My 78th post about EWs

[louis-mummy]

HUGS Anna, sorry things are still not great

Hmmm, probably whatever you have the patience for iykwim?

i think insisting he stays in his room til 6.30 is a good idea, i know when you did the verbal wi/wo thing before Xmas it did work and in that respect he wasn't getting anything worth waking for from you. (that sounds horrible doesn't it but i know that you know what i mean)

I think there is an element of consiously or subconsiously they quickly learn that 'hey when i woke up at ridiculous o'clock yesterday Mummy chatted with me and played that silly 'not time to get up yet' game'

Louis is not an ew'er as a rule but he started waking at around 6am for a few mornings this week so yesterday i determindly did wi/wo for quite a while and he went back to sleep.  Today he sttn til 7.30am!

How did he go back down tonight? i was thinking that even with 1.5hrs nap, after a 5.30am wake up that's still not a lot of sleep - esp with teething?

i wish i had a magic wand............

[anna*]

I should probably go back to just staying in my bed til 6.30am. It will prob only take a few mornings, but it's SO hard to do - both of us just lying there looking at the clock, whispering 'argh, can't believe we've got to listen to this for another half an hour!!! What is his problem?!? Grrrr!'

He went back down fine. Gave him a cuddle and put his lullaby's CD on. He cried for a moment after another 10 mins, but settled himself down again. I'm going to do Calpol at 3am too because he's got a molar half out.

Bless him. He was SUCH a grouch this evening, but putting him to bed he FINALLY stopped crying and said, "I calm down now mummy. I wipe eyes. I love you mummy." The little stinker.

[MummyToBen]

"I calm down now mummy. I wipe eyes. I love you mummy." The little stinker.

Oh what a little sweetheart!!!  They really know how to pull something cute out of the bag don't they?! x

[louis-mummy]

'The little stinker' LOL! ......glad you can sometimes see the funny side of it all 

bless him, he's really growing up 

I also get SO frustrated when things are bad, even just one nw makes me MAD.......which makes me feel even worse. i've overheard him saying 'and don't get out of bed or Mummy will be grumpy!' ugh! don't know whether to laugh or cry!

i think staying in your bed will be the quicker way, maybe 2-3 mornings but yes its cr*p while you're doing it. if you've got the patience to 'show him how to play' at 5.30am then BRAVO! you're a better woman than me!

[anna*]

up at 6.30 this morning which is great but ARGH! NW from 11.30-12.30 grrrrrr

[LucySol]

whats your gut Anna-nw due to that molar or OT?? id keep with it if i was you!!! Do you normally get NW with OT or just EW?

[anna*]

I just don't know Lucy. I thought molars. He had 45 mins nap today and now we're having huge OT bedtime resistance at 6.45!

[anna*]

Just an update here, any other thoughts/advice/hugs gratefully received. Here are the issues I think we have going on:

1) the wake up clock. We never let him come out of his room before the sunshine is awake. He stays in there by himself until 6.30am. He just cries, from the minute he wakes up until the sunshine wakes up. So I don't know whether to continue with it or not. tbh, if he wakes up at 5.40, I would rather just go and get him than listen to an hour of crying. What do you think?

2) Cutting the nap - he hasn't consistently had 45 mins. for example on Thursday nursery let him sleep 1.5hrs. Yesterday I let him sleep an hour, basically because I was sick of him. He has been waking at 6.30am IF he has a NW. If he sleeps through, he's at 6 or earlier. On Friday he was absolutely shattered - had an EW, a 30 mins nap, and slept 7.15-6.30.

3) He's actively teething his 2year molars. 1 is through, one just breaking through now. He can point to which one hurts, 10 mins after Calpol he can also tell me they don't hurt any more.

4) I am SO SICK of trying to manipulate his sleep, but he HAS to sleep until 6.30 consistently. Or at least stay quiet until 6.30.

