Constant NWs and EWs -I need help from the experienced ones!

[Grants]

Hi Laura,

Thank you for the reply. I don’t want to come across as negative or argumentative. But I thought we were sticking to the 1 nap at 11am plan???
I understand that because he had a really bad night you think we should catch up on sleep for the next few days. But trust me 2 naps for us = a very long day. I have been doing it for over 4 months (the pattern of a long day after the cat nap has been getting worse as he gets older, I think it is because he can be awake for longer after the CT) and when he has the cat nap he only wants to go to bed at 7:30 or even 8pm. So the second nap doesn’t really replace lost sleep it is just an excuse for him to  be awake past 7pm and sometimes even 8pm and he still has NWs and EWs with the catnap.

I was never firm enough to hold him until 11am as I was always too scared of him getting OT. That’s why I never really managed to stick to 1 nap only and I have been juggling with 2 naps for all this time with no success. So now that I picked your plan last Thursday and DH is helping me pushing his nap to 11am I  really would like to stick to it for at least 7 or 10 days as this is the only plan I haven’t tried so far as I thought he was too young to try 1 nap. Do you think am I being reasonable doing that? I started with the 1 nap on Thursday. So today it will be 4 days and then I will have tomorrow own my own and then at least we will have 5 consistent days under our belt and when he goes to nursery on Tuesday I hope they will do the same there.

 I read BWSAYP again 2 months ago and Tracy talks a lot about going with the flow at this age. So I did try going with the flow for quite a long time with the 2 naps and it didn’t help. Now after a long time we finally have a plan! Of course if he only sleeps 45 minutes I will have to give him a second nap but if he carries on napping for a reasonable time I think I would like to keep the plan going.

Yesterday he went to bed at 6:20pm  and woke up at 23:20,he just moaned a bit and I went straight in to make sure he settles quickly, he did settle after only 3 minutes and at 00:50 he moaned again and I did the same and he also went back to sleep quickly. He woke up at 4:40am in a good mood (after exactly 10.20 minutes sleep) and would not go back to sleep again.  So he sort of slept through the night even though I didn’t as I was very alert all night to make sure he didn’t lose much sleep again.   

[Grants]

Oh well the 1 nap plan is out of the window. We are in the car right now going to the in laws and M has just fallen asleep at 8:30am. After 3hours 50 mins A time. You are so right he is def tired as he has not fallen asleep this early for months. Maybe I should not have a plan at all. Perhaps I should just follow his lead as I was doing b4 and just hope that eventually he will move to 1 nap a day?!? In the meanwhile we will just have to cope with the NWs and EWs. Tbh I do not mind he waking up at 5:30(he has always been an early riser anyway) if he sleeps through the night. The problem is having both NWs and EWs.

[babybarr]

(((hugs))) I totally understand your frustration and know you weren't being argumentative or anything don't worry.  I guess my concern was that night where he was up most of the night will mean he is OT.  Today - if you get this (which I'm not sure you will) I would still shoot for the one middle of the day nap - so given he slept at 8.30am then maybe make it 11.30/noon then early bed. Ultimately I *would* try to stick to the one nap at 11am unless you have a shocking night and then I would do a long nap at around 10am and a 30min catnap at some point in the afternoon.  I think within a week you'll get there it's just that really horrible night has thrown a spanner in the works.

So he sort of slept through the night even though I didn’t as I was very alert all night to make sure he didn’t lose much sleep again.

Know that feeling!

I would also say that you need to get him in bed a bit sooner - like 6pm if you can.  I think that'll prob help.

[Grants]

Hi Laura,

Today he napped in the car from 8:28am to 9:10am then we only managed to put him down at 12:20pm and he slept until 14:00.We didn't manage BT at 18:00 but he went down at 18:20. I only could do it because of DH’s help though. DS goes down at the in laws for a nap much better with DH than with me?!?! Anyway…So do I try to do this tomorrow as well? Or do I try to go for the 11am nap?Or does it all depends how well he sleeps tonight?

