I think we may need tweaking, suggestions please!

[jrmommyx2]

Well after about 20 min of crying I went in and held him a bit. He just wanted to get off my lap and play. Although a few min before I could see him fighting to keep his eyes open- then all of a sudden, bam, it was like he just woke from a 3 hr nap! And the strangest thing to me, he was pretty good the rest of the day! I put him to bed at 6:30 ( he did seem sleepy, but happy) and he screamed bloody murder for a 1/2 hour!!! Sooooo out of character! I don't remember the last time he protested bedtime like that. He was out by 7pm... I didn't gie him any meds tonight, thought I would do a little experiment- I know, what am I thinking?

Funny that you brought the med thing up. I gave him tylenol. Not sure why as we seem to have better luck with motrin when it comes to teething. If he wakes tonight, I will give him some. What do you suggest as far as soothing to sleep. Can you believe it, I've never really had to do that!!! I" mean a little shhsh-pat when they were itty bitty, but that is it!

Do you think it is possible that his sleep needs have changed that drastically and he has gone from needing a 2.5-3 hr nap to a 45-60min nap just like that? My gut says no and the teeth are the culprit... But I'm looking at all angles here.

[jrmommyx2]

so this is weird... no meds last night... and other than crying for a 1/2 hour when I first put him down (I did go in to reassure him), he slept all night!

He was up between 7:30-8:00 this am. Was trying to doze on the way home form the gym but I didn't let him (it was a short car ride anyway) he had lunch and I put him down a little after 12. He was quiet- I got in the shower- 10 min later I was out and he was screaming! I went in and reassured him again and he laid down and I think was asleep by 12:30... We'll see... ugh... it is 1:20, I'm not even off the site yet and he just started crying... so after 40 minutes of trying to soothe him, he is still awake and crying for me. Again, He his eyes were soooo heavy, but he just fought it. He was fine while I was in the room (even if I was no where near him), but the minute I walk out he cries. What the heck? He made it through 12 hrs last night with no meds, this can't be teeth, its got to be behavioral at this point, right? It has been the same thing for 5 days in a row now! What should I do? What time should I put him to bed tonight? He slept from 12:30-1:20 (if he even was sleeping at 12:30)... ok, so it is now 2:30- and quiet in there. I"m not sure if he is asleep or just not crying

[becky1969]

Aw, poor lad.  Just b/c he didn't wake last night without meds doesn't mean it isn't teeth.  Teeth don't hurt constantly -- they hurt and then let up and then hurt again.  I have to say his behavior sure looks like teething to me.  They get super clingy.  I think what I would have done is when he woke from that nap I would have medicated and then calmed in the rocker, and then put back to bed after 20-30 minutes to try again.  Don't worry about it becoming a prop.  He's needing extra love/comforting right now and as soon as this teething episode is over he'll go back to normal! Never fear!  You have AWESOME sleepers, so worst case scenario is it would take a day or two of WI/WO to straighten out, but I doubt even that would be necessary.

[jrmommyx2]

Thanks Becky... You always seem to calm me down! We'll try motrin tonight and tomorrow. DH is going out of town for the weekend tomorrow... Please let this get better so I'm not doing this alone all weekend...

[becky1969]

  will sacrifice to the sleep gods for you 

[jrmommyx2]

I'll take anything and everything I can get at this point! Thanks!

Last night actually went pretty well, motrin at 6pm in bed by 6:40, no crying and asleep instantly. No waking until maybe 7:30ish this am. :)So I gave him mortin again at 11:30 this am, in for  a nap at noon. cried as soon as I left the room . Did the whole stand over the crib, rub his back thing... tried to leave, he cried. Held him for a few minutes, he was falling asleep in my arms, put him down, tried to leave, he cried! Didn't go back in that time, he stopped crying and I think he is asleep- It is 12:30... Do you think he was crying because he was OT/ UT/ SA because of pain?

...   12:55, started crying... Didn't go in, he went back to sleep by 1:10 and then I heard him a little after 2... not great, but better. He is really babbling like crazy. I left him in his crib talking away for almost a 1/2  hour. It seems kind of crazy. but do you think all this "talking" could be keeping him up too?

[becky1969]

Actually a lot of kids *do* have sleep disruptions that coincide with language explosions.  I think his is more related to teething, but I betcha the talking isn't helping! 


I think the crying is because he's just so out of sorts from the teething.  He was probably a bit OT and so was just having trouble relaxing and going to sleep plus didn't feel good.  Just keep at it! Sounds like the early bedtime worked wonders!  You might try an 11;45 nap time and see how that goes.

