Can someone show me where I keep going wrong?

[RACHPEM]

Meant to add 2hrs naps are so rare for Maya too, so even with a shorter night she does not make up with naps so mostly 11-11.5hrs a day which seems on the short side really.  As i entioned earlier she is very uncontented most of the day which makes me sure she is not getting enough.  When we were on holiday, even when she took 1hr nap in the day she would sleep 12 even 13 hrs at night!!!! ( we had a few 9am starts, bliss!)
Rachael x

[Vicku]

She's 19 mo right? How was her 2-1 switch? Do you think she was ready for it or could all this be part of her not having transitioned properly yet?
11-11.5 hrs in 24 does sound very little, you're right. how long does she usually nap when she has 2 naps a day?
Hope today goes well with the 2 naps. Bedtime 7:30, wake up 6am sound like a good plan for you then and also means you don't have as far to push her.

I'm sure you've talked about this before, but does she sleep in a totally dark room? I think it's important to block out outside light as that varies and sun rises early this time of year (at least here, don't know where you are)
What we do is we have black out curtains and blinds, so hardly any light gets in, but then we have a small night light in her roon on all night. We noticed she'd be really unsettled if she woke at night or early am and could not see. Also, then the light level in her room doesn't change so dramatically at sunrise, and that's worked really well for her. NWs where she'd call for us stopped and she started to just resettle. Same with EWs, so we've carried on with the nightlight. I just thought I'd share in case you think it's something worth trying if complete darkness hasn't helped the EWs.

Have a good day!

[RACHPEM]

Hi Vicku, Maya's room is pretty dark, we have a travel blackout blind stuck to the window, plus a blackout blind and blackout curtains! not that im paranoid!! .  2 naps have never really worked for us, if she takes a short am nap then pm tends not to work and vice versa, we have tried allsorts but we always come back to ew.  As I mentioned before while we were away she was still going to bed 6.30-7 and waking the same time in the morning. She has never been a good napper and only since we attempted the 2-1 trans that she started taking longer naps and on most days she takes 1.5 hrs which previous would be 30 mins each nap, so i think 1 nap suits her better I just cant work out when it should be.  Before we went away which was beg jun she was doing quite well, nap around 11.30 for 1.5 and bed 6.30-7pm and we did get 6am and later wakes but since we have come back i cant get it right. I just dont really know where to go from here? should I stick to A times or stick to clock times in the hope something gives soon?
Rachael x

[Vicku]

It is a very tough situation to be in, and very confusing. Me personally would stick to clock times (with a bit of flexibility and watching cues) as A times gets so confusing and I believe consistency at this age works best. But of course my opinion is formed on my LO and what I've learned works best for her. The grumpiness you've talked about is that very out of character for her? What is her temperament? Could the grumpiness be due to teething? DD always has more EW when teething and is grumpy through the day then too. My thought was that if she's teething and that is causing some of this then just staying consistent with the routine you want her to be on might eventually work Say wake up 6 (hoping for), nap 12-2 (ideally) and bedtime 7:30. Or have you already tried that?
If the short naps are the concern then do nap at 12 and bedtime 5.5 hrs from wake up of nap, and do WI/WO for EWs until 6am or if she's waking happy just leave her til 6. I dunno, it's really hard when they just don't seem able to take a long nap. Have you ever tried extending the nap with WI/WO telling her it's still nap time?

[LisaM]

Rachael - where did you buy the travel blackout blind?  When we go away I always end up hanging curtains/towels anything up at the windows to block out the sun.

[RACHPEM]

Hi lisa, I bought it from Bumpto3.com, it is called a baa baa travel blackout blind, it comes in one size but there are suckers to attatch where you want so can alter it to fit your window.
Vicku- the routine we were aiming for was 12pm nap but as she has been waking so early she just could not make it , so that is why i shifted back to 11.30, she only ever tends to do 1.5 so bedtime ws 6.30pm but everything is going back instead of forwards.  If I could just get some regular wake ups, ie bed 6.30-5.30 am I could go from there but it seems to be 1 step forward and 4 back.  Extending naps has never worked and tbh regarding her personality - she has been a grump since day 1 however I think she has also been chonically OT since birth due to her never sleeping so I think she just like to hear herself moan. She is very spirited so I also thinks she gets frustrated very easy esp when she cant get her own way!
I think she may have 1 more canine pushing through so this prob does not help, but again due to her irregularity it is hard to pin point to specifics.  At least we have had 3 nights on the trot where she has sttn even if it has been early getting up.
Rachael x
Rachael x

[Vicku]

Wow, those travel black out blinds sound great! I'll have to get one as we're also always struggling with a big piece of black out material, clothes pegs and string usually
It must be frustrating when it feels like you're moving backwards instead of forwards If it's at all possible to get in 2 naps (even if you have to do 2nd in the car or pram or whatever works for her) that might help stop the day from slipping back more.
Hard to know what else to advice at the moment but will be here for hugs and support and follow how you're getting on. STTNis good though. Keep us updated!