[Tweakster]

Grants I understand your frustrations and a plan is a wonderful thing but Tracy's teachings tell us to follow LO so if your LO isn't playing ball and doing a full night then your only way out is a bit of flexibility.  The one nap can be your long term goal but once you clean up some of the OT.  (((hugs)))

[Grants]

Hi Wendy, I am beyond frustration I'm calling it desperation now :-( M never sleeps during the night! I do not even have 1 night of grace here and there to keep me going :-( last night was a disaster again! He was on and off from 21:35 to 00:50 then moaned at 4am I went in straight away and he settled within 1 min and then he was up at 5am. DH took him downstairs at 5:30 am to give me a break. But i can not sleep or relax either!? I think I'm OT too :-(  I gave him pain meds at 22:00 and even then he only settled at 00:50??? God give me patience and strengh. :-(   

[Grants]

M is def really tired as he was very cranky since 8:10 this morning and he went down for a nap at 8:55 after only 3 hours and 55 mins of A time.

[babybarr]

How did the rest of the day pan out?  I think atm that horrible night has thrown him and I would do whatever you can for the next few days to get sleep into him - we have to take this approach quite often, and for us the only way we can do that is with an early night, DS doesn't tend to catch up on sleep at any other point.

(((hugs)))  I wonder if you can turn your monitor off for a few nights to get some rest - I'm sure you'll hear him if he screams.

[Grants]

Hi Laura,

Guess what…. DS sttn from 18:30 to 5am!!! (I only heard him talking at 5am maybe he was awake for longer?). I don’t know the exact reason as there were many variables yesterday
1-   He had quite a lot of sleep the last few days through the naps.
2-    I gave him loads of food throughout the day and a big dinner as I was even wondering if he was hungry during the night.
3-    He had a booster vaccination yesterday (which I don’t think made any difference as he never got drowsy with his vaccinations not even when he was a tiny baby. 

Whatever it is I will try keeping on top of the OT.
Today and tomorrow he will be at nursery. So it is out of my hands. what ever happens there we will try to catch up on sleep on the other days.   

Yesterday he woke up from his nap crying a lot at 10:05am. I managed to re settle him ( I had to get into the cot with him) and he slept until 11:20am. In the afternoon I had to have a long walk in the park in the pushchair and he eventually fell asleep at 14:40. I woke him up at 15:05 and he went to bed at 18:30. I did not manage to put him down at 6pm but I think he had quite a lot of sleep yesterday.
I hope he manage a good night tonight again.

We do not have a monitor. It is just me who can hear him talking. I have such a light sleep
BTW Gro-Clock its on the post!

[babybarr]

Yay!!!

Keep me posted and long may it continue!

~~~come quickly~~~ vibes for the clock

[Grants]

Hi Laura! Yesterday DS had two 50 mins naps at nursery and he woke up at 15:50 from his second nap. I thought it was very late to wake up from a nap but I still managed to do BT at 19:00?? And he sttn again??he only  moaned twice through the whole night and went back to sleep straight away by himself. Even though he had 2 weird naps at nursery he still managed to sttn. Isn't that weird? Another thing I have been noticing for the last few days is that he is waking up in the morning and staying in the lying position talking to himself for ages waiting until I come in to get him! :-) B4 he used to stand up in the cot near the door shouting and complaining. Why is he so well behaved now? Do kids normally go through this phases and then regress again? I'm expecting a regression at any min :-( I'm so used to wake up so many times during the night that this morning I was awake at 4am and M only woke up at 5:45. How sad am I ?! Lol     

[babybarr]

I think the behaviour you are describing is him being OT.  You need to *try* and stay on top of it - easier said than done   I would aim to do this by doing early bedtime as much as possible if he's had bad naps.

Glad you have had some better nights.

[Grants]

What do you mean? Do u mean he is behaving himself now because he is not OT anymore? Is that what you are saying? Sorry I got a bit confused there.

[babybarr]

Do u mean he is behaving himself now because he is not OT anymore

Yes!  Saying that cos he is better rested he is probably less irritable therefore behaving better and waking up less tired.  Sorry functioning on "low" atm!!

[Tweakster]

I think the behaviour you are describing is him being OT.  You need to *try* and stay on top of it - easier said than done Wink  I would aim to do this by doing early bedtime as much as possible if he's had bad naps.

Ditto.  Sounds like things are getting back on track though!  Ride the rails as long as you can :-)