NW's for 9.5 mth old

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

We are back to our 5-6 NW's every night. I am not really sure what is going on. No signs of teething other then the same thing he has been doing for the past 4 months. He just appears to be wide awake all through the night. Happily chatting to himself for half an hour before getting cranky and crying. He is also waking earlier and earlier each morning. We are now waking at 5:50 which isn't terrible jut a far cry from the 7:15 he used to do. This is making our nights earlier and earlier and then he seems to wake earlier and earlier. This is our day:

Wake 5:50
S: 9:10-10am
S: 1-2:30
Bedtime: 6:15 (I don't think I can possibly make this any earlier)

All these times are give or take ten minutes. Sometimes he only naps 40 min in the morning and other times he naps a little bit longer in the afternoon. We are getting early NW's and then middle of the night waking also.

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

Thanks Wendy!

[Mom to M&M]

Hi guys! Sorry been MIA lately. Not sure with Ethan's sleep - have you tried the route of stretching his morning A and letting him sleep as long as he can (up to 2-2.5 hours even) and then just shooting for a late catnap? So like nap from 10-12 or so, catnap from say 4-4:30 and 7pm bedtime? Unusual but used to work well for my DD.

Hopefully others have some good ideas too!

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

Maybe I will try that, Karen. I mean, it can't hurt! He seems to wanting more A time in the morning so maybe letting him have that longer sleep will leave him more rested if his morning A time is longer.

[Tweakster]

Jenn it can't hurt to try.  Maybe he will do well with the long AM/short PM route.  It's only a PITA when they refuse the PM CN.  Then you are left with a super long A to bedtime and putting them to bed early and it can perpetuate the EW. 

[Mom to M&M]

Agreeing with Wendy. It all depends on whether Ethan will agree to take the short afternoon nap. My DD usually would (even if it had to be in stroller or car) but some won't! Remains yet to be seen with DS - though he does seem to have better nights after a long morning nap (or at least a medium one) and shorter PM one.

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

Thats true...I don't think he will have a problem doing a PM CN. I will give it a try for the next few days and see how it goes.

[*Liz*]

I'm sure you have been through all this - but just in case something pops out  .

How do you get him to sleep? What do you do when he wakes? 5-6 NWings a night *usually* mean discomfort or a prop issue rather than just a routine tweak.

The only routine issue which might do that is really OT at bedtime - and I guess 3h 75 after a 1.5hr nap is pretty long for some babies at this age really. Jacob is pretty low in sleep needs and I would have had him do 3-3.5hrs only at this age.

Have you purposefully cut that am nap or is it happening naturally?

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

Liz- to get him to sleep, I just put him in his crib and then say I love you, good night and leave. He goes to sleep by himself. Then at the NW's I am just walking in and saying Its okay honey, its just time to sleep, I love you and walk out. Occasionally it takes a little bit more like a pat on the back or something and thats it. I did purposely cut him AM nap because he was doing a short PM nap and being OT at night time. Now he just wakes by himself at the 40-50min mark. This was working for a  few weeks and then it went down hill again.

This morning I put him down for a nap at about 3hr 45 min of A time. He seemed quite tired at this point but he only napped for 1hr exactly. So I cannot really just do a CN for this afternoon or he will definitely be OT. Maybe I will have better luck with a long AM nap tomorrow!

[Mom to M&M]

How did the rest of yesterday and last night go?

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

Okay, I have the weirdest baby in the world. Yesterday am nap was exactly 1 hr. Yesterday pm nap was exactly 45 min. He went to bed at 6:45pm, he woke at 7:30 pm and then he slept until 6:45am this morning (well he woke a few times in there for a few seconds of fussing and then went back to sleep himself)?!?!?! Obviously fantastic but I am scared to only that much daytime sleep again. That was only 1hr 45 min of daytime sleep...that seems like what a 2 year old should have?

[Tweakster]

Hi there Jenn, hmm a couple of thoughts that popped into my head:
1) He needs less day sleep than we think.
2) He is starting to make up some sleep at night even though he had an early evening waking.  What happened at 7:30 - did you have to go in?
3) He might do better with long AM/short PM nap.

Or it could just be a total random occurrence, you know how much they love to do that to us lol.

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

Or it could just be a total random occurrence, you know how much they love to do that to us lol.

LoL! This is what I am scared of!

He might need less day time sleep then we think. The only thing about that is, sometimes he naps just like he did yesterday and has an OT night with 10 awakenings. He is totally random!

At 7:30 -I was out but my hubby said he just went in and patted his back a a sec. and then left when Ethan was still awake.
If he is starting to make up some of his daytime sleep at night, I am thrilled!

I am trying the long am nap and short pm nap thing again today. He just went down for his am nap so we will see how long it lasts!

I am almost totally convinced he is just messing with my mind! I swear he thinks this is hysterical! Kids!

[Jenn+Ethan+Emily]

Our AM nap only lasted 45min. That was after an 3hr 45 min A time. He was getting tired so I don't think I could have stretched it out any farther. He woke up really happy so I guess we will hope for a longer PM nap this afternoon.

[Mom to M&M]

TBH, Jenn - he might not need that much sleep today after 12 hours last night!