4.30am wake ups - please help!

[SusieQue]

Aargh, things were going so well the last few weeks - our 15mo was finally on 1 nap, sleeping 2 hours and waking about 6. Perfect, and then I was bedridden with stomach flu last weekend and DH took him to in-laws where he started giving him a 20min CN and putting him down 2 hours later (which is what we were doing a month ago when DS was hideously OT). Since then he's started short napping and waking at 4.30 totally ready for his day! I just don't know if he's seriously OT or UT or how to get out of this mess! Here is our easy the last few days

Wednesday (at my mum's while I worked)

WU
5.30
Sleep 10.30
Awake 12.00
Bed 5.45

Thursday
Awake 4.30 and wouldn't resettle - got him up at 5
CN 9.10-9.30
Bed 11.20 - took ages to settle which he doesn't normally, and finally asleep at 11.45
Awake 12.55 (crying)
Bed 6pm (cried for a couple of minutes, which again he doesn't usually do)

Thus morning was the same as yesterday but I gave him a CN earlier between 8.55 and 9.15. Put him down at 11.40 and he finally fell asleep at 12.05.

OT, UT? I originally thought OT yesterday but am wondering if he was UT which is why I put him down later today. I just don't know how to get back on routine and help him to get to bed later!

Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks so much

[Truly Blessed]

Hello Hun, (Hugs) to you for being sick yourself, and what frustrating timing! However if he was firmly on 1 nap then he can be again, I'm sure.  I think what happened here:

Awake 4.30 and wouldn't resettle - got him up at 5
CN 9.10-9.30
Bed 11.20 - took ages to settle which he doesn't normally, and finally asleep at 11.45
Awake 12.55 (crying)
Bed 6pm (cried for a couple of minutes, which again he doesn't usually do)

May have been that the A time before a 20 min cat nap was probably too long, so he would have most probably been very tired and grumpy upon waking him, which probably carried over to the 2nd nap, hence the short nap and him waking crying...does that make sense  How you proceed depends if you're going to be stuck with the 4.30 EW. If you are then I would APOP for all you worth to try and resettle  I know it doesn't always work, but it's always worth a try, and at very least keep him in his cot until a reasonable WU time.

Can you tell me what was his 1 nap routine before things went wonky 

x.

[SusieQue]

Thanks for the reply! Before it all went wrong he was waking around 5.45 and going to bed 5 hours later, sleeping for 2 hours. We were then putting him to bed for the night 5 hours after that. I was trying to gradually increase his A time by 15 minutes to get a later day, but then I got sick and everything went wrong!

He is still taking at least 20 minutes to go down for a nap at the moment. Today he woke at 5 and we have to go out later so just put him down at 9.50. He's still moaning up there now. He did the same yesterday for his nap. It took him 20 minutes and he slept 1.5 hours. I can't work out if I'm putting him down UT or OT!

[Truly Blessed]

Hiya, it may be that his body clock is just a little messed up due to the routine change TBH. IIWM I would simply go right back to what you were doing. If you start the day with an EW and his nap is shorter than you would like, shoot for EBT. Does he tack on sleep if you bring BT forward  You may be surprised to know that the average time for a toddler to fall asleep is 27 minutes  I know I was surprised to learn that. As long as he is lying happily then it all counts towards excellent rest so try not to stress about that. 

Hope this helps.

x.

[SusieQue]

Unfortunately he doesn't seem to be tacking on sleep. We did one nap yesterday and put him down at 10 after a 5am wake. He slept 1.5 hours and we put him to bed at 5.30. This morning he woke at 4.30! But he had 11 hours sleep so was totally rested and ready to start the day! Surely he's going to need a CN this morning - he can't just have 1 nap when he's waking up that early?

[SusieQue]

By the way, great tip about the time it takes to fall asleep! I was starting to get a bit worried about that!

[Truly Blessed]

Hi there, my advise is to stick with it like glue Hun, it may be that he will pull a really long night when he is better rested. If not when my DS was waking at 4.30 and wouldn't ever resettle, I tried something one day which worked for us. I put him down for a 30 minute cat nap 2.5 hours after he woke, which he took. Then I took the 2nd WU as the start of the day IYKWIM  So his 2nd WU was 7.30 am.

I would only recommend this after several days of sticking with the new routine because hopefully his nap will soon extend and then his BT will be later.

