is there a growth spurt at 11 months? multiple nw

[lyssie28]

Hi, my dd had just started to sleep 6.30-6.30 but for the last 3 nights she has woken up at all times of the night.  Last night she was awake so often i've got my doubts that she even went to sleep at all! I think she might be teething and ive been giving her calpol but doesn't seem to help.  Also, she used to wake and just move around and talk to herself through the night but now she wakes up really upset.  Do they get scared of the dark at this age or have nightmares?  She's never had a nightlight and has always slept better the darker it is.  Any ideas? Thanks.

[Layla]

Hmm not sure about a growth spurt... I personally wouldn't start giving her a bottle now if she's been sleeping through... but that's up to you!

What's her daytime sleep like? She is probably in the 2-1 nap transition period and sometimes too much or not enough daytime sleep can lead to night wakings.

[lyssie28]

She has a long am nap but her naps in pm are hit and miss.  Generally she will nap 9.30-11 and then i try to put her down for nap around 3 but alot of the time she just plays in her cot.  If thats the case i'll put her to bed at 6.15 if she has a half hour - 45 min nap i put her to bed at 7. 

[Layla]

Maybe she's overtired hun... could you AP the catnap or maybe she needs a little less A before the 2nd nap or a little more? She's definitely showing signs of the 2-1 switch... but until she's ready for 1 nap, she'll need the catnap to get her through till bedtime. I would be temped to put her down even earlier than 6pm if she's missing the afternoon nap. I am mostly doing the other option (shorter am/longer pm) but on days we have done 1 nap or just long morning nap and no afternoon nap, bedtime is as early as 5pm.

Will she sleep in the pram or could you drive her around to ensure she is taking the 2nd nap?

Do these night wakings correlate with no pm nap days? If you have ruled other things out (like teething or developmental), it may be from overtiredness?

[lyssie28]

Atm it doesnt seem to make a difference whether she has the pm nap but it has been  quite hard to get her to have that nap lately so i did try doing it a bit earlier today. She was up from her am nap at 10.45 and i put her down at 2 and she had 30 minutes so hopefully tonite she'll do a bit better. I put her to bed at 6.45.  She already wakes up early for the day between 5.30-6.15 so i'm scared if i put her to bed too early she'll wake even earlier!

She will sleep in the car at the weekend with dh but unfortunately i dont drive. She will sleep eventually in the pram but i always need to walk at least half an hour for her to fall asleep as she just wants to see everything and then as soon as i stop walking she wakes up.

[Layla]

Her taking a pm nap is important until she's ready to be pushed more towards one nap. She can't take just 1 nap and then be awake for the rest of the afternoon, she will get overtired. You could try some one nap days here and there and maybe stretch her morning A a little more so that her nap is closer to 11am, which is probably the earliest I would settle for if my dd was to be on 1 nap.

[lyssie28]

She seems to be settling down again  yesterday she woke at 11.00 from her nap so i put her down at 2.45 and she had 45 minutes.  She went to bed at 7 and woke up at 6.30.  I'll just apop the second nap from now to make sure she gets something.  Thanks 

[Layla]

That's great hun... are her nights getting better?

[lyssie28]

Hi sorry for delayed reply! She still wakes around 5ish but goes bk to sleep normally until around half 6.  She is havin her naps now in the afternoon for half an hour no problem