Hi there - I am a long time lurker but a first time poster!
The Baby Whisperer Forums have been a life saver over and over again for me and reading other people's advice has often helped me find a solution. This time however I don't know what I am doing and am really struggling to find a solution to cope and get through. I am sitting here in tears because I am 35 weeks pregnant and so tired myself.
3 weeks ago our routine was:
WU between 6:15-6:30
Nap 12:30 to 2:00/2:30
BT 7:15/7:30
He had pretty much been on this routine since he dropped to one day sleep at 14 months. He self settled for sleep and only had his dummy for the day sleep.
In the last 3 weeks everything has changed and things have become very messed up. We have had some nap resistance but this seems to have settled, but we are still having early wakings, long (2 - 3 hour) night wakings, and short naps (30 mins to 1 hour 10 mins). I don't know if it is developmental (his language is improving but I wouldn't say exploding), or a routine tweak needed. He only has the last 4 molars to come through and I can't feel anything on his gums so I don't think they are to blame.
The last two days have looked like this:
WU 5:45am
Nap PD 12:20, asleep by 12:30 - woke 1:05
BT 6:50 - asleep almost straight away
NW 3:30 - 5:30am - cried on and off during this time. I resettled him in his cot and left the room. He lays quietly for up to a half hour at a time before crying out again. Finally brought him into bed with me at 5am and he fell asleep at 5:30am with me patting him.
WU 6:30am
Nap 12:20 - 1:20 needed resettling in the middle
BT 6:50pm
NW 2:15am - 4:30am - cried out a few times and I went in 3 times and resettled him in his cot. I was only in the room a few minutes. He finally drifted back off to sleep at 4:30
WU 5:45am
This has been a pretty common type of pattern over the last three weeks. We have had the odd night of STTN 6:50pm to 5:30am but it not consistent and naps are no better, and if anything worse, on these days.
We did shift him into a new bedroom, still in his cot, not long before the problems started but he slept fine in there for the first few days so I don't think that is what has unsettled him. We have had the same routine before bed and naps for as long as I can remember and he goes down happily for BT and settles quickly. He eats really well during the day too.
Can anyone give me some advice of what to try next? I can't work out if he is OT or UT. Surely he is not ready to drop his nap just yet? In comparison to other children around his age he seems to be LSN and has always been a bit that way. But when two of my friends tell me that their children the same age are doing 12 hours at night and 2-3 hour day nap I can't help but feel that I am doing something wrong here. I will welcome any suggestions - I need to break this cycle before the next baby comes along! My DP works away and is gone for 28 days at a time and then home for 5 days only so I do this mostly alone and it is taking its toll.
Sorry for the long post and I hope someone can shed some light for me x
