It's getting worse, please help! EW issues.

[cupcakekisses]

I am hoping you lovely people can help me! I came here before for help, but then my son got very sick (as did I!) for about a month. We're better now, and have been for a while, but we still have problems with sleep!

My LO is 18 months old (tomorrow) and we are really struggling with sleeping. Since 3 months old he wasn't a great sleeper, especially during the day. But at about 6 months he started sleeping through the night, and even now only occasionally wakes in the night, and when he does he is really difficult to settle.
But anyway, that isn't so much the problem, the problem is his consistent early waking.
LO wakes between 5 and 5:45 every morning.
It hasn't ALWAYS been around that time, he was sleeping in until 7:30am at one point, for about 2 or 3 weeks. That was months ago now though.
He also doesn't nap well, though the last few days has been sleeping a bit longer. His usual nap is about 30 mins, sometimes 40. 3 days ago he had a 2 hour nap, 2 days ago and yesterday an hour and a half. This is really bizarre for him though, not usual at all, but I am glad as I know he needs more sleep!

This is our 'routine' lately:
5:30 wake - bottle
7:30 breakfast
11:00 nap
11:30 (usually) wake
12:00 lunch
2:00 cup of milk
5:30/6:00 dinner
7:00 bath/teeth/pj's/cup of milk
7:30 story & bed

I know he has long breaks between sleeps, and he does get OT, but he will just not sleep twice a day anymore.

I really don't know what to do at the moment. My husband is starting to be really grumpy towards our LO when it is his turn to get him up in the morning. Which makes me grumpy at my DH and at the situation. It's not fun at all for anyone concerned in the household. We would really like some advice!

Sorry the post is so long!

[coopers_mommy]

{{{hugs}}}...it can be SO difficult when everyone is grumpy!  I do hope that ya'll can keep taking turns to catch up on sleep. 

Okay, after looking at the EASY routine you have, my only suggestion (as I am still working through the 2-1 nap switch), is that maybe you should bring up that bedtime for a few nights?!?!  I'm thinking that hopefully that might take care of the OTness that is occuring.  That might lead into taking care of the short nap as well so that then DS is well rested. 

I'm not there yet with my LO, he's still 15 months....so I hope some others can help shine some light here! 

Keep looking forward....it WILL get better!

[skatty]

I think he needs to go to bed way earlier, that is a very long A time after his nap, if you put him to bed really early at about 6pm you will probably have improvement very quickly, hopefully as a longer nap and a later wake up. If it was me I would be putting my DD to bed no longer than 4½ hours after her nap ended if it was only 30 mins, early bedtimes seem ridiculous but sometimes they are the only way to fix things.

HTH, Katt

[cupcakekisses]

Thank you Coopers_mommy and Skatty!
I appreciate your time!

We will give the earlier bed time a try. I do hope it doesn't make him wake earlier 

My Dh doesn't really want to do a 6pm bedtime, as he gets home at 6pm... do you think a 6:30pm bed time would have similar results if it works for our little guy?

[skatty]

I am sure it would help, if he does need to go to bed earlier it will only be for a short period so he can catch up on sleep, are you able to have a family breakfast, we used to do this a lot. Most LOs wont wake earlier with an earlier bedtime but unfortunately you don't know until you try. Another idea is to try 2 naps again just for a few days to get him caught up on some sleep, if this works you will be able to have a later bedtime, it sounds like he is already OT by naptime so maybe a 20/30 min nap about 9 would work and then the main nap about 2½/3 hrs later. Do you think he'd go for that? When I needed my DD to take 2 naps because of OT I would take her out in the pushchair walking or in the car about 4 hours after wake up and let her sleep no more than 20 mins and then she'd still take her proper nap, the other option is to offer a 20 min catnap around 5pm for 20 mins which will then buy you about 2 hours to do tea and the bed routine.

HTH, Katt 

[coopers_mommy]

I know it can be hard for DH to get home after your LO is asleep, but it's only for a short period of time!  When we had to make the drastic change in bedtime (8:30-9 to 6) it was hard on my DH for a while.  He was able to work with his boss to allow him to go into work earlier and then get off earlier so that he could spend some time with DS.  We had to look at it as, if this saves our sanity and our relationship then it's worth it!  It does stink sometimes, but now we're slowly pushing his bedtime back which is so neat to see how everything is now coming full circle! 

Remember that you're trying to do what's best for you LO, sometimes the sacrifice has to be made for just a short amount of time! 

HTH

[knackered]

Could you also push his nap out a little bit too. Perhaps give him 5 hours of A time after wake -up rather than 4.5. That might be why he won't nap for long enough - he's not quite tired enough?

Anna x

[Sima]

My lo is 19 months old too...and having problems with kind of short naps.  Noticed that eye teeth cut their naps short...did he get all eye teeth yet.
but also noticed that he is awake for long stretches.  I have tried earlier bedtime and it really works for lo to sleep longer, but sometimes might get EW.  I have also done Catnap evening when wake up from nap too early...that makes them wake up a little later.
But I would start with earlier bedtime first, no more than 5.5 hours awake.

[cupcakekisses]

Thanks so much everyone for your suggestions and advice.

So the earlier bed time is just a temporary thing? Just for catching up on some sleep?
What happens if he takes to it well though, should it be an ongoing thing?

I agree Coppers_mommy, I'm sure Dh will end up being ok with it all, especially if it's only for a while to help get things back on track.
He does have some time in the morning, so we can all be together for a little longer then.

I will start him on earlier bedtimes as of tonight and see how things go over the next few days.

I know it is dependent on the child, but what is the 'optimum' time between sleeps for an 18 month old? 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours?
I'm trying to work out when it would be a good time to put him down for a nap if his morning wake up time changes from putting him to bed earlier in the evening.

I really appreciate all of your help everyone!!

Thank you!