22 mo sleep regression - any suggestions?

[Mjaz]

Hi ladies,
I haven't been on the boards for ~5 months, as they've been fairly good (and I've been very pregnant and focused on other things!)  I see from some other threads here, that this seems to be an age where a lot of LOs are regressing a bit - is that accurate?

From 17-21 months, Elijah has been on a set nap at 11:30, bedtime at 7.  He was doing a lot of 1:15-1:30 naps, but I decided to go with it because he was making up for it with 11-12 hour nights.  We had a wake up time of 6:30-7am, very regularly.

2 weeks ago, for apparently no visible reason, he started waking at 5:30 am AND having 1-2 NWs a night (quick, but still...).  This morning?  4:30 am (I got him back till 6:15).  Because he was waking an hour earlier and I was keeping his nap at 11:30, we started getting into some really bad naps and some definite OT.  When he wakes at 5-5:30, he wants to go back to sleep at 10:30!

So what do I do??  This week I have gotten some 2 hour naps out of him - which makes a world of difference in his mood, but his nights have not improved.

Any suggestions?  Thanks!
Melinda

[sianie]

Hi there..

Yes it does seem that LO's go through a wonky sleep phase at around this age, it could be due to a lot of things; reaching developmental milestones/ sleep needs changing/ teeth etc.

It could be his 2nd year molars starting to come through, they can start to bother LO's at around this age & are probably the most difficult teeth to teethe as they can take ages to come through.

I would try to keep his nap at around 11/11.30am as pulling it earlier could actually re-enforce the EW (although I know it's hard when they are so tired.

What do you think?

[Tweakster]

Hey Melinda, congrats and how exciting on your new LO.  

I'm going to throw this out there, as always, teeth???

It reeks of 2 year molars to me.

Posted at same time as Sian :-)

[Mjaz]

Thanks, Sian.  Hiiiiiii Wendy! 

Yes, 2 year molars was my first thought, too.  Sigh.  Today he actually took a really good nap of 2:15 - from 12-2:15.  I left the room at 7pm and it's been 35 minutes - he's up there singing, getting out of his bed to get books, etc...ay ay ay.  I can't win

So nothing I can do to get our longer nights back???  I guess I'd better get used to very little sleep for the next - oh - year or so

Thanks, ladies.
Melinda

[Tweakster]

Melinda how is he in the daytime?  Do you feel like he's OT or miserable?  It sounds like teeth and the UT/OT loop going on.  I know Elijah is slow to move A times but it looks like that final A time is causing bedtime resistance.  Do you think maybe you could try a slightly later bedtime, move it out over a few days.  What time was he awake on that 12 p.m. nap day?

[Mjaz]

Thanks, Wendy.  I agree.  In your experience, is a 10:15-10:30 night OT or UT or...fine for his age?  He only did a 1:15 nap yesterday (his infamous OT nap length) but I just pushed him to a 7:45 BT.  I'm so sick of the 5am deal.  So  he woke at 6am...which is preferable for us, I think - esp. in the summer where we don't really want him conking out at 6pm every night   So you're right- it seems like he's fluctuating between having a 13 hour total sleep for a day, and then 11...I don't feel he's OT or miserable, though, no.  I do think teeth may be to blame...

Thanks!