15 month old-sleeps only 40 minutes naps at times

[Sima]

Just wondering....with the time change (an hour ahead) we did not adjust to the time change with our lo.
However, turns out that she adjusted herself.
We were putting her down at 12.30 before time changed, which became 1.30 after the change of time.
She only woke up at 8 once after the time changed.  But after that...she wakes up at 7-7.30 and we have been putting her down at 1.30 for three weeks. 
So she is awake for 6.5 hours before nap..could that be making her naps cut short?    Thank you in advance

[Layla]

Yes, her being awake for too long before the nap can shorten the nap length.

I would probably go back to her old nap time (try 15-20mins earlier every couple of days).

How long is the nap now?

[Sima]

Thanks Layla!  I put her down at 12.30 after a 7 wake up.  And she slept 1 and 20 minutes...better than before. 
So today went this way:
A 7
S  12.20-1.45
Bedtime 7.30

We put her in bed by 7.15 but she tossed and turned like she was not tired enough.
What is the recommended time to put her down after last nap?  Is 6 hours too long?

[Layla]

Well with my baby it would be too long. I actually still do 5hrs A time before bed and she is often asleep within 15mins or so. She does 6hrs A time in the morning though...

I would probably do bed around 7pm and see if she will fall asleep sooner (so more like 5.5hrs)

[Sima]

Thanks Layla:
I put her down before 5.5 hours before bedtime and she tossed and turned until 5.5 hours and then fell asleep. 
The day went:
A  7
N  12:30-2
Put in bed: 7:20 and fell asleep 15 minutes later.
I know her nap is short only 1.5 hours but she does sleep at night for 11-12 hours.
Does this okay to you.
I will try 5.25 before bedtime and see if she fall asleep easier.
Do you know what the range is for awake times for a 15 month old is?  Is it 5.5 like you said.

[Layla]

1.5hr nap and 11-12hrs at night is pretty much the av.

At 15months, my lo was only just going onto 1 nap and with us awake times were 5-5.5hrs

[Sima]

Thank you for your help..I guess she will be okay with the sleep she is getting!  Hugs to you and your little ones!

[annielm]

Hi Siria!!!  And Hi Layla!!

Siria, I'm starting to notice my lo naps a tad longer and is also in better spirits for the second a-time if I put him down WAAAAAY earlier than I had thought (I was originally aiming for 11:50-12n with a 6:30 wake, but am now getting a little longer nap with 11:20-30ish).  He also seems to sleep better at night with the earlier nap, even though it makes my a-time a little longer in the pm than in the am (unusual I think).

Layla, I know you mentioned your lo needs a longer a-time in the am, being a mod and all ( ), have you run across a lot of lo's that need a shorter a-time in the am?? Like 4.5 sometimes? 

I really agree that 6 hours is a long a-time for a little one their age, and noticed a big difference when I stopped pushing him so much.

HTH!!  Good luck!! 

Layla, glad to see you're still on here!!!  You're the best IMHO!!!!!!!!

[Layla]

Hello Annie!!! Where have you been???

If 4.5hrs works well for your lo, then i wouldn't push him either... he'll let you know when he's ready for more A time!

 

[annielm]

Thanks Layla!!  I've been battling sleep is where I've been!    I hope all is well with you and those darling girls!

So, now that my son seems to be catching up a LITTLE from OT and the one nap switch    I have three questions for you (I'll post 'em here, but I'm happy to start a new thread if that's better for you. 

 I know you went thru a lot with you dd2's sleep (I hope it's improved), I am really having a hard time getting rid of the blasted ew's!!!! (5-6am) yawn.  We do a reasonably early bedtime, (6:45-7ish) and I can't seem to move it forward at all to get a later bedtime w/o  even earlier ew's.  I'm trying to come up with a schedule right now, but wakes and naps are all over the map, so I don't really have one to post.

Whenever you get a second to answer:

 
1. Do you find it is more important to keep A-times consistent, or times of Naps/ Bedtimes consistent?  I’m having good luck with a-times (5/5.5), but then it seems like my bedtimes/wake times keep getting earlier and earlier each day, because he doesn't always do a full 11 hours at night lately. 

2. A lot of my BW friends are telling me it's important to get the lo's into bed as close to 12 hours after they woke as you can.  What's your opinion on this??  (another words, should my bedtime be 5:20pm most nights?  )

3.  Do you go by the rule that, on one nap, lo's should be woken after 2 hours of nap-time??  Or do you think let them sleep as long for a nap as they need at this age??


I can't really complain about the ew's that much, because by following a-times my son's attitude has DRASTICALLY improved in the last week or so.  Thing  is, I used to think 6:30am was early a few months ago, now I would kill for it!!   I keep thinking he's caught up enough to push bedtime forward by 5-10 minutes or so, it ALWAYS backfires lately and he wakes 15 minutes or so even earlier!!  Arrrrgh!

I just licked the one hour and ten minute nap monster by following a-times strictly (because of one of your suggests  to another poster), so I'm slowly getting somewhere!!   Maybe I should just stick with the early bedtimes and let him catch up some more before I try to move it forward again?

