Re: sleeping less and less - 16 mo off track

[mmom]

The reflux/ tummy issues *seem* to be fine.  It is hard to know what is what though.  I can say he hasn't had much of an appetite yesterday.  DH seems to think it is related to a cold that he has, but I am not sure.  I gave him Tylenol before his nap yesterday, because he was in obvious misery.  The nap was long, maybe too long given the shorter night.  Then he slept fine last night.  Today was a different story though.  He was very restless today during the nap.  My mom came to watch him and when she got here, she said it looked like he was awake.  But I had just put him down 20 minutes prior and he was moving all over.  So I am not sure what was getting to him.  I will say that he is not cranky in any way.  He also wasn't crying when he was in his crib - just unsettled.  So I am wondering if the stuffy nose made it hard for him to sleep?

[mmom]

My LO is definitely OT. If 2 naps weren't such a disaster in this house, I would want him to do that.  Yesterday, the nap was hardly 1 hour.  Bedtime my LO was OT, because it took him 1 hour to fall asleep - he didn't fall asleep until 6:40.  He woke this morning at 5:40, which I would consider a good night.  However, with so little sleep yesterday and the way bedtime ended, I do think it is OT.  Plus, the poor thing is so congested and snotty.  DH said maybe I could put him down at 10:30 and hope that he sleeps long.  But with my short napper, that is risky.  I hate these situations!

[Mashi]

Haven't popped in for a couple of days to check how things are going Kara.  I do agree that the 1030 sounds like a good idea, but I also agree that the potential for it to go wonky is high and thus a bad idea -- it's so hard to make the right decision!   On days like that I usually try to push through to 1130 - at least that way a short nap will still get him through to and early bedtime.

[mmom]

Thanks Mashi.  I am surprised to hear (or read) you say that I should push.  I was thinking 11.  But I see how 11:30 would at least give us the option of an early bedtime, should the nap be a disaster.  A horrible nap is always a possibility in this house!

[Mashi]

I am surprised to hear (or read) you say that I should push.

Yes, me too! LOL!  I am always the advocate of putting a tired child to bed no matter what time it is, but I don't think that is getting you anywhere recently so after an 11h night, I think it's safe to push him a wee bit, no? 11am is a good compromise as well - again, at least a short nap will still get him through to bed.

[babybarr]

We've just been pushing here too - precisely because we were getting 40 / 50min naps.  After pushing for 5 days now to 11.45am he slept 1.5hrs today!!  longest time in ages and I'm sure tomorrow will be a different story.  Maybe the short nap was also cos he'd had such a good night then long nap previously??  I know DS will do a few good days then a few bad, I'm trying to accept it a little more as I don't think for him one routine fits every day

[mmom]

Laura, we are the same - one good day/night, the next day is crap.  It is very hard.  Is your LO feeling better?

Now I am in the same boat I was in the other day: to wake or not to wake?  My LO fell asleep at 11:40 (exactly 6 hour A) and it is 2:05.  Do I wake him in a few minutes knowing that he can't sleep this much during the day?  Or because he is OT/ slightly sick, do I let him sleep?  I never know what to do in this situation.

[mmom]

We got a much needed 2.5 hour nap.  I didn't have to wake him after all.  I am aiming for 5.5 hours until bed, which will give us 7:30.  Now if we can at least make it until 6 tomorrow, I will be happy.

[mmom]

OK, it is settled - long naps no matter how OT or not feeling well, don't work.  We got a 2.5 nap yesterday, which resulted in a 10 hour 15 minute night.  We had a 7:30 bedtime and he woke at 5:45.  It is frustrating knowing that even though he was OT and not feeling well, we can't let him sleep during the day.  I would rather have him get a good night of sleep.

[Mashi]

I do think you are right to go for the night sleep. When DS is not doing one of his sleep a thons, I have realised that we are down to 1hr30-1hr45 for his nap now if I want him to sleep at night. He does an 11.5 hour night most of the time which puts him at 13hours and he's been a great sleeper since about 10-ish months. So if my average-to-high sleep needs child is doing that, then I can't see a lower sleep needs needing much more, kwim?  I know that we are now down to a 2.5 hour nap only being when he is ill or OT, and as with you, if it was because he was OT, that nap catches him up and we have a short night.  Short nights for us are not usually short with an EW, we get a long NW or a total bedtime refusal instead, either way he's still cutting them short. 

What really really gets me is that I finally got him onto one nap, finally got him napping well, and it's time to limit it.  I remember the same thing about 9-10 months....he finally learned to sleep past the 45 minute mark and I couldn't enjoy it as I had to start waking him at 1 hour  

[babybarr]

Well I think my DS is even lower then.  We got our "good" 1.5 hr nap and he slept through for 10 and a bit hours!!!  SO who knows!

[mmom]

It really is frustrating when you have to limit naps!!! Mashi, what do you limit it to now?  Laura, that totally stinks that 1.5 got you a crappy night.

We got a 1 hour 45 minute nap and I am wondering if I am in the camp that has to limit to 1.5.  I guess I will find out tomorrow morning!

[Mashi]

I limit it to two hours or 230pm, whichever comes first.  Usually we are at about 1hr45min, some days it is only 1hr30 but the hour and a half days are either after he's done a 12 or more hour night OR if not, then he will do a 12 hour night that night to make up for the short nap.  I was just moving towards consistency and trying to get things sorted - don't care if he wants to do these 12.5 - 13 hour nights and 1.5 hour naps or if he wants to do 11.5 hour nights and 2 hour naps, I just wish whatever it is, he would stick to it.

[mmom]

We actually had a 7 am wake up again today, with a 7:30 bedtime last night.  I actually intended it to be 7, but my LO didn't fall asleep for a while.  Today his nap was from 12:45 - 2:30 when I woke him.  Go figure I have to wake him now.  So irritating.  He was NOT happy about it.  I am thinking 7:30 bed?  We normally do a 5.5 hour A after the nap, but that would be 8 and I am pretty sure we won't get a 7 am waking again.

[babybarr]

Maybe you have cracked it???  1hr 45min nap and 11.5hr night starting at 7.30pm?

I think stick with the 7.30pm bed - then if he doesn't fall asleep till 8 that's fine.