22 month old's nights are getting awfully short :(

[Kay Dee]

Sounds like progress! Let us know how you get on x

[BareFootMomma]

It may be too early to say this, but it already seems like this is what she needs. Today went as follows:

Wake - 6:30am
Morning - Happy, but I could tell she could have used more sleep during the night.
Nap - 1:00 - Went right to sleep
Wake - 2:00 - I woke her, and she seemed to wake up just fine.....not as sleepy and cranky as yesterday.
Afternoon - Not really sure of her mood because we went swimming and that ALWAYS keeps her happy.
Bed - 7:10 - I was a little worried she wasn't going to go to sleep because she was singing her bedtime songs WITH me lol. So I stayed the extra 10 minutes singing and finally just walked out. She sang for a minute longer and went to sleep.

Every appendage I have is crossed that she sleeps in in the morning. I definitely need the sleep.....even if she things she doesn't!

[Kay Dee]

Excellent! How did she do last night?

[BareFootMomma]

Great! She slept until 6:50, and I think she only woke because she had a dirty diaper. Progress is being made! FINALLY!

[Kay Dee]

Nice one. Fingers crossed for another good one tonight.

[BareFootMomma]

Ugh. She has seemed really tired most of the day and then she woke up after only 45 minutes of her nap. She obviously still wanted/needed sleep, and told me "more night night" as soon as I walked in the room so I laid her back down and she went right back to sleep. I am going to let her sleep for another 30-45 minutes and keep her bed time early. Hopefully this doesn't mess things up too much.

[BareFootMomma]

I should have kept my mouth shut when I said we were making progress. Her day:

Woke - 6:50
Morning - really tired and draggy. Not crabby, but obviously tired
Nap - 1:00 - woke after 45 minutes requesting more sleep, put her back down and she went back to sleep
Woke - 2:15
Afternoon - Happy and awake
Bed - 7:15 - Didn't go to sleep until 8:10

Woke this morning at 5:50

[Kay Dee]

I think it sounds like she woke up from her nap as she was slightly UT. DS used to do this, he'd wake still tired but not quite tired enough to make it through the next sleep cycle, if that makes any sense. I think it looks like maybe her nap ended up being too long then...

Could you push the nap a little later, so it's more like 1.30-2.30, so she has a longer A before the nap. What do you think?

x

[BareFootMomma]

Today:

Wake - 5:50
Morning - Happy
Nap - 12:30 - I got your last post after she was already down. - Went right to sleep
Wake - 1:30 - I woke her. She fussed for a bit when I first woke her
Afternoon - a little short tempered but otherwise happy
Bed - 8:15 - Her daddy came home after being away for two weeks right as she was going to bed. So it got her all excited and she took a while to go to sleep

Dreading tomorrow morning because I am TIRED.

[Kay Dee]

I think you were right to put her down at 12.30 when she was up so early. Maybe when she sleeps closer to 7 she would need a later nap.

How did it go??

[BareFootMomma]

Ugh. There hasn't been any improvements. We are lucky now if she sleeps until 6, and 6:30 is a rarity. I am getting SOOO sick of this!! She is very tired and cranky most days when I wake her from her nap, and she wakes in the morning whining and fussing like she does when she is still really tired and needs more sleep. She usually will go to sleep for her nap immediately, but we are back to it taking her 30-60 minutes to fall asleep for bed. The earlier we put her to bed the longer it takes her to fall asleep.

DH and I took her swimming yesterday evening to see if wearing her out before bed would help her fall asleep faster and sleep longer. It didn't......40 minutes to fall asleep (finally did at 8:10 and she was up at 6:10).

I don't know what to do. I guess just count this as our new normal and hope it doesn't get worse.

[babybarr]

What's the earliest you have been trying bedtime?  I mean on an hour nap you don't want her to get second wind and then won't settle. 

I wonder if you bring bed to 7pm and see what happens.

[BareFootMomma]

I have tried 7 a couple times and it takes her just as long, if not longer, to go to sleep and both times she attempted to wake up at 5 instead of 6am. I am scared to try bed any earlier than 7.

We are going to try her nap at 1 today.

[babybarr]

I think the fact that she is tired and cranky would def suggest she needs more sleep, I wonder if the earlier bed doesn't work I would let her have a longer nap say 1.5hrs and 7.30pm bed?  If she is already cranky I wouldn't push her nap back any further that'll just escalate the issue as she'll be going down for her nap even more tired.

Or you try a super early bed of 6.30 and just see?  Totally up to you, afterall you know her best

[BareFootMomma]

Before this whole issue started, I would agree that I generally knew exactly what she needed! But, after fighting this for going on 4 weeks......I am finding my confidence shaken. I am TOTALLY guessing about what she needs every single day lately, and it stinks. Anyways, today's schedule:

Wake - 6:10
Morning - generally happy, but we were super busy and I didn't pay much attention
Nap - 1:15 - She was down at 12:55 and took a while to go to sleep
Wake - I lost track of time, and she slept until 2:20. She woke on her own.
Afternoon - pretty happy, a few meltdowns
Bed - 7:45 - I meant it to be 7:30, but she randomly threw up after drinking her milk for the evening....which delayed things (obviously) - She went right to sleep, I think she was actually asleep before I got out the door of her room!