18 month sleep regression support thread - Part 2

[*Becky*]

Hi Rach!

This is what our day looks like atm but it is not that typical...as we never have been!
A - 6-7am
Nap - 12-12.30-2pm
BT - 7pm

A good nap for M is about 1.5 hours but we get lots of 1 hours too so we do 6pm BT and she sleeps 12-12.5 hours.

Anyway - got some links for you...
http://alphamom.com/parenting/toddler-parenting/when-your-toddler-stops-sleeping/

[*Becky*]

and this one...
http://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/why-18-month-sleep-regression-can-be-hardest/

Hope they help a bit x

[londonlady]

Thanks Becky. That's very similar to our routine on a normal week. Xmas has thrown things a bit, but not so much that we should be expecting 9pm bedtimes / 1.5-2hr battles to get her to sleep. Even took her swimming this morning to ensure she was physically worn out. Apparently that has no bearing!

She is still up there now chatting, Dh and I daren't start cooking dinner as every noise starts her shouting or crying again...! This is ridiculous, night after night of back and forth into her room, us not being able to get on with the evening... Let's hope it finishes soon! How long has M's been going on?

Thanks for those links, they were the ones I had a read of the other day. No real mention of how long this goes on for, only the promise that if they were once a good sleeper they will return to being so...

R. x

[oneplusone]

Ours lasted a few weeks as well. Thankfully it's pasted. Our routine is up around 6 or 6:30, nap around 12 for 2 hrs, bed around 6:30 or 7:00. It was finally after this 18 month regression that DS went back to STTN since I went back to work. Good luck rach!

[*Becky*]

Tbh I am not sure M has been through it, it has been hard to tell as she only went to 1 nap at 17 months and then for a month we had loads of issues but I think it was more 2:1 than 18 month stuff yk?. Henry def did not go through it, he saved it up for 2!

[londonlady]

I almost dare not post that she has been down since 8pm...
Had a horrific night but noticed the other 2 canines have just pierced through the gums during one of the many wake ups, so guess that is to blame for at least some of it. Hope she is going to be a bit easier now these have cut.

[*Becky*]

aaah, bet that was a large part of it like you say. We still have no canines yet. Fingers crossed for a good night x

[rochelleperales]

Wow. I'm here. The day I have been dreading...sigh.. My ds turned 18 mos. on the 5th. A couple of days after Christmas, he started doing the 45 min. naps and starting crying..very unusual for him. His routine was WU 7am
                                                                                                            nap 12:30-2:30
                                                                                                            BT 8pm.
So, after reading some advice on here, I increased his awake time to 6hrs. and he started doing his 2 hr. naps again. yey Well, last night he woke around 5:30 or 6..not sure I turned over and tried to go back to sleep..but he just talked and talked and sang all of his new words he has been learning. So due to his crib party, we both are extremely tired over here. And he has been sooo fussy, really horrible. And I am 2.5 months pregnant so I am really really tired. I really hope this doesn't last 2 months. So, I could use some advice from some of you lovely ladies who have been going through this. He barely made it to 11:45, and was falling asleep through his book. Do I cap his nap to 1.5 hrs. to promote his night sleep? Or will that make him OT due to not being able to catch up on his missing night sleep. I have to mention that with his other sleep regressions he got VERY OT. And it took ages to to get through it. Nights of just holding him while he slept because he was SOO OT that he would jolt all night long. Other than his sleep regressions he has always been a independent sleeper, with no props. Advice anyone?

oh, and btw, he has all of his teeth now except his last molar which has a flap of gums that is loose and still needs the  rest of the tooth to come through. He already has his canines, they came before his molars.

[rochelleperales]

ok..so he went down at 11:45 and I was going to wake him at 1.5 hrs, but it took 10 min. for me to get the courage to wake him lol, so he slept 1hr. 40 min. And he is NOT  happy...so hopefully he wont wake at 5:30 in the morning (although I know that It's bound to happen before we are through this) , sigh..I'm crossing my fingers. Darn I am soo tired..

[*Becky*]

how was your night rochelleperales?? Any better? I wonder if that last molar is bothering him. Have you tried meds?

Rach - hope things have been smoother at BT?

[rochelleperales]

Thank you for responding! Night was better, not what is was before, but better. He woke at 5:15am and talked a little bit for couple of minutes, then went back to sleep, then woke for good at 6:30am. Was 7am before, but I am not going to complain.  Yes we medicate, but the tooth is almost through. My question is should I keep capping his nap to 1.5 hrs? It may explain his better night, but he was sooo fussy yesterday after his nap, oh my gosh it was bad. The previous horrible night could account for some of the fussiness, but he was not happy when I woke him. Wdyt?

[*Becky*]

That is a tricky one....my gut says not to cap to 1.5 tbh especially if he is grumpy when he wakes. Is he going down for bed ok after a 2 hour nap i.e. do you think he is UT at BT?

[rochelleperales]

Sometimes he takes a while to fall asleep at night, but not regularly. He does get very active in the evening with his older brothers and very silly, so I really have to dim the lights to settle him down. But because his awake time now is 6 hrs., his bedtime is getting later. Too late. And he wakes for long periods of time in the middle of the night and talks/sings, or does a early night. He did a 1.5 hr. nap today and woke on his own. Very unusual for him. And he was ok today. I guess because his night sleep was better last night because I capped the nap yesterday. I think. I dunno? Wdyt?

[*Becky*]

I don;t think you will know after one night tbh, it might be worth seeing if 2-3 days of that works or not and then you can reassess?

[rochelleperales]

OK,well...the last two day he has woken at the 1.5 hr mark on his own so maybe that is my answer. We will see...his nights are almost back on track. More wake ups than normal, but he goes back to sleep, so no crib parties the last two nights. He just turned 18 mos. so maybe I am speaking too soon....thank you so much for the advice