What to do, what to do?

[babybarr]

So historically DS is a shocking sleeper (I know most of you know that already ) and despite my best efforts we are *still* having long NWs most nights of the week.  It's got. to. stop. I cannot take much more sleep deprivation

We have been toying with the idea of no nap but it has actually only happened twice this week with varying degrees of success...

I'll post our last few days (well as best I can remember!)
Sat
No nap
6.30pm asleep  - a long NW >1hr

Sun
7am ish wake
3.15pm nap 30mins (on way home from ILs)
7.30pm asleep STTN

Mon
Wake 6am
12-1pm nap
7.15pm STTN

Tues
Wake 6.15am
no nap (and was in a great mood even right up till bed!)
asleep 6.30pm long NW

Wed
7am wake
12.30-1.30pm nap
7.30pm asleep woke twice both for >30mins

Thursday
6am wake
11.30-12.25pm nap
7pm asleep STTN

Fri
6am wake
11.45am nap

So I don't know what to do - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it
Tues was a good day - he'd slept well mon night and was fine without a nap but then he woke in the night....

So do I try without a nap full stop for a few days or do I go to a 45min nap and see if that helps.  He settles really quickly at night with no nap but when he's had a nap it can take a while

(sorry that's turned into a really long post  )

[LucySol]

hey Laura.i wouldnt go with no nap as it looks like he has NW on those nights and also on a longer nap.
id be inclined to try 45 mins at lunchtime and see?

[*Becky*]

I would also try 45 mins hun x

[babybarr]

Well I woke him after about 50mins today but an earlier nap so I'll try that over the weekend and see... anything is worth a shot right?!

[Tweakster]

Anything is indeed worth a shot :-)

[babybarr]

Still took him over half an hour to go to sleep   that's the bit that drives me crazy lol!

[Tweakster]

Yeah totally frustrating - why aren't these kids just dead tired like we are lol?

[sianie]

Hey Laura!

So looking at your routine it does look like he generally sleeps better at night on the days he's had a nap. If he fights BT a bit when he's had a nap, could you push your BT back a bit by 15 mins or so?

I know with M cutting her nap back to under an hour just wouldn't work for her as it needs to be a decent length (1-1.5hrs) or nothing.

Do you think his NW's & resistance at BT could be some built up OT?

Not sure if any of this helps & I'm sure you've thought of these things already! 

[babybarr]

His long NW have been going on for 18mths Sian... so I find it hard to actually believe they are really routine related given how many tweaks we've done

What I did to day was ask him if he wanted a nap, he said no and was in a great mood all day.  He had a 10min nap in the car which helped see him through.  I don't know whether this is the right or wrong thing to do but it felt right today!  The thing with the routine is I've always found that the results of one day happen the following day.  It's like if you party all night you don't feel it the following morning but you *really* feel it the morning after you have slept properly iyswim?  However I may just be talking complete cr*p and end up with an even more chronically OT little boy (not sure he can get much more OT that he has been for most of his life though )

The other thing is he could actually be in pain int he night either with these blasted teeth or his hip/leg anyway so I'll probably never ever know...

[Grace's Mummy]

For what it is worth - and I am certainly no expert (!), I think he should nap, if he can, sometime late morning or lunch time. I think it is good to have quite a gap before the end of the nap and bedtime.

It was great you asked him whether he wanted one today or not. I hope it means you will have a good night. Sleep deprivation is terrible - especially seeing as it has been going on so long.

If only our LOs could tell us what was going on for them!

Good luck and sending hugs x

[*Liz*]

Hey Laura - SO sorry you are still dealing with this.

I doubt it is routine as it has been too long now. I think offering a nap if he wants one is probably the way to go - and that aim of that being keeping a happy O rather than striving for a perfect night iyswim?

Is he still just chattering and tumbling about at night? With you staying out but being forced into listening to it??

I understand how awful it is. DD is prone to kong NWings and I just can't sleep when she is arsing about next door  .

I assume you have tried alsorts of environmental stuff? Reason I ask is that we are getting a good run from J. Partly the end of teething, but also I think he likes that stupidly bright gro clock!!

((hugs)) to you. Sleep deprivation turns us all into such a mess. I'd do anything for a nights sleep as well  .

[Roseii]

Hun could you try one day on one day off with naps?
xxxx

[babybarr]

s he still just chattering and tumbling about at night? With you staying out but being forced into listening to it??

Yup   Although I'm managing to sleep through a lot more than I used too.

I'm very lucky cos O is happy 95% of the time even when really tired, I can wake him after a any length of nap and he's fine within minutes.

Last night he was asleep within mins at 6.30pm, he slept through till 4am (which is a very late NW for him it's usually around midnight / 1am) he went back to sleep after about 45mins I'd guess, I heard him just after 7am (his groclock comes on at 7am at weekends) but he didn't call till just before 8am - so he *may* have gone back to sleep.  I am noticing with him now that he will lie in a bit if he's tired - just during the week out alarm goes off about 6.15am and invariably that wakes him.

His 2nd year molars are nearly through so hoping that'll help.

I haven't decided what to do today - will play by ear.  Given he was up late though and slept fairly well (for him anyway) I may try without again today - TBH at this stage I really feel I have nothing to lose.  Most of my IRL friend's with LOs his age don't nap (but they're not BWers )

[my3girlsjde]

Just a quick tidbit that I've learned on naps.
Extending, cutting back or removing altogether takes at least two weeks in my house to get results. It's a pretty rough 2 weeks of OT before we knew for sure what we were doing was right. The girls really struggle with nap changes.
HTH and you get some sleep soon

[Mom to M&M]

I guess the no soy thing stopped helping? If a short car nap works for him and you, I see nothing wrong with that!