2 year old WI/WO no longer working

[Migdalah]

I'm not sure how to fix our sleeping problem. There have been a few changes for our LO to deal with and I don't really know where to start.

Our LO turned 2 in December, since he was 4 months old he has been a great sleeper (with the help of shush pat and WI/WO around a year) We were living with family for 3 months while we waited for our new house and this is where things seemed to start derailing. I was worried about keeping the whole house up so when he did wake in the night I didn't give him much time to resettle himself. I found if I got in there quickly he would just go right back to sleep and not wake anyone else up.

About a month ago he climbed out of his crib (two weeks before we were supposed to move) so we converted his crib to the toddler bed and he seemed ok for the first few days. Then he just started getting up more and more in the night.

We moved into our house at the end of January and are still struggling with it and it seems to have gotten worse. He has always been able to fall asleep by himself.... and we don't wait for him to fall asleep to leave the room. Our bedtime routine is bath, 3 books, snuggles and then into bed, we tuck him in and leave the room, and for the next 45 minutes to an hour put him back in bed until he eventually falls asleep. Until he went into the toddler bed we never had to walk in an out like this.

We put a gate on his door so that he couldn't have full access to the whole house.

His schedule is roughly

6 am wake (we put him back to bed until 7am)
7 am up and play for a bit
8am breakfast
12pm lunch
12:30 - 1 nap (for about 1.5 - 2 hours)
5:30-6 dinner
7pm bath, books, snuggles
8pm bed - asleep by 9

Any suggestions for the fight for bedtime?? I'm just not seeing this getting any better and maybe I'm missing something. 
 

[~*Nicole*~]

Does he fall back to sleep until 7 or just stay in his room for that hour?

Was he usually asleep closer to 8pm prior to the resisting?

I am wondering if he had a drop in sleep needs and wasn't tired enough to go to bed b/c his nap is a good length and that maybe this has now turned into OT by bedtime b/c he's sleeping a shorter overall night?

Could you try cutting his nap and putting him to bed earlier. Maybe try only allowing him an hour nap and then putting him to bed at 7 and see how he does?

Does he resist his nap at all? Does he always sleep that length of time?

If you think he still needs the long nap (and he very well may) can you try putting him into bed earlier to compensate for the time it's taking him to fall asleep so he'll be asleep closer to 8 and be getting an extra hour of sleep each night?

Just some thoughts.

[Migdalah]

Before the transition from crib to bed, we used to have a 7:30pm bedtime and he would wake around 7:30 and play until 8. Last night he woke at 4am, 5:15 and then again at 6:45. He doesn't play in his room until we are up for the day. He just comes to the gate and cries for us. He does tend to go back to sleep until about 6:30 then its game over.

He does resist the nap too, but not normally for as long. I thought since his nap was good I would push his bedtime later so that he would be more tired, but maybe you are right about the over tired.

Before when he was in the crib I would give him some time to sort it out and go back to sleep. Now that he's in the bed I find myself going to him because otherwise I don't think he can get back in bed and under the covers to sleep.  Do I give him some time now that he's in the big boy bed and see if he will go back to bed or just go to him???

This transition has completely thrown us for a loop. What used to work seems to be so difficult now.

I will take your suggestion and try for an earlier bedtime tonight and see what happens.

Thanks for answering so quickly!

[~*Nicole*~]

I leave my daughter to try to resettle herself and she does NOT get herself under the covers! I just make sure the temp of her room is good and she wears footed pajamas so if she is not under them she won't be cold. I'd leave him the way you used to in his crib (ie: go in if he NEEDS you b/c he's really crying and upset, but if he's protesting or just needs to resettle--like a mantra cry type thing---then hang back and see if he can settle himself.)

I leave books in her room and a nightlight on and tell her that she may read until she is sleepy and then she can go to bed when her brain is tired. It helps her feel like SHE is in control.

Let me know how tonight goes!