3year old ds still n/ws fed up!

[barbaraz78]

In our case, 13 h days mean 11-11.5 h night, that seems his sleep needs now, at 3.5 yo. Shortening the day, if not very tired, causes shorter nights here! Anyway, for us fixed bt always helped a lot, and still does. Have you ever tryied this?

[babyrose]

I know when he is absolutely exhausted he will also crash and more likely to sleep thru but wake earlier in the morning. Yesterday he had 12/5 hr day and woke at 2am then slept til 8:10(11hrs 40 in total) so not a bad nite overall.

We always do the same thing in the same order,bath/shower pj's brush teeth pee then up stairs to get stories (I always say this is our last story then time to sleep) but if he starts playing up I have to distract him by telling him what we are doing tomorrow's

We did have fixed bt of 7:30 before we moved but now it just seems around when he gets up I just try stick to around 12hrs but it doesn't always go to plan!

[barbaraz78]

I found that, for us, from 1 yo set bt (plus/minus half an hour depending how much he's tired) helped a lot in regulating his body clock. So, if he's tired he sleeps longer in the morning, if he's UT he wakes before and in this way he self-regulates. I would try to chose a time which you are comfortable with (like 7.30-8) and stick with it for a while.

[cath~]

We always do the same thing in the same order,bath/shower pj's brush teeth pee then up stairs to get stories (I always say this is our last story then time to sleep) but if he starts playing up I have to distract him by telling him what we are doing tomorrow's

Do you think you could be a bit firmer when he plays up? Eg say something short and simple like 'it's sleepy time now, sweet dreams' but not engage in any conversation.  I think you might have to stick to your guns a bit that it's BT now, not chatting (or whatever else) time.  I guess he'd protest at first but should soon get the message.

[babyrose]

I agree with setting a bed time, going to go for 8 and then hopefully an 11/5 hr nite to be up for 7:30. It would fit in nice with starting nursery in 3 wks.

When he does get chatty at night I do keep saying it's time to go Ty sleep now sometimes he gets the hint!

Ok tonight he went down a little better, a 12/5 hr day so will see what tonight brings! He did try and start the wanting juice but I told him to hold the book at the page we were reading and not to let it move so he wouldn't follow me downstairs he just came out the room so it's a start!

I've made a small start to GW, usually we both snuggle under the cover so tonight I didnt? Is that enough for a few nights to begin with?

[Bex09]

Any change is progress hun and that is the joy of GW, you can go as fast or as slow as is right for you and A. So did you sit on his bed? You may find you know that because he is older you can move a little quicker. So tomorrow you might be able to sit on the floor, just see how it goes maybe? Did he protest much or accept the change?

[babyrose]

I still lay beside him, just didn't put the covers over me. I didn't even think he noticed that the covers weren't over me! tomorrows plan is to kind of lie with my legs out of the bed with no covers again see how that goes.

I cannot believe things have got to this stage again! 

[babyrose]

A went to sleep just before 9 and woke at 2:45 but was awake at 7:50 so I'm guessing too late a nite for him (and me) hopefully bt will be earlier tonight!

He is a very grumpy boy this morning!

[Bex09]

Was that a 12.5 hr day then hun? Maybe try BT at 7.45 tonight and hopefully asleep by 8pm, then that is near enough a 12 hr day. Have you ever tried an EBT so maybe after an 11 or 11.5 hr day? Just to see what happens. That gave us our answer really as to C being OT or UT when she went through a spell of EW. I am guessing that if A does a shorter night after a longer day then he probably prefers a shorter day too.

Good luck with the move out of the bed hun. I bet you will also find that once you are out of the room that A falls asleep quicker too. You may distract him by being there even though he needs that ATM if you know what I mean?

[barbaraz78]

A almost 11 h night with only one nw is not bad at all in my opinion! 12 h for a 3 yo can be a short day, if he's not hsn, but you can try as Bex suggested, and shorten the day to rule out ot before considering him ut.
A 8 pm bt should be fine, esp if you want to work with set bt and decide 8 as you preferred time.

[babyrose]

Yes it was a 12/5 day but I thought maybe it was too late a night iyswim with it being closer to 9pm. I could certainly try a shorter day, I've had a look in his mouth today and seen his last molar is still making its way thru maybe this has been causing our dramas during the day this WK.

 I certainly think set b/time is the way to go, it makes things a lot easier! Finding out if OT/UT is an issue here swell cos he certainly seems tired but not tired enough to STTN!

I'm going to try and move quite quickly with sitting on his bed as I think it will make things easier with moving onto the next step.

[barbaraz78]

Actually, I also think that to get rid of nw you really need sleep training (as you do!). My ds sttn but 8 nights out of 10 he wakes up in the night, drinks his water and goes back to sleep without calling. I think it is very normal for a child to wake briefly in the night (we also do) but then he needs to learn it is still night time and he has to go back to sleep.

[babyrose]

I'm hoping that GW will help these nw's, last night was a good nite! He crashed at 8 within 10/15 mins woke up but I'm not sure of the time. And I think he would have still been sleepingpast 8 ifdf's alarm never went off at 8! So a 12hr+ nite

[Bex09]

That is fab hun. I would try to stick to those set times for a few days now then, hopefully that is the ideal length of day for him and a good BT too. With that plus the GW you will have this cracked in no time!

I would love C to sleep in until 8!! She used to when she was doing 13 hr nights but now she is a 7 until 7 girl. But she does sleep right through so I can't complain!! Would just love a bit of a lie in now and again! Lol.

[barbaraz78]

Great news! I would also stick with 8 pm bt, and see if you can get into a 8/7-8 routine that would be great.