[RACHPEM]

maya had 30 mins this morning at 8.30 and then another nap at 1pm, I did try earlier but she was not ready until 1pm, she napped 1hr and again I took her up at 6.30pm and she fell asleep at 7pm.  So we shall see what tonight/tommorrow brings!
Rachael x

[Vicku]

That sounds ok Rach! hoping for a decent wake up tomorrow XXXX

[bethanys mummy]

Hi there

just a quick drop in as Bethany seems unwell (at least a reason for the NWs.....) so catching up

We have just bought a baa baa blind too. Was sick of taking bin liners everywhere, although they are a good back up. darkness helped us with EWs too

Glad you got 2 naps today. Dont expect miracles though, but just think its helps tide you over. I really do think you will get past the 10+ hours at night, but maybe not like Lois, but this will be why her transition is taking so long and is very rocky. Even before the transition B did 10.5 hours (now 10.5 - 11.5) so I knew it would be a problematic 2 to 1 switch

Just hold on in there. The NWs going (at least for now) is a great step forward, and she is doing the occasional 2 hr nap, occasional fall back asleep after EW, occasional 2 nap. This may help steady the boat for a while until she is old enough to find her one nap routine> I know she teased you with great sleep on holiday... but just be happy for the memory, bethany always sleeps worse when away!!

Take care and keep us posted

E x

[LisaM]

Well, we are definitely going backwards lately.  Things had improved slightly with later wake ups (although we were doing later bedtimes) and longer naps on some days.  However, last few days she is taking ages to go to sleep at night - just chatting happily to herself but is waking at 5.10 everyday which means she has had about 9.5 hrs of sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!  Disaster, last night I tried to get her to bed for 6.30pm hoping only take 30 mins to go off and she might get 10 hrs (great) but bit late in bed 6.45 and then took til 7.30 to go off!!!  Not good, don't know what to do about nap again today as I am sure she must be very OT but she handles long A times pretty well (has had to I guess with the EW for so long) so nap is about 12 but thats 7 hrs and I think she will have shorter naps when so tired.  Don't really want to go back to 6pm bedtimes as its really hard to get her to bed so early with dinner etc and also aren't I just confusing her by keep changing the times around?  Think we may have made it worse by doing later bedtimes although she was adjusting and sleeping in til nearer 6 and a couple of wonderful days 6.30am - don't know why she now suddenly wants to get by on just 9.5 hrs of sleep.   Yuk - fed up today.

Rachael - thanks about the blinds will check them out - their catalogue arrived yesterday actually so good timing - how was your night?

[RACHPEM]

Good night but early morning again! 4.45am!!! she went quiet about 5.10am so unsure if she went off again, I should think so as I did ot hear her again til 5.50am!
Lisa, we had a short phase too where bedtimes were later and we were also getting some glorious later mornings but again ours were short lived and now back to square 1.  At least the nw have stoppd for now, however when she was waking in the night she slept in longer in the am.
We did 2 naps yesterday but no difference to routine, I guess at least she did not get OT by splitting it .  Hopefully we are out today at the farm, if the weather holds, so prob all over the place again routine wise, but I feel like we miss out if we dont do the occasional day out and say heck to naps/sleep.  It does not seem to make much of a difference anyway.
I think I am still going to aim for set times and throw the odd 2 naps in if we need to, trouble is I dont want to create a habit of her wanting to add her 1st nap onto her night sleep, which is what happened before.  I mean she is alredy showing tired signs and it is onlt 7.15? but if she continues to wake so early even 11.30 seems miles off.
Rachaelc

[LisaM]

That sounds better, at least she dropped back off again - that is what Grace was doing when she slept in later, I would still hear her early but she went back off but she hasn't done that for a while now. 

I know exactly what you mean about the nap time being such a long way off - I feel so bad for her cos I know she doesn't get anywhere near enough sleep but on the other hand I think what else can I do, have tried so hard to sort this out but she just won't change for any length of time.  She has already had 2 big trantrums this morning both before 8am!!  Happy days eh?  Sure its cos she is tired but I really have to work on stretching out the naps even further  as once dd1 is at school in Sept she cannot nap until about 12.30 cos we had to pick dd1 up at 12. 

I hope you do enjoy your day out at the farm and yes try not to worry about naps/bedtimes etc, take a day off from it all.  I can't wait til I get to wake up each day and am not calculating in my head whats the best thing I can do nap wise and bedtimes etc to make an ok day for her and also lying there thinking what did we do differently, is she OT, is it something else etc etc etc.

Anyway keep us posted how you are getting on.  I am gonna try an earlier bedtime just because its taking her so long to go off to sleep which I think is to do with her age and practising her language as I remember dd1 doing that for a while when she was a similiar age - I wouldn't mind if only she'd make up for later bedtime as she is just chatting away all cute on her own - bless her.

[bethanys mummy]

Hi there

Rachel that is brilliant that she went back to sleep again, I bet she did because when we hear Bethany resettle herself in the morning she then usually sleeps another 1,10. I would seriously think about putting some ear plugs in so that YOU sleep through the resettling because I know what its like to be half awake half listening

So she is STTN and sleeping about 11 hours??? Now I KNOW it wont last and there will be ups and downs but lets celebrate this!!!!! All that WIWO worth it?? and settling ok at bedtime?? So "all" we need now is a longer lunch time nap and we you are sorted!!!

I really know what you mean about waking each am and calculating and analysing the day in terms of how and when to do naps and what may have gone right / wrong. But just remember that even perfect routines only work about 2/3 of the time and our lo's are not quite perfect!!

The thought of ideally having one nap but occasionally having 2 sounds perfect. I think it helps with the planning of the day. For example we have a christening next week at her nap time, so I am thinking about setting off earlier so she can have 20 mins in the car on the way and then a longer nap in the pushchair after the event

Lisa - hugs. Its hard for me to remember my DD1 for your age issues but again I guess we cant assume she is UT - so earlier bedtime is probably all you can do

Better go and do some work....

E x

[RACHPEM]

Hi guys, we had a great day at the farm, but hardly any naps she took 30 mins on the way there which was at 10am and 15 mins on the way back at 3.15pm, what time do you think b/time should be?
be great if any one is there to give me your thoughts.
Rachael