Can a too short last A time cause EMW? 22 months

[jcsmom]

Going to have to do early nap today as she didn't settle til 8 pm then was up at 6. This is horrible! Just feel like I am chasing my tail. An earlier nap will mean an emw tomorrow and then we're stuck in a loop. Thanks for trying to help jessmom. I really appreciate it!

[jessmum46]

Actually just another thought, but if she was only doing 45 mins to 1h15 at 18 months, with a 12h night, what happens if you just shoot for NNDs?  Maybe throw in a nap every 2-3 days if you see she's struggling?

[jcsmom]

I've thought about nnd. But I think if I tried today after a 10 hr night it would just blow up. She was sleeping much much less and sttn at 18 months. 45-1.25 with 11.5-12 hr nights. When nap got longer we fot bedtime resistance and emw or NWs for chat fests. She is OT right now but I think it's from UT. Going for an early nap today and hope her wu isnt 4 am tomorrow. Thanks!

[jessmum46]

If the short nights are because the nap needs to go though.......you might never get a long night until you take the plunge  . Sometimes pushing LO to the limits can bizarrely set you back on track. I know DD ended up doing a 13.5h NND after an EW and a family event and pulled off a really long night.  The later WU meant the next day was shorter and so we got back on track.  See how the early nap goes first though

If the early nap is a bust you could try our plan when we hit the 1-0 in earnest: set BT (we did 6.30pm) with 15-20 min catnap around 3/3.30pm when she was struggling.  And crossed our fingers!

[jcsmom]

Yesterday she slept just shy of 2 hours at 12. Bed was 6:45 and she sang until 7:15ish. A long day again. Then she was wiiiide awake from 11:45-3ish up at 7. Wtf? This is beginning to become comical almost. I have no idea what to do next. I just have no idea anymore. She will not settle with a short a after nap. Seems like 5.5 no matter how long. So if morning A was long then she long naps and wont settle for bed. I worry nnds would be a disaster. But nap days are not working.

[jessmum46]

That sounds very much like an UT night waking.  I think the nap is on its way out hun....you've got to either cap nap really short or just shoot for NNDs and see what happens.

[jcsmom]

So here's yesterday's easy after being awake for FOUR hours:
Wu 7
Nap 12:30-2:40 I couldn't wake her. She was out cold
Bed and asleep just after 7
Wu 1:30 am. It's 2:30 and she's still in there singing away and practicing every word she knows. There is no way she's OT from yesterday. But I think she is OT overall. My Mom says she needs to drop her nap as well.

[jessmum46]

I agree with your mum but you know that already!  Ok it's going to be tough after a NW that long but you can't let her nap 2h tomorrow.  Get out of the house, go to the park, avoid anywhere she might fall asleep e.g. car as much as you can.  If she dozes off wake her after 20 mins tops ie before she gets into deep sleep.  She will likely be exhausted and cross, but if she has a long nap again this cycle is just going to continue I think.  Deep breaths, and join the 1-0 thread!

[jcsmom]

Things are not better. Been keeping the nap. One day we did a nnd she slept 6:20-650 with 2 brief nws. Yesterday after a 1.75 nap she was up for 2.5 hours then slept til 7:35. Then she refused to nap so I did a sebt of 5:15. She slept great until 3 and was up chatting til after 5 then slept til 7:20 today. So her night was 14 hrs with a 2 hr wake in the middle. Where to go? This is so messed up! I cannot for the life of me figure out her needs. Are the looooong NWs actually residual OT? Or is she UT?

[jessmum46]

I think even her NND was too short, not even 10h, and that was an UT night waking take the plunge hun, things are not good with the nap. Time for it to go!  If it were me I'd set BT at 6.30pm, and push on through without x

[jcsmom]

It was a 9 hour 45 minute day! Here's the thing I *think* she needs 11.5-12 hours awake but again not sure. So if I do a 6:30 bed her day is still too short, yk? I'm confused. If she is up chatting is that for sure UT?

[jessmum46]

What's her usual WU time?

[jcsmom]

Haha! How long is a piece of string? Before this about 6:30.

[jcsmom]

I'm an idiot. Looking over her logs I've been giving her 10-10.5 awake time if you count crib time I've been aiming for 14+ hours of sleep. When I total what she is actually sleeping shes pretty close to 12-12.25 in 24. It's 1:05 now and shes just gone down. Do I just give a good nap and push out bedtime? I'd like some sort of routine but I am pretty certain she needs a good long A after any sort of nap.

[jessmum46]

What did you decide?  I'd worry a long nap would eat into your night.....but if you push BT late enough you might get a reasonable WU time.

If 6.30am if your desired WU, I think a set 6.30pm BT long term with no nap is reasonable to allow for a 12h night or slightly more if needed.