Hi,
I have issues with my 3yr 3mths old that could potentially go to a different forum but are related.
My #1 question is how do I know it’s time to drop her nap. She’s always been a great sleeper night and day. 4 or 5 months ago I noticed it was taking her longer to fall asleep at night, sometimes and hour or more. So we moved her bedtime later closer to 8pm (used to be 7:30). I don’t want her to have a later bedtime as she wakes in the morning by 7am. BTW, I know she’s tired as she’s yawning and rubbing her eyes 7:30ish. She stays in her bed and is quiet but I hear her moving, kicking etc. I don’t go into her room to interfere but before leaving her I ask her to close her eyes and to go to sleep.
For her naps she always falls asleep within minutes from 12:30/1 to 3. Now I wake her up sooner around 2:30 hoping to see her fall asleep easier at bedtime but it’s not helping. She has the same problem falling asleep if she misses her nap. 6 months ago my DD2 was born and my DH is coming home later just before her bedtime which may play into this.
Problem 2:
Three weeks ago, I’ve decided to keep her lovie in her room so she would have it for sleeping and when in her room. She used to keep it close by and whenever she holds it she sucks her thumb. I was hoping this would reduce her sucking and it did and she did really well maybe going to her room once or twice a day for comfort. Just over a week ago, she wanted to paint her nails and I said not her thumb because nailpolish can’t go in her mouth. Prior to this¸ I didn’t talk to her about stopping sucking as I thought it may make it worse and hoped she would stop on her own. She wanted to paint her thumb and decided on her own to put away her lovies. Since she brought it up I took it further and said to give away her lovies to another baby and she agreed. The first day she was really upset at times but it wasn’t such a big deal. I did expect her to take longer to fall asleep and she did even for naps. I haven’t seen her suck her thumb for a week (of course she could be while sleeping but the thumb looks less wrinkled) but she does show me her thumb and says once the nailpolish is gone she wants her lovie back and to suck her thumb. 7 days later, she grabbed a random blanket and started sucking her thumb during the day, I just tried to distract her and play a game so she gives up the blanket/sucking and it works. Today before her nap, she grabbed her blanket she’s been sleeping with for months and started sucking. I didn`t know what to do. I said she shouldn’t suck with the nailpolish but she didn`t want to stop so I just let it go.
What should I do?? Try to interfere, take away blankets, talk to her about stopping or just let her be and return her lovies? I heard pressuring to stop usually makes it worse…..
Any advice?
