is this the start of the slippery slope?

[Truly Blessed]

Hello Honey.

I just wanted to chip in with what is working for Sam at the moment. I was just reading the very start of the thread and TBH it didn't look so bad to me, just that his BT needed shifting later  . Your DS is older than Sam and Sam needs at least 6 hours 15 usually 6.5 hours A time to BT in order to fall asleep. I have started to wake him consistently at 7 am as it's the only way to keep a routine in place. So we're doing this:

WU 7 am

Nap 12.30 to 1.30 capped

BT 7.45 in bed for WD aim to be asleep for 8.00/8.15.

So his day is 13/13.15 long and I have shifted his nap forward again to keep BT earlier. I have found that as long as his night is no longer than 11 hours he will go down earlier for his nap and that is key to a decent BT and him going over without doing his 'Town crier' impression before hand.

Do you think this might work for your little monkey 

Vicki.x.

[confusedmummy]

Hey Vicki, this is what we were trying at the start of this, but his getting to sleep was taking longer, also he is transferring rooms next month at nursery and they generally don't nap, so I wanted to get in early with the 1-0 or just try and get him to settle better and hopefully sleep longer at night.

Things started well but now they are going down a bit. He slept from 7.30pm to 7am with a couple of NWs on sat night, but last night after an hours nap, he only slept 8.20pm till 6.20am with a couple of NWs. It seems he needs the nap every now and then but it really does affect his night sleep, although I think maybe I put him to bed too late last night, even though he seemed wide awake, because he woke at 7 that morning I didn't want to put to bed too early.

I don't want this to get like last time where I obsessed too much but seeing that a couple of times he was asleep within 5mins and slept for 12hrs, I know he can do it, so I'd like to help him have that, just don't think it will be consistent :-( x

[Truly Blessed]

Hiya,

I know what it's like to be ready for your LO to drop the nap because of all the palava going on.  Typically a few days of not napping can go really well and then BT get's later when OT kicks in and the short days long nights become a thing of the past. It's so hard to know how to get them through it isn't it. I know that a nap every few days is enough for lots of LO's but it tends to work when the Lo can nap themselves on the sofa or the car or pushchair..etc as and when they need it, otherwise trying to implement the type of routine where you enforce a nap every few days is really hard because you can't really know how often or how much they need to level out, does that make sense 

So is there any way you can encourage him to do that. Sam can do it now but it doesn't come naturally to him, because he hasn't been encouraged to do it in the past YK..ironic really  At nursery when he moves class, do they have a soft room/quiet area where he can at least go and have quiet time 

(HUGS) to you Honey. It is, for us at least the trickiest transition yet.

Vicki.x.

[confusedmummy]

Charlie can easily nap in car if we are out, in fact most days if we are ever out, he asks if he's wearing a nappy so he can sleep (we put one on him on long journeys when we know he will nap) and this can be any time of day. I've never let him sleep on sofa (except when he's poorly) as I was always scared, and still am that he would then refuse to sleep in his bed.

I don't mind trying quiet time and if he does fall asleep then at least it won't feel like I'm trying to make him sleep on sofa IYKWIM.

They can send him downstairs for a nap if I request but as the first few days of no nap seemed to bring on a better nights sleep I thought I'd try to carry on, but as you say after a few days it starts to slowly get worse. I guess as its only three days he's there he could do no nap then do the CU ones at home, it really is just trial and error.

Today he had no nap again, but when I picked him up he looked, and was telling me he was tired so I had him in bed by 6pm and he was asleep by  about 6.25 so longer than before to settle but as long as he has a good night I can cope with that.

Fingers x'd x

[Truly Blessed]

it really is just trial and error.

Ugh it really is Honey 

I've never let Sam nap onsofa unless ill too Honey, which is why I said it was ironic as a good routine almost feels like it is backfiring now LOL 

Good Luck to you, I hope it works out.

Vicki.x.

[confusedmummy]

Why is it always day three of no nap that my sweet little boy turns into an absolute nightmare to put to bed, the first two days when I pick him up from nursery (same time) he is sleepy and fairly quite, but the third its like he's been asleep all day and now is wide awake. He stalls to go upstairs, messes around getting undressed then jumps around all over the bed. I tried to have him asleep for 6.30 like the other two days but at 7pm he's still awake. At first he was singing and talking, then after about 15mins he started calling forms like he was upset. I went in, tucked him in and told him to get some sleep I'd see him in morning, and he has gone quiet.

