22 Month Old and Short Naps! Wake to Sleep Method??

[SophiesMum9]

Hi there,

Just wondering if the wake to sleep method would work on a toddler of 22 months? My daughter has been napping for only 30-40 minutes lately and I just don't know what to do! She always wakes crying and sometimes if I go in there and lay her back down she'll go back for another 20-40 minutes. She is ALWAYS tired and cranky, especially in the morning. I've tried putting her down earlier and nothing seems to work....At night, she is pretty restless, waking anywhere between 1 and 4 times in her sleep. I don't have to go in there...she just cries out for a few seconds and goes back. The last 2 nights though, she's gotten right up and cried for "mama", and I can see her eyes open in her crib on the video monitor...it's taken her about half an hour to go back to sleep from this. I don't go in there, she goes back on her own, but I lay awake listening to her and it's getting pretty exhausting! She wakes for the day around 7:30, I'll put her down for a nap around 12:30, and she's asleep at night by 7:30. She's almost always tired, cranky and super clingy in the morning...and like I said I've tried putting her down earlier (at 11, then 11:30....and even for a morning nap here and there), but she never falls asleep for this! I think she is overtired from her restless nights, which are a result of her short naps, but I just can't seem to get a hold of the vicious cycle! We're expecting baby #2 in February and I am really hoping I can figure this out by then! So again, does anyone think the wake to sleep will work?? I might try to stir her today after 20 minutes and see what happens....I'm scared. :S lol

[SophiesMum9]

Forgot to mention, I tried putting her to bed 1/2 hour earlier last night to see if that would curb overtiredness and she just rolled around for 45 minutes, falling asleep at pretty much the same time anyways!

[babybarr]

I would try a later nap, a 40min nap here is usually UT.  Yes she is prob OT from rubbish naps but try pushing it to 1pm and see what happens.

[SophiesMum9]

I was thinking that as well....Today I put her down at 1 and she slept for 30 minutes, and woke up crying and screaming "mama"....I went in there and laid her down and stroked her hair and she went back to sleep about 1:40ish....How can I get her to put herself back to sleep after this first cycle!? She used to be so good at it! Has anyone had luck with wake to sleep at this age?

[babybarr]

How long did she sleep for?  People have had success with w2s at around the 25min mark BUT I wonder if once she has a better few naps then she'll be less OT and hopefully won't wake anyway.

[SophiesMum9]

After I put her back to sleep, she slept for an hour and 10 minutes! Wooo! Longest stretch she's done in a while....hopefully this will lead to a turn-around for her! I'll keep you posted! Thank you for your help!

[babybarr]

Fingers crossed!!

[SophiesMum9]

Okay, so yesterday she napped on her own for an hour and 5 minutes....I tried to put her back to sleep but it didn't work, and she was still extremely tired. Today I put her down at 1 and she napped for 30 minutes!!...I tried for 10 minutes to get her to go back and her eyes were rolling and everything but she wouldn't go back....I am so frustrated at this point. I just don't know what to do. She is so tired when she wakes up, I know she needs more but she just won't! I used to be so good at figuring out her sleep and I am feeling like a failure at this point!

[babybarr]

You are not a failure!  Just these toddlers really like to challenge us

You have 3 options... (based on a 7.30am wake and a 12hr night)
A-to stick with the 1pm nap for at least a week and see if her bodyclock resets, it does happen and the nap lengthens
B-to try a super early nap in case she is OT, so perhaps 12noon
C-try a 6hr A time and nap her at 1.15-1.30pm...

If you think she is OT they opt to try B, if it doesn't work well at least that's ruled that out!

[SophiesMum9]

Thank you for helping me I really do appreciate it so much....This forum has always made me feel better equipped to tackle baby issues. It got me through a brutal first 6 months --> Pu/Pd --> sleeping 12 hours/night, so I know we'll get through this!! It just always seems to get to a point of total hopelessness before it turns around! I think I'm going to try to stick to the 1pm nap for a week and see what happens. If it doesn't get better, I'll move on to option B for week and then to C. I have to ask...when she does wake after 30 minutes, should I go in there and lay her back down and leave? or don't go in at all? The going in and putting her back to sleep doesn't seem to be working too well...but when she wakes she stands in the crib crying until I come in and lay her back down. I can't decide whether to just leave her and hope she'll eventually lay back down on her own, or go in and lay her back down myself, which means she lays down faster and might go back to sleep easier? I might also try wake to sleep tomorrow after 20 minutes and see what happens. I did try it the other day but she barely flinched so I think I need to rouse her just a little bit more...I'll keep you posted!! Thanks again!!

[babybarr]

When she wakes early from her nap and is crying def. go to her.  If she isn't crying then it's fine to leave her.  With my DS I know when  I go to him after nap - game over - he knows it's time to get up.  But it's worth a shot if you think it may help.

How did she sleep last night?

[SophiesMum9]

Oh boy. So she slept okay last night....She got up at least once crying out in her sleep (she does this...I don't have to go in because she's doing it in her sleep, but clearly she's restless). I put her down at 1 and she took about 10 minutes to fall asleep before waking after...you guessed it....30 minutes! She wasn't upset so I've left her and she's not going back to sleep.

[babybarr]

How long did she sleep last night and what time did she wake?  Did you do w2s in the nap?

[SophiesMum9]

Hi Laura,

So I'm not sure about how long she slept two nights ago....I think it was probably about 11.5-12 hours...but last night she slept 12 hours until 7:40 (with getting up once and crying out in her sleep)....I put her down about 1:10 and she was asleep by 1:18....and she slept for an hour! Still not great, and she is pretty tired, but better than 30 minutes I suppose! She actually woke after about 25 minutes and stood up, cried out "mama", and laid back down and fell asleep. Do you think she maybe slept longer because I put her down a bit later?? I'll try about 1:15 again tomorrow and see how it goes!

[babybarr]

Yes I do think after a 12hr night a later nap may be in order - it's gotta be worth shot at the very least?   Perhaps try nap 6hrs after she wakes in the morning?