This am:

5:20am awake
10:45am asleep
still asleep at 12:21, bless him!! 

Thanks, your a doll!!
Annie (and William, too!)

[Layla]

ANNIE,

1. Do you find it is more important to keep A-times consistent, or times of Naps/ Bedtimes consistent?  I’m having good luck with a-times (5/5.5), but then it seems like my bedtimes/wake times keep getting earlier and earlier each day, because he doesn't always do a full 11 hours at night lately. 

Personally I stick to A times... unless Jasmine's had nightwakings or has taken a really short nap the day before and I sence that she is getting overtired. In that case, I put her down about 15mins earlier than her usual nap time (being 12pm... so she goes down around 11:45). So bedtime is about 15mins earlier as well. I don't like to put her down any earlier than 11:30am, as in my case, earlier bedtime means earlier wake up (again unless she's in an ot cycle).

2. A lot of my BW friends are telling me it's important to get the lo's into bed as close to 12 hours after they woke as you can.  What's your opinion on this??  (another words, should my bedtime be 5:20pm most nights?)   

I've heard of this but never really stuck to 12-hr rule. I go by the A times in the pm... I know that my dd can't take much more than 5hrs A time (she needs to be asleep by 5.5hrs A time).

3.  Do you go by the rule that, on one nap, lo's should be woken after 2 hours of nap-time??  Or do you think let them sleep as long for a nap as they need at this age??

I wish I could let Jasmine sleep as long as she wanted . In general she takes a 2hr nap and sometimes a 2.5-3hr nap. I don't wake her up because it only happens say once every couple of weeks... but if she consistently took a 2.5-3hr nap and was waking up early in the morning then I would start waking her up. For us it would be a case of too much daytime sleep causing the early wakings.

I keep thinking he's caught up enough to push bedtime forward by 5-10 minutes or so, it ALWAYS backfires lately and he wakes 15 minutes or so even earlier!!  Arrrrgh!

I have never found it to be productive to just push bedtime alone. I would start with the nap and with it push bedtime. So put him down for a nap 10mins later for a few days and do the same with bedtime.... continue until he's taking him nap around 12pm (12-2) and bedtime is 7pm. Wake up should hopefully be around 6-6.30am

hth & let me know how you go
Layla

[annielm]

Thanks for all those answers!  Oh, and I updated my ticker (sorry!)

So start moving the nap along WITH bedtime!!  Duh, of course!!  Sometimes I can be so thick!  (it’s going to take me a while to get him back to 12n, as we went down yesterday at 10:45am)  This is a key point, Layla, good call.  He just woke at 5:50am after being asleep at 6:25pm. 

It’s funny, for a while he was going down at 11:50ish, in bed by 7pm, awake approx 6:40 am every day (January-ish).  He was getting approx. 13 hours of sleep per day, but started exhibiting EXTREME terrible two-ish behavior after a month or so of this.  Many tantrums! 

That’s where I read a thread where you wrote about sticking to a-times with Jasmine.  He was doing 6 sometimes 7 hours in the pm (he would seem grouchy by 4:30pm, then stellar from 5-7.  Adrenaline!) !!!  Poor guy!

So I think OT crept up on us slowly and we are in the thick of it now.  It seems as if we get caught up and then if we have an off day, we go three steps backwards.  He is like a new baby most days now.
How long does it take a lo this age to catch up iyo??  This is taking much longer to correct then I thought!!  I guess they don’t call it the “dreaded 2-1 switcharoo” for nothing, right? 

Also, shorter naps =beginnings of OT for you?  How short is “short”?  Less than 1 ½ hours, right?

OK, I’m gonna let the little guy tell me when he’s ready to push the nap along by 10 minutes (when he’s back to is sun-shiny self, that is).  Then I’m gonna give it a go.  Wish me luck! 

I can’t thank you enough for being here for all of us! 

PS: Happy Belated B-day, Isabella! 

[annielm]

Ooooooooo, not good.

William just woke up at 12:20pm, after falling asleep at 10:55am (woke at 5:50am).  My worst fear, putting him down this early for a nap.

Yikes.  Now what on earth do I do for bedtime?  It just keeps getting earlier and earlier.  But so do mornings.

I have been battling these short naps/ early wakes since January.

I really thought the a-time thingy was doing the trick, but the past three days have not been stellar. 

[October]

Hey Annie.......so this is where you are !!!!!!!!

We're into issues with short naps and early wakes with Bubba too. Boo hoo.

Deb xxxxx

[annielm]

Hey DEBAROONIE ROO!! 

Yep, DEB, I honestly think we're all starting to feel the effects of one nap OT..........

Layla's WONDERFUL, maybe she can help you??  And she has TWO lo's just like you!!! 

I'm still deciding what to do about bedtime...... .........very sad.  BUT, Bear's being a STAR today, so I can't complain too much. 

The ew's stink, but since sticking to a-times like Layla suggested, Debs, He's honestly a different kiddo.

Only thing is, 5.5hrs on a short nap means 5:50pm LATEST for me tonite, sadly enough.  I'm very unsure about what that'll do to me tomorrow am..........

Bye for now!!  Good to see you on here!!