no trouble with his nap today asleep by 12:45, I told him to wake N by 2:15-2:30.  He went to bed at 8:00 and asleep 8:30.  So if all still going well, he'll be awake at 7:30 Oh yeah.  Arrgh, probably just jinxed myself. 
 

[PeepersMom]

ok, back on the boards totally frustrated because Kingston -- oops I mean PJ -- is still partying at 805. I just went in there and he was showing me how the mattress is white underneath his sheets.  Umm, this kid is really wired tonight for some reason.   I am seriously depressed about this and I want some Calms 4orte!@!!

No, not Gwen - I wish!  I would just hire a sleep consultant to live with me and I wouldn't even have to worry about sleep.  Or smarties for that matter.  Either kind.  That avatar is actually a choice that BW gives so I thought "Hey I love Gwen!  I want to be Gwen!"  so I chose the avatar.  I haven't got a clue how to upload a picture.

Meg

[aisling]

Aw Meg....loads of hugs. 

[PeepersMom]

I know, I know.  Yes, 2:30.  so 830 isn't bad, but he just was so tantrum-y this evening I thought he wanted sleep early.  guess not.

I usually don't go it, but lately with pt-ing he has pooped in his crib a couple times as we put a diaper on him at night.  I went in thinking maybe he pooped and that is why he isn't sleeping. But no.  just wired.

thanks for the support, as usual.  I actually said to myself, 'we will survive'. honestly one of the first times I have said that to myself in 2.5 years.  I usually think,'this is it.  how will we get through this?  this will lead to short night, then short nap, then short night, then short nap....."  maybe I am growing up!!!    LOL

chill.........

Meg

[Katet]

LOL we have the same smarties as Canada... boys just ate them in the car coming back from a trip to see a waterfall - which was fogged out... yesterday it was 35C here & today it was 20C... Must be Easter as it is raining too LOL.

OK chocolate too... did you know tomorrow Ihave to go out & buy the 3rd Easter Egg for dh... I've eaten the last 2 during difficult days... I hide them in the laundry, so I can put things in there & sneak a bit of chocolate

[aidenmc]

Kate you are so funny! You should just have a candy drawer like we do. Actually it used to be a drawer until Aiden came along. Now it is up in the cupboard. Kieran just never got into it. Aiden is a totally different story! Actually I bought myself a one pound chocolate bunny although I haven't touched it yet. If I had any time or energy to work out these days I wouldn't feel so bad about gobbling that up!

Anyway, Aiden is a bear this morning. After his late night (wasn't asleep till 8:20) he was again up all through the night and for the day at 5:30. Was crying and screaming but would not go back to sleep. Wanted to watch TV! It puts such a strain on my relationship with dh too which is not good. DH doesn't really think that the time at which Aiden falls asleep matters as much as how the whole process goes. I tried to get DH to reconsider the idea that early bedtime matters (but that just got him ed. probably shouldn't have brought it up at 6 am). Anyway, it is definitely disheartening when Dh doesn't seem to be able to achieve the results either.

Stacy - you say that lo's should be able to handle that later bedtime but I guess that is if they sleep through the night and until a decent hour in the morning. I guess I will get through the morning and get a 1.5 hr sleep into him. Should I go for a 7pm sleep time tonight assuming a 2:30 wake-up time?

[PeepersMom]

we did end up with a shorter night as well.  For us, that is.  I have to count on nights being longer with PJ as his naps never are - well, except for recently which is why so much confusion.  He was asleep (I am assuming) at 830 and up for the day at 630.  I would love to do an early nap but he just doesn't seem to want an early nap or an early bedtime these days.  He used to be pretty easy to get to fall asleep earlier by just putting him down earlier.  Still takes an hour to fall asleep but would fall asleep earlier in the end.  Now it seems if I put him down earlier (like yesterday ) he will just party longer.  So I think he was in there partying for upwards for 2 hours last night before he fell asleep.

Oh, and gotta love city living (NOT!!!!!) the downstairs neighbors are just in their early 20's and had a major raging party until about 230 am.  PJ will sleep through most noises at night (not nap!) so he slept fine but I was awake of course. I think I might have dosed a little here and there but mostly wake.  Then up for the day at 630!   

Meg

[PeepersMom]

Really? M&M's are sub par?  oh darn it!  I will have to stock up next time I am in Canada.  I do love the Chocolate.

Just too keep if OFF topic even more...  I found some Matchbox cars yesterday that would fit in an easter egg so I got some.  They were on sale at the grocery store.  I also got him some playdough ( I hate that stuff!) book and a little stuffed animal duck.  I don't know why, I just got that on a whim.  I remember my mom putting stuffed animals in our baskets - but frankly I don't know if she put that in my brothers???  I have some animal crackers to put in an egg and some yogurt covered raisins. Also some of those fruity chew things.  I did buy these tiny little chocolate bunnies so I will probably put one of those in there.  (I am such a scrouge).  OH YEAH I bought some apple and yogurt flavored Chex Mix a few weeks ago and I took a few bites and it is so sweet I almost gagged. SO I will put that in his eggs, too.  He'll probably like it.  The rest will go in the trash.  It was gross.

Have fun shopping alone!

oh I forgot I am going to try for an earlier nap today, as well as early bedtime.  I wonder if this resistance to earlier nap and bedtime is still hangover from the time change?  If so why are his wake ups still the same?? 

Meg

[aidenmc]

Such good mommies giving semi-healthy treats and stuff! I still have to get the toy type stuff. With a big brother around, Aiden will end up getting a fair amount of chocolate although I don't let him each much of it, thinking it makes him high. Aiden only slept maybe 45 minutes for his nap. Is now sitting naked on his potty in front of TV to keep him relaxed and will hope for earlier night and better sleep. Fingers crossed!