I know he is OT, the nursery think I'm joking when I say the longer he has no nap the worse his sleep gets. Do you think I should try just two days with no nap? Am I pushing him too much. Unlike the last three days he has done 2x 12 hr nights so I'm hoping tonight will be the same, but I very much doubt it.

I want him to get used to no nap, but not burn him out too quickly, what do you think? X

[Truly Blessed]

I think he needs a nap every other day or every 3rd day Honey. It sounds to me like he's just not ready and you need to keep gently working him towards the point where he can finally manage. There's no point pushing him if he's just not ready, although I totally understand why you're doing it  It took Sam 3 weeks of no nap days (4 naps actually in total) to melt down but it happened eventually. Can you try a CU nap every 3rd day with a later BT which will mean a later WU which is a good place to start no nap day number 1 again.

Vicki..x

[*Becky*]

I think he needs a nap every other day or every 3rd day Honey. It sounds to me like he's just not ready and you need to keep gently working him towards the point where he can finally manage. There's no point pushing him if he's just not ready, although I totally understand why you're doing it 

totally agree...it can be a long process which is not what you want to hear, certainly wasn't when I was told but it is ...you will get there.

[confusedmummy]

Thanks guys, I think you are right, the only reason he did three no nap days in a row was because of nursery, but they will just have to let him nap for one day, assuming he now lets them after a couple of weeks of no naps there he may refuse, but its def worth trying x

[confusedmummy]

NW of half an hour and counting now. It could be worse I know, he is not crying just lying awake, but every now and then he calls for me to tuck in, take to loo, open door etc and he speaks so quietly it doesn't always activate monitor, until he starts to get louder when I haven't responded. So now I'm wide awake trying to listen for him and praying he'll go to sleep soon.

Def a nap tomorrow, for both of us I think :-D x

[*Becky*]

uggh, sorry hun...nap time for sure xx

[confusedmummy]

It lasted almost an hour and a half, I suppose at least he slept till 7.25 instead of the usual 6.30 but still only just under 11hrs total sleep.

I need opinions for today. I had arranged (and this is so typical to go pear shaped when something organised) for me and my DP to go out tonight and DS would sleep at his grandads. It sounds fairly straight forward but apart from naps, he has never ever slept there or anywhere without me. The main reason for doing this is I want him to get used to, and not feel pushed out if he has to when I am having baby. Now I don't know if it will be too much?

If I do this what time and how long do you think I should let him nap for, and what time should we aim for BT. I want to make it as easy as possible for all of them.

Sorry for so many questions, just don't want another night like this esp if I'm not there x

[Truly Blessed]

Def a nap tomorrow, for both of us I think :-D x

Ditto to this ^ we had an hour an 40 minute night waking I HATE this 1-0 **** He slept only 8 hours 10 mins!!! I couldn't sleep because of the humidity and then Sam woke so I have had 3.5 hours as Sam woke at 6.30 AND I'm at work tonight so he sleeps at my Mam's...sorry  threadnapping  see the similarity though Honey, I'm sure they know  .

So IIWM I would go ahead with your plans. If he hasn't done it before anyway it is what it is, you can't know what will happen whether he is well rested or not  and maybe if he is OT he will settle better.

IIWM I would go for a nap as early as possible..what's his shortest A time on an 11 hour night  Then I would cap at 1 hour. Then BT approx 6 hours after that. I would ask your Dad to put him down when he's definitely tired enough to settle well.

Watcha think 

Hope it works out and you have a lovely night 

x.

[confusedmummy]

He seems quite awake now, lucky him, I'm tired and very grumpy :-( its horrible when they wake for so long, I was re reading over my thread during the night, and his last NW was 20 mins and I thought that was bad :-)

Anyway, I could try a nap at 11.30 that's about 4hrs A time although I know he will resist, because he is seeing his nanna today who he's not seen for a while. If he does sleep, and wake at 12.30 then BT at 6.30 or at least 7. It sounds good, just really hope it works.

I hope it gets better for you too, it would be so much easier if they just slept for a set time everyday :-D x

[Truly Blessed]

If it were Sam (and today we are in exactly the same place so it is) he needs 5 hours minimum even after a short night for his nap, and your DS had a decent 11 hour night. So I would try for:

WU 7.25

12.30 to 1.30

BT 7.45

x.