Need a tweak - 9.5 mos and have A LOT going on...

[~Jen~]

Hi - we're back again.  I'm at a loss for what to do with where we are.  We've started 2-1 transition nearly 2 months ago and have been doing short AM nap/long PM nap.  We've been holding on to the 35 min CN in the AM for a while and had been getting a great PM nap (consistently 2 hrs).  A times increased, days started getting too long and so cut another 5 mins off and went to a 30min AM nap.  Only started that this week. Nights overall have been very good, a few NWs here or there but can't complain. 

This past week DS has hit a huge developmental phase.  He just started crawling, at the same time has started pulling himself up onto everything, discovered the love of walking holding our hands and cut his first 2 teeth.  I guess for DS these developmental things all happened at once.  Our routine was working really well for a long time thanks to all your wonderful advice.  But the wheels have been coming off this week.

The past 24 hrs have been a mess and I'm not sure how to get us back on track and really what that track should be? Any advice is very welcome.

this is our typical day:
Wake 6;45ish
E 7 (breakfast 8:15)
A
S 10 - 10:30
E 11 (lunch 12:30)
A
S 1:40 - 3:40
E 3:45 (dinner 5:30)
A
S 7:15 (usually asleep by 7:30)

This is today so far... He refused bedtime last night and after a 45mins standoff (mixed with some crying) finally fell asleep at 8:15pm

8:15pm (Asleep)

Wake 6:50 (on his own)
E 7  (breakfast 8:15)
A
S 10 - 10:40 (gave him slightly longer CN with less than 11hrs last night)
E 11 (lunch 12:30)
A
S Put him in his cot at 1:45 (seemed tired with lots of yawns so put him down 5 mins less A time).  He was playing around in his cot, pulling himself up for almost an hour .  He then got himself so O/T that he started crying and more crying and nearly crired the house down.  I went in his room a few times to try and settle him but it only got him more excited each time.  Finally I gave up, he was hysterical so I picked him up and rocked him to sleep.  The whole ordeal was 1 hr 20mins.  So his afternoon nap started at 3:10pm!!! 
 
I guess I will let him sleep an hour and a bit and then an early bedtime. Do you think the extra 10mins for the AM nap caused this much PM nap refusal? Also, do you think we just need to give him more practice on the developmental stuff?  Or has the 30mins AM nap pushed him into O/T and that is what is causing the resistance to sleep?

[jenniewren]

I don't have much advice only to say my lo is 9 months & we are going through exactly the same thing - refusing to settle for pm nap & taking 45 mins at bedtime  so I can sympathise. He also is making developmental leaps - realised he can stand up in his cot instead of going to sleep... I was so relieved today when he fell asleep in the car on the way home after lunch before his nap so I just transferred him to his cot & avoided the 1hr long battle!

I did put him to bed 1/2 hr earlier so he was asleep by a sensible time tonight even though it took 40 mins.

What I am finding is working slowly is going in when he starts to really cry as opposed to fussing, and encourage him to lie down, which he does, then I leave the room again. Eventually he stays lying down! Which takes a while but at least he's going to sleep independently rather than me ntervening which I'd ended up doing.

I sympathise!

Jen

[*Fiona*]

I'm sorry to jump in here, I posted a thread in the General Sleep Forum yesterday, and my lo is just 10m and cut 2 teeth 2 wks ago, caught a cold just over a week ago and learned to pull up to standing last week... our routine is a mess. She refuses bedtime, wakes through the night & refuses to go back to sleep in the cot, i've been resorting to letting her sleep in the buggy when she wakes through the night - initially it eased her stuffy nose which was the reason for her waking, but now we can't remove the buggy sleeping through the night.

I just wanted to post simply to say thank you for posting... I don't feel so alone!!! I hate not knowing what is causing such upset, but I know it's most likely a combo of all these developmental milestones plus the cold & teething. *sigh* it's tough going!!

[~Jen~]

Thanks Ladies! We are still struggling over here.  I can't seem to extend his PM nap.  He keeps waking after 1hr20mins in the afternoon and with only 30mins in the morning, he is getting less than 2hrs day sleep! I'm nervous to limit AM nap any further but maybe I should try? He is still so young but has always been on low end of sleep needs for his age.  He seems to do 11hr nights maybe 11:15mins but rarely anymore than that.

I'm not really sure what to do at this point with the 2-1 transition..  I want to stick with Short AM nap/Long PM nap but not sure how to get back to a longer PM nap.  Any ideas??

[Mashi]

A times are often drastically decreased and sleep needs increased with both teething and new activities like walking....I would try letting him get some more sleep and shorten his A times and see if that helps.

[~Jen~]

Thanks Mashi!  Would you shorten A times across the board by 10-15mins?