Wind down tips for 17.5month old

[scucci1979]

No sleeping bag.  I will try the story then straight into her crib tonight. Now I am hoping she will go into her BGB in a few months, but I won't force this.

[scucci1979]

Well tonight didn't go as planned.  I am not sure if she was overstimulated or just not tired.  We came home from my moms at 6:30pm, had a bath, bottle and began wind down around 7:20pm.  I brought her to her room, she took a few books and refused to sit on my lap.  She then took the books in the hallway and began to run back and forth from the hallway to her room. I picked her up, she arched her back( i hate when she does this) and put her in her crib at 7:35pm.  I thought 10min of alone time should do it, but she didn't fall asleep until 8pm. Could it be that I am misreading her tired cues and she needs a little more A time after a 2hr and 25min nap? 

Today looked like the below:
 woke up at 6:50am, napped from 12:15-2:40pm, was in bed at 7:35pm and  didn't fall asleep until 8pm.  Her last A was always the shortest. Confused!!

[katie80]

Could it be that I am misreading her tired cues and she needs a little more A time after a 2hr and 25min nap? 

It could be that; 8 pm doesn't seem all that late after the nap.  But, I think it could also be that you are changing things around on her a little bit.  If she was running back and forth, then you picked her up and put her right in the crib, she may have needed that little more time to wind down herself (my LO would not make a transition that fast).  She might need a couple nights to realize you are going to read the book, give a cuddle, and lay her down.

I would talk her through it for a few nights and see if that helps, e.g. 'Let's go to your room and choose a book to read together before you go to sleep.'  If she needs to get that running in, maybe you could chase her to her room.  My LO is pretty active while we get pjs on, etc, but once we're in her room to read, she settles in and relaxes.  I depends on her temperament, though.  If she's already relaxed after the bottle, I'd probably just scoop her up (or give her the option to walk) and then read the story and in to bed.   

[*Liz*]

What has happened here is that J really does need and want a good 5.5hrs after a nap that long these days (and indeed after a 2hr nap unless it was a catch up nap from OT).

As you know J has always been the same and done a longer am A and a shorter pm A.

What I have ended up doing is slowly slowly shortening the nap (much as I didn't want too) and that seems to have helped a little with the bedtime resistance and EWs.

Problem with this route is that OT sets in very fast as he is being pushed all the time, and then I get OT EWs instead. Sigh. Never easy.

[scucci1979]

It is never easy! It is a never ending cycle of OT and EWs here.

I am thinking she was OT as she woke up at 6:30am this morning. Maybe I should cut her nap  to 2hrs and 20min and see if this will make her more tired for bed.

I will talk her through her wind down tonight and see if that helps. 

[scucci1979]

Last night went a little better but I just can't figure out what her A should be.  She had a 2.5hour nap as she was extremely tired followed by a 5hr and 10min A.  I brought her upstairs, went to her room, read a few books and watched our neighbour cut his lawn through the window. She ran away from me a few times, but I picked her up and told her it is time for bed. I did talk her through the process.
I put her in her crib and she fell asleep within 10min. She was asleep by 7:45pm and woke up at 6:45pm.  Not sure if I am pushing her too much before bed. I think I do have to start reducing her nap.

[~*Nicole*~]

7:45pm and woke up at 6:45pm

That's a good night for us! LOL

[scucci1979]

LOL. I just would rather have her wake up at 7am.  I am so selfish.

[~*Nicole*~]

I would rather it as well. We're in some stupid rough patch of sleep and it's driving me batty.

[scucci1979]

I don't know what i am doing wrong but I am going to try to reduce her nap first and see if that improves.  Today she slept from 12:05-2:30pm and didn't fall  asleep until 8pm.   Bedtime used to be so easy.  Maybe it is an A leap.   Now that I think of it, maybe I should push out her morning A to 5.5 hours!!

[katie80]

Yeah, I'd try to push out that morning to 5.5.  My LO switched to one nap around 17.5 mo and 5.5 hr A was what seemed to work best for naps.  She's lower now due to teeth, but I wonder if that might help you!

[scucci1979]

My plan was to do a 5.5 hour A this morning but she had an hour long nw last night. I think something was bothering her. Not sure what it was. She only wanted to stay in my arms and cuddle.
I put her down after 5hours of A time and am hoping she will have a good nap.  If today and tonight go well then I can move her towards a 5.5 hour A time.

Is it possible that at 18months there is a leap in A times? Also, can her two year old molars be shifting at this age?

[scucci1979]

Here is an update. She refused bedtime. Is this UT or OT?  Her nap was from 12:25-2:20pm and attempted for bed at 7:30pm where she refused to be put in her crib.  She finally went to sleep around 8pm. Hubby pitched in as I was getting frustrated.  She only wanted to be in his arms,  Not sure if she is coming down with something or if I need to increase her A time.  My plan for tomorrow is to hopefully push her nap out closer to 12:30pm and limit it to 2hrs and 20min.  

[*Liz*]

Hmmm - I'd watch and wait on that one really - bedtime refusal is more OT round here. But it can also just come in 'I'm being a pesky toddler' phases as well.

((hugs)) 

[scucci1979]

I am confused b/c bedtime refusal is normally OT here, but she was not showing any signs of being tired. I was expecting an EW this morning but she gave me an 11hour night. My plan for today is to give her a 5hr and 15/20min A in the morning, reduce her nap to 2hrs and 20min and aim for a 7:30/7:40pm bedtime.

I think your right that she is entering the pesky toddler phase.