Re: sleeping less and less - 16 mo off track

[mmom]

He can't quite run in the snow, but he definitely likes being outside.  I really think that getting out is important.  The other day I had errands to run and had to get him in his coat and winter wear during his freak out. He was fine once we got in the car.  So I guess I just need to get him outside every day after the nap.  I did just buy things to go over my boots that are good for ice, for this very reason. I like getting out too.  Our area is plowed pretty well.  We just have issues immediately after a storm, which was yesterday for us.  As a matter of fact, I think I am going to head out now.  My LO is calm - my mom just watched him for a few so I could go to a doctor's appt.  She had heard me describe this scene, but she had no idea what it really looked like.  She couldn't believe it!!

[mmom]

We didn't have a horrible night, but we have an EW this morning.  DH said our LO was sleeping around 6:35/6:40 last night, which was about a 5.5 hour A after this nap.  He woke at exactly 10:30 again (what do I do about this?) and the good news is DH used the same method I did the previous night and he was sleeping again in less than 20 minutes.  So it took 1 hour the first night and 20 minutes the 2nd night. I thought W2S would work for this 10:30 waking, so I asked DH to stir him before he came to bed, which is between 9:30/10.  But it didn't.  Anyway, my LO woke at 5 this morning.  It is now 6 and I haven't gotten him yet, but he has been awake, alternating between standing and calling for me and then laying back down and babbling.  I don't think I can do an early nap today, because it would be so early that it would almost require 2 naps.  Early naps are very easy when he wakes at 6:30, because we can still do a decent bedtime.

[babybarr]

Have you been giving meds before bed?  Could it be that the meds have worn off at 10.30pm?  Or if you / DH going to bed does this disturb him?  I know DS is restless around that time especially if we're off to bed.

How does your LO fair on 2 naps? 

Well done with your work in the night, hopefully it'll pay off. 

L xx

[Mashi]

Yes Tylenol lasts about 4 hours....so it could be the meds wearing off. But, it would be strange that as soon as it wears off it wakes him, IMO. 

Is there anything happening - a neighbour coming home from work at that time and the car lights shinging in his window, the heating coming on or off, etc that you can isolate it to be the cause?  If not, I would keep with the W2S...can take a couple of days to break the habit, just cause it doesn't work once doesn't mean to give up!

[mmom]

I can't really think of anything that would wake him.  He has all kinds of white noise on in his room and even when I have been in there with him, I haven't been able to hear DH moving about in the kitchen, which is right off of his room.  I don't know if DH medicated him last night - I forgot to ask.  But the previous 2 nights, I have given him Motrin and that is supposed to last 6-8 hours, so it can't be that.  I am going to have DH go in there again tonight before he comes to bed.  If we could just kick that, it would be so much better.

Laura, my LO does not do well with 2 naps.  When we have early mornings like today, I push his nap to 11.  Sometimes we get a good nap and sometimes we don't.  But at least it isn't so long until bedtime.

[Mashi]

Well, in our house we call 10pm-11pm "the witching hour"   No matter how rested DS is, between 10pm and 11pm he starts waking and stirring.  We sometimes hear him yawn and then go quiet, other times he fusses and then goes back to sleep and some nights it just goes on for an hour until one of us goes in to pat him back to sleep OR he wakes fully and cries, which is usually on nights with pain or OT.  I have always assumed it is just a natural spot in the sleep cycle where he is in a lighter sleep.  But it has been a constant for as long as I can remember...

[mmom]

Hmmm, that is interesting.  Maybe my LO has been waking at that time too and he just needs to remember how to get back to sleep on his own.  Hopefully, that doesn't take too long!!!

[babybarr]

It is a lighter stage of the sleep around that time yes.  With regard to the meds I just thought if he'd gone into that lighter sleep then the pain may have been more noticeable IYSWIM?

Kara we do the same here with naps as we can't do 2 nap days either!!!

[mmom]

We didn't have a good nap - no surprise.  It was about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  We are aiming for an early bedtime.  Hopefully, we are in for a better night.

[mmom]

We had a good night, so I really shouldn't complain, but I will.  lol  My LO was sleeping by 5:50 and woke at 5 this morning.  (We still keep him in his room until 6.)  No NW's and an 11 hour night.  I know that is not an EW, but it is early and I am tired.  I feel like we are going to get stuck in this pattern only because with a 5 am waking, we have to do an 11 am nap, then the nap will stink because of OT, then an early bed, then a 5 am waking.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  At least a few weeks ago, when he took a short nap, he made up for it in the night and slept 12 hours.  Not so much last night.  Any suggestions for me?  

[deckchariot]

I know you said he doesn't do well with 2 naps, but I'm wondering with those EWs if you could squeeze in a catnap just to get bedtime later.  Rather than pushing him til 11 and getting an OT nap, go ahead and put him down when he's tired and let him sleep.  Then give him a catnap 4ish hrs after he wakes from that - no more than 30 min - use the stroller or the car if you need to.  Then you should be able to do a later bedtime to get a later wake up and get back on track.  It's worth a try.

[Mashi]

I agree with the attempt at two naps.  We had hit a point where two naps was just impossible even on days we *needed* them and started creating more problems than that which it was solving.  Yesterday though, I went for it again, and was gobsmacked at how well it went --

wake (an EW at 550)
nap 930 - 1010ish
nap 130 - 315ih
Bed 740

!!!!!  not even 3.5 hours between the two naps, while the last two times I have done two nap days it was a FULL 4 hours after a 30 minute nap and then a short afternoon nap. Both of those last two times he was severely OT, while yesterday he wasn't OT, really, just an EW which I believe was from me forgetting to turn his heat off at night and he woke sweating.  Sooooo.....just illustrating that things that don't work, sometimes DO work, kwim?

[mmom]

OK ladies, I didn't see your ideas until now.  Unfortunately, today DH took our LO out for a while so I could get a report done.  We put him down at 11.  I will try 2 naps tomorrow when I get another 5 am waking.  Mashi, I saw this comment on your experience on another thread and while I am hesitant to try it given how poorly it has worked in the past, I will give it a go tomorrow.  I notice that  one of you says to try the morning nap as the longer nap and one the afternoon nap as the longer nap.  Does it matter?

[Mashi]

I notice that  one of you says to try the morning nap as the longer nap and one the afternoon nap as the longer nap.  Does it matter?

Mine wasn't so much a suggestion, just was using what my DS did yesterday for illustrating my point that's all!!!!  I do think that he did well last time on the short morning/long afternoon that got us out of this a month ago, BUT at the same time I also believe that trying new things to get you out of a situation can be invaluable -- so try the long morning/short afternoon, you have nothing to lose!!!

[mmom]

OK, I will give it a go tomorrow.  It is 1.5 hours into his nap and he is starting to stir.  Although, I am watching him try to re-settle in the monitor.  Poor thing is just tired and can't get back to sleep.