Disturbed sleep for months - W2S at 18m?

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

So we've been struggling with disturbed sleep for a few months over here.  Teething has definitely been a part of it, for sure, and I keep just hoping that things will get better but alas, not yet.  We're having NW/EW, which are fairly random in timing and I do think may be related to when the Motrin wears off and he wakes up in pain.    (Although we'll have them at 2 or 3 am sometimes when he's had Motrin at 11pm   And EVERY night for months?   I go back and forth on this one a lot.)  I can't think that there's much to be done there except just go in, settle him, and attempt to eventually go back to sleep myself.   But I'm certainly open to any other ideas!

But DH and I have been talking about nap, since Austin hasn't had an uninterrupted nap in a long time either.  He'll wake screaming, sometimes for just a few seconds and will go back on his own, but lately has needed us to go in there, give him his lovey, pat his back for a second and off he goes.  Sometimes he'll swat us away, though, so I don't think he's necessarily using us as a prop to resettle.

Has anyone ever tried W2S at this age?  I'm not sure if it would help or if I'd just risk waking him earlier.

[Tweakster]

Hi there Kate, it sounds like perhaps a routine issue or truly discomfort from those teeth.  Don't want to discourage but W2S isn't likely to work in that case...although that said it's best not to leave any stone unturned!

Do you want to post his routine for us to take a look at?

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Don't want to discourage but W2S isn't likely to work in that case...although that said it's best not to leave any stone unturned!

Hmm.  This was my gut but I was hoping to have something concrete to try!

Here's his day...

5/6 - Screams out, usually have to go in and settle him.  The last few days he hasn't settled and has basically been up from 6 on.
7 - Usual wakeup time (or when we get him up if he's been up)
12:30 - Sleep
1:30 - Screams out, sometimes resettles, sometimes needs help, very occasionally won't go back but usually does
2:30 - Up
7:30/45 - Asleep
 
Often has 1 NW around 2/3am where he either settles himself or I have to resettle him but it doesn't take long.  Then the 5/6am screaming.  Occasional worse nights sprinkled in there but this is the norm.

More A time, maybe?

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Well in the spirit of knowing when I post here, last night was Austin's worst in months!!   While I've been super confused about his NW, etc, last night had to be pain-induced.  His longest stretch was maybe an hour.  It was terrible.  I felt like I did when he was tiny and colicky and I just wanted the night to end so I could get on with my day.

And now we get to get in the car all day!

Let me know if you see anything in our EASY from a more normal day....

Thanks.

[elf]

I'd probably try bringing the nap back slightly early.  Given that it's a disturbed night and often a start around 5/6am - a 12.30pm nap could be too long?  Waking at the 1 hour mark during a nap for DD was OT.  When she was 18 months and teething she seemed to need to get into bed earlier, so with a 6am wake up, we would often do 11am - 1pm.  The early morning activity set up the good nap which meant she could cope with the longer afternoon activity.  Used to still do bed at either 6.30pm, but even if she was asleep by 7pm that long stretch didn't seem to make her overtired.

[Tweakster]

Yep agree.  Move the nap to 11:30/12 latest and see how he does.  And I would say the same about bedtime, no later than 7 for a while.  He does sound OT.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Ok, will try.  He had been refusing nap earlier but maybe with all this teeth business he needs it earlier again.  Thanks, ladies. 

[Tweakster]

What time were you offering?  It may have missed his window completely.  I find we are missing the window all the time in our house lately.  They need to invent some kind of baby gauge that indicates when LO needs less A time and more sleep while teething lol 

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

LOL Wendy that would be great! We had been offering between 12 and 12:15 but that wad a while back. We've been trying to be consistent with 12:30 for a while now. But you're right, especially in the past few days it was probably too late. We're in the car all day today and since he's generally anti sleeping in the car it should be an interesting day! Ah well. We'll see. Once we get there we'll try
for nap earlier.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Well it was as if Austin read this post!  Today we were on the road so by the time we got something to eat and could try to get him off for his nap (NEVER easy in the car but we can usually get him down) it was 12:20.  He was so completely OT it was ridiculous!  Laughing hysterically, then screaming, throwing his lovey, etc etc etc.  This went on for 2h before we just gave up.  Just put him down and he fell asleep at 6:40.  Hopefully he'll make up for a bit tonight but I'm nervous about it!

So just a post to tell you both you were right for sure!   So even though I'm afraid we only compounded OT today, at least I have some direction.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Me again.  So last night

6:40 - sleep
couple of quick NWs, but he wasn't really awake I don't think
5:15 - up, happy, and ready for the day!  I said our sleep phrase, shhed, etc
6:15 - asleep again
7:35 - awake

So when would you try for nap? 12:15? 12:30?  Earlier?

Thanks....

[Tweakster]

With him going back to sleep and that length I wouldn't try before 5 hrs really.  But you will have to try and gauge that - look for him getting into a quiet zone after lunch and try to act on it right away.  It's hard and I wish they offered classes in how to read a toddler lol

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

It's hard and I wish they offered classes in how to read a toddler lol

LOL!  Me too!  Especially since this one seems so happy almost all the time.  It's so hard to read him unless he's really a mess.  But it's good to hear you were thinking about the same as I was so I'll try for that unless he's clearly asking for something else.  Thanks.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

We're back and are in the deepest OT hole I can remember in quite a long while.   Short nights, short naps, the works.  Austin is generally his angel self, but this is definitely bringing out toddler behaviors I'd yet to see from him.   Tantrums, defiance, etc etc.  I know it's all OT related but it's hard to be patient!

We haven't gotten a nap over 50 min in days.  We were on Central time, so an hour back from us, which was almost harder than being 3h back or some other big jump since we just couldn't adjust.  He wakes from short naps very upset and almost goes back but then stands and starts chatting and that's that.

Last night was a 10.5h night (first 3h in the car on the way home).   He woke up at 7.  (Hallelujah - he was waking at 5:15 on the trip! )  I was thinking about trying for nap at 12?  Other than a shorter than normal first A time and maybe earlier BT (but if I get 11h nights or less he'll be up at the crack!) not sure what else to try to get us out of this loop?

[Tweakster]

Yeah I would try a nap at his normal time...what time is that? lol  When you are traveling and stuff it takes a while to get back on track.  We are going to UK for 2 weeks in March so I suspect that everything will go t*ts up and we'll have to just pray really.

I'll be honest and tell you that lately early bedtime isn't helping us much.  Not that it ever really did.  If you have a kid that makes up the sleep, great.  If not then I say just move bedtime about 15 mins earlier.  I think it's going to help him to make it up in the nap...hopefully you will get a longer nap today!

Some do swear by early bedtime and it helps.  You have to decide what kind of kid Austin is :-)