Approaching the final 1-0 hurdle. How did you deal with it?

[*Becky*]

You will know if OT is setting in as he will start to wake earlier in the am or resist bedtime etc....looks great so far. I am very jealous!! xx

[Truly Blessed]

Thanks Becky, but to be hones I'm hoping to manage prevention rather than cure you know  do you think that's too optimistic 

(X)

[Kay Dee]

Are you out today? At this stage with DS I would probably have gone out in the car mid morning/early afternoon and if he needed a cat nap he would sleep. But literally for 15-20mins or his night would be messed up. For us, keeping the long night was key to preventing OT so that meant keeping any naps really short. I know other LOs do well with a longer catch up nap but that never worked for us.

When he was a bit older he did 'quiet time' usually in my bed with some books for an hour and the rest made a big difference.

x

[Khalam's Mama]

I would stick with a 5.45 bt if you don't get a night. 2 no nap days was our max at the start so I would be tempted to nap on day 3. Would you be able to ap one around 11am? I found the earlier the better.

[Truly Blessed]

Thank you KD and KM   .

Today he seemed more tired, but I went for no nap as we have never done 3 consecutive days before and I wanted to test my suspicion that 2 in a row then a nap would probably be best and I think it will. He was telling me 'I'm tired Mammy' and he has tested my patience to the limit today the little monkey  . o he has gone down at 10 hrs 35 A time today thankfully at 5.40. I'm hoping he doesn't pull a shorter night due to OT  we'll keep our finger's crossed, but tomorrow will be a nap day. I am definitely wary of anything other than a cat nap, I'm thinking 20 minutes but I can't imagine him going down early enough for one in his cot. He is in his bigger, non reclining car seat now too, so he isn't going over so well in the car, I think I will see if you can get the bigger one's that do recline  and I may to need to get him on a schedule where it is feasible to do the naps ie: on days when it's actually possible at the right time you know  The problem with having a LO that has slept in his cot at home and nowhere else is that he won't fall asleep on the sofa for a little nap, but I would actually rather like that now.

Ladies do you have a specific A time in mind that works well for the cat nap  and how much difference it will make to A time to BT  In your experience.

Vicki.x.

Thanks again for the advice.

[*Ali*]

If you can keep the days to 11hrs he may be ok to kep the no naps but if he starts waking earlier then I'd do a short nap.
Oh and be careful about staying with him unless it is absolutely necessary. I am finding out it is difficult to wean at this age

[Truly Blessed]

Oh and be careful about staying with him unless it is absolutely necessary.

UUGH ^^^^! Thanks Ali  I am doing exactly this right now because he is getting up and standing shouting at the gate as soon as I leave and because I am trying to get him on track I want desperately to avoid another 1 hour 45 minute 'Looney tunes WD'

Tonight I left sooner and didn't AP the back rub for more than 30 seconds. Every night I try walking out and the baby gate makes WI/WO more like a hurdles race...oh poo 

Yesterday his day was 11 hours 25 by default but usually 10.5 is good for him with a 13 .5 night. However whether this is sustainable long term I doubt, so do you think 11 hours is more realistic to stop the morning's creeping forward 

Vx.x.

[*Ali*]

I think so but I guess it depends on the kid. And WU time. So if he woke at 8.30am for example I would still do a 7pm BT. I would just do 11hrs from WU if it was earlier than 8am. And I have never done BT before 6pm but I know some people do.

Well those are my thoughts. In reality I often find something gets in the way and our day ends up way too long. Best laid plans an all that.

[*Becky*]

I would just do 11hrs from WU if it was earlier than 8am. And I have never done BT before 6pm but I know some people do.

agree x

[Khalam's Mama]

I found if k napped a cn of 30-45min as long as it was early bt could still be by 7pm. Never later. 10hr days were our max at the start but it slowly pushed out to 10.5. If you consistently get good nights and no ew I would set a bt for no nap days.

[Truly Blessed]

Hiya,

Well the nights are shorter and the WU earlier  We had a 30 minute NW due to leg pain (growing pain in knee I think) and then a 6am WU so 11 hours 15 total sleep, not good. Very tired today, AP car nap 11.05 to 11.45 (woke at the jerk) Hoping to do 7pm BT successfully, what do you think    He's really quite tired and his temper is short 

(X)

[Kay Dee]

Do you think bedtime could have been too early I don't think we would have gotten a good night with a 10.5hr day but maybe my DS needed more A time than Sam.

7pm bedtime sounds good for today since he napped. Fingers crossed for a better night tonight x

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Ladies,

Kay Dee,  Sam is best on a 10.5 hour day with no nap right now. I actually think he went over too late. Day 3 with no nap sent him into an OT spiral  Today is day 4 since the start of the plan. We got a 6am WU today and take of  30 minute NW and he slept 11.15 in 24 hours...sigh.

Today went:

6 am WU

11.05 to 11.45 capped APOP car nap. ( I allowed 1 sleep cycle. I decided against any less to start with as I don't know how short it needs to be yet)

WD 6.45

WO 7pm

Craziness started 7pm and 1 second! 

Tonight I decided to try and let him settle alone as I am getting trapped in his room APOP'ing back rub etc. He immediately shouted, messed about at the gate. DH sat with him  even though I was trying to ignore him (Sam I mean) At 7.30 I gave in and APOP anyway  he was in an OT spin and his day was fast approaching 14 hours.

Asleep 7.50 pm.

I have got to be honest tonight I feel like if I had PD at 5.30 he would have been in the 'window' and I missed it. Did we have OT and UT at play tonight again or just OT, I honestly don't know any more and I don't think there is any way of knowing.

I don't know what to do for the best. I am toying with a 20/30 minute cat nap at 2.30 pm and a 7pm BT.... I don't think I can take months of permanently balancing his days.

Help me please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

x.

[*Becky*]

I think he still needs a nap hun. Yes he might be able to cope with the odd day or two but anymore than that and it is going to cause problems. The thing is it is such a long process for most kids, as you know we are 7 months in and we still get days when I know H has not had enough sleep etc.
I would do a 30 min nap around 2/2.30pm - we did this for quite a while and then on days when he wakes late or later go for a short day and EBT.
Hugs - it is a hard stage xx

[Truly Blessed]

Thanks Becky, I am inclined to agree to be honest. Claire has been trying to persude me to do

I would do a 30 min nap around 2/2.30pm

this ^ and is telling me how much pushing Oliver's nap later has helped but I didn't go for it because later naps have proven to provide a 9 pm BT so far, however it obvioulsy the nap length that is pinnacle.

I can't imagine putting him down in his bed and waking him at 30 minutes  did you do that or APOP car naps  I bet he would be a bear if I wake him after such a short time. Do you think I should try 45 mins first as I haven't capped shorter than an hour yet.

You know a friend of mine's LO started to refuse his nap earlier than Sam and so she went with the flow and allowed him to nap on the sofa if he wanted to, which he sometimes did sometimes didn't. He would sometimes sleep at 5pm but still go down for bed at 7.30 and sleep a consistent 12 hour night. I think I hate her  . How can some Mammy's go with the flow and have such a good result when I am so obsessed and get it so wrong sometimes  Do you think they just lie 

(X)