Can you tell me, when you put him down for his nap does he seem ready to sleep and how long is he taking to go over 

Do you think he is UT or OT when you put him down 

x.

[SusieQue]

He had an awful day today.  We gave him a CN from 8.25 (started trying at 8.15) and woke him at 8.45.  We then went to in-laws (where he has been a thousand times and slept in the cot there) and we put him down at 10.50.  At 11.30 we had to get him up because he started getting distressed, after about 20 minutes of protesting.  We gave him some lunch and tried again at 12.30 but after 15 minutes DH had to cuddle him off and he only slept for 45 minutes at most.  He's just putting him down for the night now, so fingers crossed.  I just don't understand what has happened - he's always been really good for his nap but in the past few days he has completely changed and protests as soon as he goes in his cot.  I'm wondering if he needs more A time, maybe 5.5 hours.  If he wakes at 4.30 tomorrow I'll try your idea of a 30 min nap a couple of hours later.  The problem is, he just never looks tired - even when he started nursery one day a week and was sleeping 30 minutes all day, he would come home and be totally normal, so I find it hard to read his sleep signs!  Instinct is saying UT when putting him down, but maybe he's now so OT that it's hard to catch up.  Would you advise to continue with a short CN and EBT and see how we go, or just go cold turkey back to 1 nap?  I'm totally doubting myself now!  Thanks so much for your help x

[Truly Blessed]

Hiya, ah (Hugs) Hun, it's so hard sometimes. I would advise to stick with going back to the 1 nap routine. I am now wondering though whether this may be related to regression ie: a Wonder Week, there is one at 15 to 16 months. They can play havoc with sleep and LO's often become more clingy and upset a sleep times. Do you think this could be related  sometimes Independent Play goes out the window too. Have you noticed any remarked difference in is speech or his walking or anything 

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=wonder%20week%2015%20months&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogginaboutbabies.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F13%2Fwonder-weeks-13-24-months%2F&ei=6iLOUML6G9Sp0AW62IHgDA&usg=AFQjCNGejxxsSAM2d9xnGg9N12Ds84kbFA&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.d2k

x.

[SusieQue]

He is definitely more reluctant to sleep, and I am starting to think it's developmental. Although I did remark to DH he other day how DS is much less clingy these days and is playing on his own much more, so maybe he's in a different WW leap! He had a couple of NWs last night but got himself back to sleep and woke at 6.30 this morning after going down at 6 last night, which is much better! I'm sticking with 1 nap today and put him down at 11.15 as he was really tired and he fell asleep 11.30. FX for a good sleep today and more reasonable BT! Thanks for your help, I'll let you know how we get on!

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Hun, so glad for you, that was a good night last night

Although I did remark to DH he other day how DS is much less clingy these days and is playing on his own much more, so maybe he's in a different WW leap!

LO's behave differently during WW, it's just there are elements that effects lots of them but not all. Of course it can depend on the speed they're developing the various skills too.

Everything X'd for you, I hope he is firmly back on track soon.x.

[SusieQue]

Thanks Vicki, he slept 2 hours today (woohoo!) and we put him down at 6.30. Still not sure if that is too early as he woke at 1.30, but he was asleep within minutes so he must have been tired. I never know what is a good A time to bed when he has a good sleep, so hopefully he'll be back on track tomorrow! Thanks so much for your advice!

[Truly Blessed]

Woo hoo indeed, that's so great. When Sam had a 2 hour nap he would wake at 1 and go to bed at 7 but he did 5 hours to nap. Generally speaking, if the morning is 6 the afternoon will be 5 hours A time. It just depends on whether your LO prefers a long or short pm. I really hope this is him coming out of the other side 

It's my pleasure 

x.

[SusieQue]

I think it was too early as he woke at 5.10 this morning At least I know now for next time - think he definitely needs a long A time before bed! He's at nursery today so his routine generally goes out the window there, so will hopefully get him back on track tomorrow! Thanks for your advice - sorry for taking up so much time!

[Truly Blessed]

Thanks for your advice - sorry for taking up so much time!

You're welcome and you're not!  so it looks like short am and lon pm is going to suit him best then. Our DS has always been that way. It's so tricky when they're at nursery, I know. Hope they got a decent nap out of him 

x.