Do I need to tweak something?

[nevviemama]

My lo is 20 months, and lately we've been having a bit less sleep and some EW. She recently got over a dual ear infection (her first) and for the past week or so she is sniffly but no other symptoms. I wonder if she's still a bit under the weather and that's what's causing this, but some advice from others may help.

Since 11 months she has been an increasingly good sleeper. First 11 months were no sleep for anyone, ever. Did bw techniques and no soother. She is still not a good napper, about an hour max since about 14 months when she dropped pm nap. So her rough routine now, that she has been quite happy with:

7-8 wake, milk
1/2 hr later - breakfast
11-12 - nap, 1, or rare times, 1/5 hrs
1- 1:30 - lunch
3 - snack
5- dinner
6 - milk
6:30 - sleep

She has been and still seems to be quite happy with the 6:30 bedtime; we'd put her down then even if she wakes closer to 8 because she lacks in naps. So she'd sleep total of about 12.5 - 13 hrs at night, and 1 in the day. Bedtime is now super easy; she practically jumps into the crib and it's radio silence. There are times however where she'll wake a bit earlier for a few days but then it usually corrects itself and she's back to the typical.

So for the past few weeks it hasn't gotten back. Naps are still about an hour, but she's waking up REALLY crabby, crying, hard to console. Before she may wake cranky but it's worse, indicating to me that she didn't sleep enough, but I've tried to leave her a few minutes and she doesn't go back to sleep. After the initial terribleness, she returns to her normal, happy smiling self.

Bedtime is consistent at 6:30 but now she is waking around 6, a few days even earlier. So now it's only 11.5 at night and 1 in the day, so she's functioning on less overall. She is still quite good-natured otherwise, but prone to more meltdowns last few days which I attribute (at least partially) to less sleep.

So my question is if I should continue with no changes and see if she slowly goes back to it, or perhaps she has reached a developmental plateau and her routine may need a tweak - like pushing back bedtime to get a later wake? Other stuff, talking, activity seems all ok, except that her good appetite has also decreased, albeit only slightly since overcoming the illness. Thanks everyone.

[deckchariot]

I"d push her nap later - that morning A time seems really low for a 20 mos old - it may just be a developmental thing that caught up with her after the illness.  I suspect the 1 hr nap is UT, and the early nap is why she's so ready for bed at 6:30.  Sleep needs change at 18 mos to 1.5 in the day and 11.5 at night (on average), but her A time is really low, so I would think you could extend it, push the nap later and that might help sort things out.  I'd just move it 15 min every few days and see how she responds. 

hth
michelle

[gpmom]

My dd was always one who liked to nap early after like 4 hours of A time.  Around 20 months we had to tweak it as well for the same problem.  Now she wakes at 7 and naps at 12.  It has helped lots.  I would give it a try.

good luck

[nevviemama]

Thanks, her nap is usually closer to 12 these days than 11, but she's been ready at 11 when she's up at 6 or earlier. Vicious cycle! She is in daycare once a week, and she sleeps there usually 12:30-1:30, but because it's still only an hour I still put her to bed at 6:30.

I will try putting her down closer to noon consistently now despite an early wake and see how that fares. She woke with a fever today so I may be in for more inconsistency until she's better. I'd prefer a 7pm bedtime because the weather is finally beautiful and I'd love for her to have more time with daddy and outside.

[jess, lukeys_mom]

hi lucy!

i am just going to move your post over to toddler sleep in case anyone has some insight over there

[deckchariot]

{{{{hugs}}}} on the fever  - that could definitely mess things up.

[nevviemama]

We'll see how things go. Yesterday fever was up and she was trying to lie down in my arms as early as 5:30. I finally put her down at 6:10 and hoped for the best but she was more than ready. And she woke just after 7, and magically the fever was gone Nap today was 11:45. She slept until 1:20 but had a wake where she cried for 5 min. I didn't go, but I have a talk-back monitor so when she wasn't settling I soothed her and told her to go back to sleep. Today was at my sisters and dinner went late, so she was in bed at 7:45. So closer to the desired schedule but hope she wasn't too OT tonight. We'll see how it goes.

[deckchariot]

the brief fever could be teething - so be on the lookout for that.  Hopefully tonight will go well