I am so not ready for this

[* Paula *]

Over the past few weeks, we have gone through some strange phases with naps.  DD would refuse her morning nap, and then only have about 1.5 hours at around 12pm, and would be sooo tired by the time she got home, I would have to give her a cat nap, which in turn affected bed time etc, and we were experiencing some night wakings and early wakings.

But lately DD has been doing ok and taking 2 x 1.5 hour naps with between 3 - 3.25 hours A time in the morning and 3.25 - 3.5 hours A time in the pm and about 3.25 hours before going to bed.  She was napping fantastically.

But is starting to show signs of not napping well again.

Yesterday she slept well as she was not well, had a slight temperature, but the day before and today, her naps have gone haywire.

The day before she did 2 x 45 min naps, but seemed to be ok with it, and was not OT by bed time although we did do bedtime a little earlier.

Today she had an hour and 20 minute nap which finished at 11:10.  Nursery tired to put her down for another nap at 2:30, and she just played and refused to go to sleep.  When I came to fetch her she was still awake and quite happy.  I have now put her down in her cot, even though she did not look tired, but knew there was no way she was going to make it untile bed time.  I put her in her cot and she though it was play time and was playing and shouting her head off.  She eventually fell asleep at 4:15  That is just over 5 hours of A time.  I am only going to let her nap for 45 mins, otherwise she is going to be up all night.

Any suggestions on what you think I should do?

[Purplecattypants]

Oh Paula, i'm afraid I dont have much to suggest but just wanted to give you some massive hugs, as believe it or not we're in the same boat!!!

J has been refusing his PM nap for about a week now  I have tried....

- Pushing his morning nap back as late as possible and letting him sleep as long as he wants, then a catnap in the car late afternoon: he wont sleep more than either 45 mins or 1hr 10mins in the morning, no matter what time I put him down  On these days he's had a longer AM nao he has flat out refused a PM nap, meaning he's been having 5/6/7hr A times and early bt's.

- Pushing his morning nap back still, but limiting it to 45mins (its usually an hour that I wake him after anyway)....then putting him down for his pm nap after 3 hours A time...
       *1st day it worked fine, went straight to sleep for the pm nap but only slept for 1hr 10 mins.
       *2nd day went straight to sleep after 3.5hrs (stretched him due to short nap prev day) A time but woke after 45 mins OT.
       *3rd day 3hrs 20mins A time slept for 1hr 20 mins
       *today, 3hrs 10mins A time woke after 45 mins obviously OT, crying/rubbing eyes etc.

PLUS, he has started waking after 45 mins form the AM nap by himself. I can onoly think that he is OT as we get 45min naps from that too.

So I too am at a loss, I seem to have tried all sorts and nothings working! Also having nw's/ew's, luckily nw's are usually before 10pm but it can take up to 2 hrs for him to go back to sleep. He is SOOO OT. He is teething so I have given him Medised at bedtime the past 2 nights and he's sttn no wakings, but I cant give it to him forever and I know tonight will be awful as he's only had 1.5hrs today.

Sorry I cant be of more help, just wanted you to know you're not alone! Have you tried limiting the first nap to 45 mins yet?

 HTH x

[* Paula *]

Thanks Angela, I remember you posting, and us going through a funny phase at the same time too.

I am also at my wits end, as some days are pefect, then others are out of control.  I seem to never get a full nights sleep lately, as if DD sleeps through then DS wakes and vice versa  I am soooo tired 

I have tried limiting AM nap, but DD gets sooo grumpy and then inevatably refuses her PM nap all together 

[deckchariot]

I had the same problem with Abby (though she was about 9 or 10 mos at the time) - if I limited that am nap, she refused the pm nap altogether and nobody wants a bub who's only had 30 min of daytime sleep!  So I went the opposite direction - let her sleep as long as she wanted in the am and just did a catnap in the pm.  Then if she refused the catnap, I just put her to bed early.  I had much better luck that way.

hth
michelle

[* Paula *]

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for the reply.
 