[jrmommyx2]

Well I think he napped for a little over an hour today. He did wake up in between, but it didn't take him long to
re-settle himself. I gave him more motrin tonight and he was in bed at 6:45- cried hard when I left the room, but it only lasted a few minutes and I think he is out! I will try an 11:45 nap tomorrow. Let's hope all is well tonight... I'm on my own! Keep sacrificing!!!

[jrmommyx2]

I am at a complete loss. He woke three times between 7:30 and 10:30 last night. I had to go in once. Then I heard him at about 6:30am- He was standing up crying- But the minute I gave him a binky he laid back down and went right to sleep. I let him go till I heard him again at 8:30. So the try for an 11:45 nap was out. He went in a little before 12:30, was sleeping before I left the room! Woke screaming at 1:10.... tried for 45 minutes to resettle him. I actually think he was asleep, I was able to leave the room... but less than 5 min later he was screaming again. So I went in again, gave him some tylenol, rocked hi for 20 minutes. By this time he think he thought it was time to get up. I put him back in his crib, he screamed hard for 10 minutes- now he is quiet (2:20pm). I'm not sure if he is actually asleep or not... nope, crying again... wait, now he is quiet again... please stay asleep!!!!

[becky1969]

Aw, poor love! This is not a routine issue.  This is a pain issue.  Have you checked to make sure an ear infection isn't causing problems?  Sometimes teething and ear infection symptoms can look similar.

[jrmommyx2]

Yes- I had him at the doctor last Thursday thinking that maybe that was it- But as of then, his ears were fine. If he is still struggling this week I will call them again. Last night we actually spent the night at a friend's house. Our DH's are out of town together. I was thinking... What on earth am I doing trying to get him to sleep somewhere else when I can't even get him to sleep at home! But it couldn't be worse then home, so I figured I'd try! It actually went pretty well! He went down right at 7- Only cried for a few minutes, woke once around 1:30am (when I came into the room- but went right back to sleep) and slept until 7:45 this am!!!! DD on the other hand was up on and off from 5:30-8:00am. But she was in my friend's room, so I didn't hear her crying out too much!

DD fell asleep on the car ride home this am (about a 40 min drive, slept for about 20 of it)- But I put them both in at 11:45- He cried for less than 5 min, she went right down.... Let's hope he'll sleep!

It is officially 8 days of this

[becky1969]

aw, I really think its teeth for him.  Keep an eye out for those teethies! He may just be more sensitive than DD to pain.  Boys usually are! I don't know about you, but my DH is a really big baby about anything even slightly uncomfortable! 

[jrmommyx2]

I'll second you on the DH thing! A little sniffle and you'd think the world was coming to an end! So the good news is, although he protested me putting hi in at 11:45 yesterday, he was asleep by 12:15ish and up at 2!!!! So a good 2 hr nap!!!! Last night he was in bed by 7. He seemed to go right down, but then I heard him taking around 7:30 only for a few minutes... Then quiet all night! It was nice this am too. I went in to get him a little before 8 and he was up, but playing quietly like he use to- not the screaming wake up we've been having all week! He went down at noon today. Again, protested a tad, but quickly quiet. Lets hope he has another good one! Of course things look like they are getting back on track, DH is home now!

... He slept 2 hrs this afternoon, yippppeee! In bed a little after 7pm- He didn't protest and cry when I put him down. but it is 7:35 and I can still hear him singing a little. Is that UT? He had 5 hrs A time before bed! Gosh what a week it was! Ok, just to make sure, Becky, would you mind taking one last look at our overall schedule? Let me know if you think there is anything that may need tweaking. At what point should I move the mid-day nap back a little?

7:30-8:00- wake up
8:30ish- breakfast
11:30- lunch
12:00-2:00ish- nap
3:30ish- snack
5:30- dinner
7:00- bedtime

[jrmommyx2]

Things are more or less back to normal! When you have a chance Becky, I'm interested in what you think about my questions in the post before this...

[becky1969]

Wow, you only have 4.5 A before nap?  I'm guessing he struggled falling asleep because he was a tad OT.  You do have some sleepy bubs, don't you! You might do 4.5 hours post nap (so, make sure he's in bed at 4h15 just to give him time to fall asleep within his sleep window) and see if that gets him to fall asleep faster.

Actually, I have a sleep bub too and even though he's 3y9m, he only does 4-4.5 hours post nap.  He does MUCH better with shorter As before bed.  If we do longer he struggles for 30-60 minutes to fall asleep.  If I stay in the 4-4h30 range than he falls asleep instantly (or at least I don't hear him chatting/singing!).