Here are some things that I could try/have been suggested

i) try the short nap for a bit longer, or even try a no nap day
ii) follow his cues - nap when he looks tired for as long as he'll sleep, bed when he's tired, whatever time it is (my fear is losing my evenings here - he will easily sleep 2.5hrs in the daytime if I don't wake him).
iii) do a late bedtime (like 9pm) for a week or 2 to try and 'jog' his morning later, then gradually bring bedtime earlier.

I'd be so grateful for your thoughts. I'm fed up.

[Roseii]

As you probably guessed I can't be of much help but I can give you a *hug* because I sooooo understand how fed up you are!! (if for slightly different reasons)
Could you try a no nap day with looooaaads of activity, maybe swimming, fresh air etc? No over-stimulation but lovely, active things. So at least he is more likely to go to bed at a decent time through exhaustion and you never know, sleep through to a better time. It's amazing the great nap I can get DD to take if she has had a few hours of fresh air!
Feel free to ignore, I am just throwing an idea out there

[Roseii]

btw I realise that isn't something you could do everyday! Just maybe to give you the odd "lie in"

[LucySol]

Hi Anna-just my 2p worth...may not be any use but sending ((((hugs))))) to go with my waffle!!!

1)i would stick to your guns with the clock.yep you have to listen to the crying but if you get the minute he wakes he
will come to expect it...BTDT...my problem now!!!!!

2)interesting that friday was good after a short nap..something to think about.i think i would go for a short nap,long night rather than the other way round. personally i would stick to a short nap and keep with that and push thru any OT.whats his total ish sleep in 24 hrs?? can you look at that and judge where to go.i know totally not BW but you could try the no nap,maybe a 45/1 hr nap followed by no nap,then 45/1hr nap.?? just throwing some more suggestions.

3)have you normally had NW with OT? i know with D we get early evening restlestness,bedtime resistence,EW with OT but not NW.i am really thinking your NW are teeth not due to the short naps.

4)i personally wouldnt do the 9pm bedtime,but thats just me!! i love my evenings!!

i do think long naps are going to impact on his nights so i think you need to decide what you want.long nap,later night and a shorter night,or short nap,longer night.yep i know this isnt happening yet but im sure once you push thru this things will get better!!!

[anna*]

How long do you think I need to give it Lucy? It's been 6 days with no real improvement. Even the night he slept well he had had only 12 hours sleep in 24 and was totally crabby - I think he was just absolutely exhausted from several days of short naps and bad nights. He doesn't deal well with OT and has never been low sleep needs. I think the NWs are from teeth yes, but when he's medicated and sleeps through he's still waking up at 6 or earlier. What counts as an EW if he goes to bed at 7 and has had a 45 mins nap?

[anna*]

     I just don't know what to do.

[LucySol]

oh Anna..(((hugs)))) its so horrible when you cant figure it out. i can just push D thru things and she comes out the other end pretty much not affected,But,you know what works for Stan.

what about not cutting his sleep and go a different route if you think that will suite him better.Tho i do think he needs no more 1.5hr nap??? what time does he go to bed? 7.00? well after a decent nap i really dont think we can expect him to sleep later than 5.45/6.00am...agreed??? thats a 11hr night plus a 1.5/2hr nap thats what a lot of lo's D age are doing and stan must be 6 months older that D??  so what about pushing his bedtime later? i know thats not what you want but until he drops his nap im not sure there is anoter option unless you cut his nap and by the sounds of it he just isnt coping with that!
Could you keep with nap at 12.45/1.00 (cant remember what he has to do at nursery) no more than 1.5 and gradually push that bedtime later say 15 mins every few days till you get to 8pm? ideally that nap could do with pushing too but i know its hard at nursery. i know bedtime can be tough with Stan so how about going into his bedroom at the usual time but oing jigsaws,books etc to help push him gently.hopefully you will get to 6.30am wake up then? but it might take a while i guess?

im sorry if it sounds like i telling you something you already now,im just thinking outloud and trying to help you brainstorm! 

[anna*]

Yeh. I just don't know what to do for the best. When he has a 1.5hr nap, bedtime is 7.30. He's just down for his nap now and I've no idea when to wake him up or what to do I just so sick of him.