I have been trying to do that, but Abi very rarely sleeps longer than 1.5 hours at any nap, and when we have EW, it makes for a very long day.

I guess we are just going to have to ride it out, and just be happy when we do get good nap days.

Will keep you all posted on how we get on.

[deckchariot]

well that blows my theory   Have you tried pushing the morning A time out a bit?  I'm wondering if that will lengthen the am nap at all.....

[* Paula *]

I have tried, but she is really cranky by the 3.25 hour mark  and when I do put her down, she generally goes straight to sleep.

After giving her that cat nap, took her over an hour to fall asleep for bed time  Fun nd games.

I am going to try and play with her A times on the weekend when I am at home, so it might be easier then.

[marensmama]

It seems like such a cop-out to say, but it sounds like you're just going to have to ride it out. *ducking*

Honestly, Paula and Angela, you've both tried everything I would have suggested.  Is it completely rotten to believe that some things we just have to work through? 

If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure we're not too far behind.  We were late getting rid of the catnap, but suddenly Hayden can handle all sorts of A time... 

[*Natasha*]

I think i have to agree with Nicole as well *ducking as well*
Catherine went through the exact same thing around 9months. I tried everything and in the end i let her sleep as long as she liked in the morning (generally 1.5-2hrs) and then she had a 45min nap in the afternoon 3hrs after waking in the morning. Some days she took a while to fall asleep for the afternoon nap so i limited it to 30mins. In the end at 11.5months her morning nap went to 45mins and she flat out refused her afternoon nap so i moved her to 1 nap and never looked back.

[binxyboo]

Wow, seems so early, but in another way, can't wait until we get there!

[Purplecattypants]

Bleeuuggghhh we got a 6am wakeup this morning (unusual for him), 45 min first nap, then another bl**dy 45min arvo nap after 3hrs 10min A time...he will NOT go back to sleep!!! Ahhhh this is driving me crazy!!

How are things with you Paula?

[* Paula *]

No need to duck ladies, I can still throw things quite low 

Ok seriously, I kenw things were coming to this.  Remember Natasha I said to you when Abi was about 6 months and doing just under 3hours A time, that we would be on 1 nap before we know it.

Well after her having a cat nap, I woke her at 5pm - so that was 45 mins sleep.  Gave her some dinner, played a while, practicing pulling up as she is trying so hard.  Though this would tire her out a bit.  Had a bath at around 6:30, bottle at 7pm ish, and put her to bed at 7:30, she looked tired, but still played until 8:30pm  . 

She had a shorter night sleep (she always does when she goes to bed later - she is weird like that).  But she slept until 6:55, so was not too bad.  Besides I was up with Thomas anyway who decided at 5:40 that it was time to get up.  Ended up putting him downstairs in front of the tv, so that he would not wake DD.

She was due to go down for a nap at 10:10.  Told nursery not to put her down any earlier.  She fell asleep immediately, and woke up at 12:20  This is unheard of for my DD DOUBLE 

I fetched her from Nursery at 3:30, and she was starting to look ready for another nap.  Got home at about 3:50, and she was asleep by 4:00pm.  I am only going to give her 45 mins, and see how we go.

Fingers crossed for a good night.

[Purplecattypants]

Wow Paula thats great! We havent had a nap as long as that in....goodness, I dont know when! Fingers crossed for tonight for you 

[* Paula *]

[color=purpleThanks Angela.  How have your naps been today?

I was just thinking, it is so difficult to try and work things out, cause generally on a weekend, her routine is perfect with 2 x 1.5 hour naps. 

I just don't know why some days she naps fantastically and other days are out the window 

I don't know, I guess I have just got to take each day as it comes and hope for the best 

9 mins and this girl is getting woken up 

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[Purplecattypants]

2 X 45 mins naps here 

I guess with yours bieng in daycare that could account for some days good some days bad? Is it mostly when she's there that naps go bad? Different environment etc...

I guess at the end of the day they are little people too, and we all have days where we sleep well and others not so much. They are at an age now where they are less predictable, they have their own thoughts and feelings and somedays want to sleep more than others?! Frustrating, isnt it?