Help needed extending short naps for 15 m/o

[tarakay]

About a month ago, my LO went solidly toward 1 nap (we had been doing a long AM, short PM nap and she started major refusal on the PM nap so we bumped the AM nap back and went to 1).  At first we had GREAT naps - 2-3 hours most days, then my LO got sick (roseola, cold, plus some teething) and naps got crazy.  We successfully did 2 naps during the worst of her sick days, but now that she is feeling better we are struggling again. 

For the past 5 days, she's woken LIKE CLOCKWORK after 1h10m of her nap.  Not only does she wake like clockwork, she also wakes SCREAMING like the world is ending.  Granted, she's dramatic and strong-willed... but it's BAD.  At first, I thought the screaming was due to teething pain, but the past few days I haven't given her any meds for her teeth and she's been fine later in the afternoon once she gets over her initial scream-fest. 

Here is what our day has looked like the past few days:

Up 7:00/7:15 am -> breakfast, play, lunch, etc...
Nap 12:10 - 1:20 pm (appx 5 hour A time) -> play, snack, dinner, etc..
BT 6:45 pm

Good news - she sleeps 12 hours (or a little more) per night.

So - question is, are there any good options for trying to extend this nap or should I just keep trying to find the *magic* A-time that gives her a longer nap?  I tried some WI/WO after her short nap today and that was NOT working - just lots of screaming.  But.. as soon as we left her room she stopped screaming. 

Thanks in advance!

[brenda2]

i would extend the A time to 5.5 hours at her age.  try for a nap around 12:30.  good luck!

[tarakay]

Thanks for the feedback Brenda - I'll try pushing her back a 1/2 hour today and see how it goes.  I guess worst case, she takes 1h10m nap, right?!  I'm so afraid of OT that I've been reluctant to do that... but she does almost 5.5 hours before BT after a short nap, so I guess it isn't unreasonable?

[Brock~Tahlia~Mummy]

Hi Tara!
B started something similar a few months back after a bout of molars, cold then tummy bug, but he was also EW too.
Once he was given the all clear by the GP I did WIWO but it took a few weeks / I allowed up to
2 hours so usually he'd sleep one cycle -45/50mins and wake screaming, I would do WIWO until he settled and eventually slept . He slowly began to extend naps and night sleep. B also screamed when I walked out but stopped when I was actually out if his room. It would down scale to a whingy cry then he'd whinge or fall a sleep.
I feel he was also going through an early 18month wonky period too re sleep and begining to talk much more!
He's back to "normal" now... 1 1/2 to 3 hour nap a day plus 11 1/2 to 12 1/2 hour nights. Also I needed to change my "theory" on A times! I had to start to leave him sleep in in the mornings or put him down for his nap either later or earlier depending on his signs. A times aren't working anymore! Everyday seems to be different give or take up to an hour!
Eg yesterday
6.30am he woke
12.30pm-2.30 nap he woke
6.45pm bed

eg today
7.30am he woke
12.30- 3.30 nap he woke
6.45pm bed

See how bazzar our A times are? Strrrrange!!!
He doesn't wake up tired or grumpy and STTN, no EW and goes down well at sleep times.


This may not be the case for DD but I thought I'd share with you xxx

I think toddlerhood is so different to when they are babies? There is just so much happening all the time! Plus they are so much more opinionated and clever!

 

[babybarr]

I agree with pushing the nap back esp. after a good solid 12hr night.

[tarakay]

Well ladies, you had ME convinced but not her!  

She did 13 hours last night - woke at 8:00 am - and I put her down at 1:25 pm for her nap.  She was asleep in minutes, but cried out at 2:00.  Then she continued to sleep until 2:25 pm when she started screaming.  I'm leaning more toward OT than UT.  I tried WI/WO - but she never stops screaming - unless I take her out of bed.  I'm just not confident that that is a good solution for us?  She KNOWS how to sleep independently - she just doesn't think she NEEDS to sleep anymore.

I definitely think she's teething, but I don't think that is WHY she's taking such short naps (we haven't needed to medicate during the day or at night - and we haven't been dealing with NW's).  Maybe shorter is the answer... it just seems backward though?  Sigh

[babybarr]

The waking frequently sounds like pain - I would def stick with 5.5hrs A after a long night and give meds half hour before nap to see if it helps.

Has she typically been high sleep needs?

[tarakay]

Laura-  I'm not convinced that it's teeth, but I'll probably give her meds tomorrow just in case.  In regards to her sleep needs, no, I would not necessarily classify her as high sleep needs.  She's almost always been a great night sleeper (11-13 hours depending on her naps - no NW issues unless sick or teething).  Naps have always been a bigger struggle for us than night sleep.  She was doing about 2 hours of day sleep and 12 hours of night sleep since she was a little over a year old - so maybe all she needs is 1.5 during the day and 12.5 at night?

Oh.. and we ended up just doing the one 55 min nap today - BT at 7:30, asleep by 7:40 - no screaming yet!

[brenda2]

teeth can really throw everything off.  i would do as pp suggested. 

we have had this on and off with our 20 mo - sometimes she sleeps 1 hour, 1 hour 10 min, 1.5 hours, 2 hours or 2.5 hours.  nothing consistent.  the norm is more towards 1.5 to 2 hours but it is really not consistent at all.  i would play with the A times but really if she is sleeping at least an hour (which is more than 1 45 min sleep cycle) and then getting to bedtime all right and sttn 12-13 hours then i think she is doing great and i wouldn't really push it with the wiwo.

the only time i have tried to get my lo back to sleep (since she turned 12 mo and went to 1 nap) has been when she wakes up crying and is really out of sorts and tired.  if she wakes up (even if crying) but then seems ok, happy etc then i just get her up and go on with our day, maybe early bedtime if need be.  it's just not worth the wiwo, trying to get her back down etc. IMO.   i did enough of that when she was under 1 (struggled with short naps for a looooong time). 

hth

[tarakay]

Brenda - thanks for the words - they really do help put things into perspective!

Routine update - she did 12.5 hours last night w/o any NW's.  We woke her at 8 am and she was still sound asleep.  I put her down for her nap at 12:15 (4:15 A) because 1) I wanted to test OT/UT theories and 2) I needed to have her up by 2:00ish for an appointment.  Well, she was asleep in minutes but woke SCREAMING after 45 min (just like normal) - except I'm fully convinced this was an UT nap.  Oh, and I did give her ibuprofen about 40 min before her nap, so I don't think it was pain related.  We're going to try for a 2nd SHORT nap this afternoon - hoping she goes for that.

I think she just isn't tiring herself out anymore?  I think she gets 'bored tired' - she isn't walking yet.. maybe that's part of it?  Who knows?

[babybarr]

Yes def give the pushing the A time a shot.  Good luck!

[Brock~Tahlia~Mummy]

Just checking in...
I wonder what the screaming means? I know with B it's because he wanted me in there. Hmmm.

I found with toddlerhood sleep and behaviour is so up and down!
Hopefully it's just pushing the A time? See how you go

Good luck!