Re: sleeping less and less - 16 mo off track

[Mashi]

Kara, Hope you don't mind if I throw something out at you that may not be my place to suggest?

I've just seen your "food rut" thread and had a thought or two.  I knew your DS was MSPI but did not realise that he is also egg and wheat allergic.  Have you had his allergies tested?  As in, to confirm that there are not other food allergies? Do you think that he could have some other food allergies that are causing some discomfort and sleeping problems?  Especially as LOs get older, sleep issues can be a pretty decent indicator that there is something not quite right with the digestive system.  I don't want to suggest that what you are going through with your LO's sleep is a "sleep issue" that is abnormal, I mean go through the Toddler Sleep board and there are a good half-dozen of the same group of us supporting each other with similar situations. But, at the same time, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is ALL just age related.  KWIM?

Anyway, it was just something that went through my head, thought I would throw it out and see what you thought.

--
PS am just seeing your post now that you got a great nap!!!!
Yes, it is a late bedtime to make it to 745 but I also think that 6 will be too early.  He resettled himself this morning after his 5am wake up which does mean that 5ish wake was most likely OT.  And so he needs a bedtime that is late enough due to his nap but early enough to allow him to get the rest that he needs. I would aim for 7pm...

[mmom]

Mashi, the food issue is always in the back of my mind.  Unfortunately, it is not as simple as an allergy test.  We have to trial foods to see if we get problems.  It is a GI disease he has called eosinophilic esophagitis.  He was scoped in July and it was clean, which means all of the foods we had him on at that point weren't causing him any problems.  Prior to that and the elimination of the foods I listed, we knew he had issues because of a lot of crying around sleep times, choking, and vomiting.  Since July, we have only added cod oil, peanut butter, and a rice "cheese", which I had to consider a new food because it had peppers in it.  The only issue we are having is naps at the moment, as compared to before when it was more.  Yet, I do always wonder.  Not that I want to see my LO scoped again, but I am requesting one at the end of this month to see if it is clean.  It is the only way we will know.  The protocol is to scope every 6 months, but my GI thinks that if we don't see symptoms, we shouldn't scope.  But with a toddler who can't say "my throat hurts" or my "tummy hurts", I really think a scope is necessary.  Anyway, sorry for the long explanation!!

We will aim for 7 and hope that he doesn't wake any earlier than 6!!

[Mashi]

Ahhhh..the story rings familiar to me - I think I remember when you introduced peanut butter back a few months ago?

[mmom]

LOL - probably.  I made that into quite a production.  I was so scared to introduce it, yet wanted another protein/fat source. 

[mmom]

Would you believe my LO slept until 7 this morning?  I had him down at 6:45 last night and I don't think he dosed off until about 7:30 or maybe a few minutes before.  So that was a 5 hour 15 minute A after his nap (I think if i remember correctly.)

So I can't assume he is OT anymore.  We had a good day yesterday and he got an 11.5 hour night.  Do I just jump back to the 5.75/6 hour A I was going for?

[Mashi]

SO glad to hear it! Yes, it sounds like he is caught up, and I would go the 5.75A time you were looking for!  Hoping it all works out!

[mmom]

interesting nap.  My LO didn't fall asleep until 1.  He woke at 1:40 and I thought it was over - he stood up and started crying.  I let this go for a few and as I was about to get him, he sat back down so I waited. He went back to sleep and slept until 2:40.  All in all 1.5 hours.  But he was not happy.  I think the teeth are bothering him - his cheeks are bright red and his nose is running.

What do I do about bedtime?  Still go with 5.5?

[Mashi]

I wouldn't go for 5.5 hours, that would be after 8pm, and if he's regularly an early riser....I think it could be asking for a very short night. Do you not think?

I would go for 730. If he takes longer to fall asleep then at least you gave him the opportunity to go earlier, kwim?

Justmy thought though!

[mmom]

I was thinking the same, especially since I don't want to be putting my toddler to bed at 8.  But I didn't know if I would be giving him enough of an A time before bed by going earlier.

He is so miserable at the moment.  Yikes, I wish I could figure out what the issue is.

[babybarr]

interesting nap.  My LO didn't fall asleep until 1.  He woke at 1:40 and I thought it was over

We get this quite a lot, although DS doesn't cry just sits up looks around and then goes back off to sleep!  It's very odd!

I would still go for the earlier bedtime like Mashi said, you don't want to backtrack on all the good work and that will be 12.5hrs A time in total (excluding nap) won't it?

Fingers crossed for a good night.

[mmom]

We tried for an earlier bedtime and he didn't fall asleep until 8.  At 5:45 this morning, he stood up and started crying. I am so annoyed.  Why so early?  He certainly wasn't OT last night.  He had a good night, then a good day, and we had him in bed early, despite the late bedtime.  Why can't we get a consistent later wake up? It is like a tease when we get 2 good days and then he goes back to his usual.

Right now he is still crying.  I am not getting him.  I am not sure what time to leave him until, but with an 8 pm bedtime, 6 is too early.

So it goes: back to an early nap, back to an early bedtime.

[Mashi]

Hmmm.  I'm not sure. I don't really know.  The only thing that I can say is that if he is really fussy in the day as well (I htink you said that above?) that it could be teething. Even if you can't see them at the moment they may be working their way up - and we are having more problems with the canines than the molars argh.

[babybarr]

and we are having more problems with the canines than the molars argh

Us too, canines are the pits....

Hope you have a good day and he naps well for you.  Maybe you should try fixing naps and bed a little more? 

Big {{{Hugs}}}

[mmom]

Yeah, DH is convinced it is the teeth.  His whole mouth is swollen.  So while we can't see new ones poking through yet, he definitely has new teeth coming.  Plus his nose is running like crazy.  I don't know if he is getting a cold or what.

Laura, I don't know why I am so afraid of set times.  I feel like my LO gets so OT and wakes earlier and earlier when that happens.  At some point, I might bite the bullet and do it though, because we can't get into a consistent routine.

DH got him at 6:45 because he was p*ssed.  He was banging the crib rail with his hands and screaming.  So, he definitely didn't go back to sleep this morning!  Am I crazy to push a 5.5 hour A this morning even though he had less than a 10 hour night?  I just want a nap at a normal hour and a normal bedtime.

[Mashi]

With teeth, the hard thing is that I find A times are DRASTICALLY reduced. We have hit another spell of it here, when I had JUST realised that we needed to push to 5.5h before a nap and now the past three to four days he has barely made it 4.5 hours before he needs to go to bed.  It is hard because it causes a lot of second guessing and risking the wrong decision....but keep that in mind!