Help Naps are getting shorter and taking longer to fall asleep at night!

[Chloevalentine]

So today for instance he's sleeping in late ( he had some vaccines yesteday not going to wake him) but if he wakes 745-8 am I'll do a later nap at 1 instead of 1230 and if he sleeps until 230/3 should I still try bedtime at 730 to get him back on track of 7 am wake up or will he not be tired enough for bed until 8? If so should I put him in crib 745?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

No, I just wondered if you had ever put him to bed earlier to let him have his settling down time and then fall asleep at whatever time you think he should be asleep at. Sounds like he had a good day...is he nw at all? Not all kids will do the 12 hr day/night thing or they may need a longer day with a longer nap. How old is he now?

[Chloevalentine]

He's going to be 16 months end of October. He doesn't do nw thank god! We always did bedtime 730 and he would wake around 7 am and would typically nap 1.5 hrs. Sometimes now he does a 2 hr nap or just over an hour. I think He might need a change but not sure what.  I was putting him in crib at 715 so that he would fall asleep by 730 but lately he isn't asleep until 745! I think it's good that he likes his quiet time in his crib and puts himself to sleep but when it's more than 15 mins i wonder if he needs more A time. What are your thoughts? He's always been a good 12 hour through the night kind of guy and not a great napper.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I imagine he is just accounting for any ut by taking a bit longer to fall asleep, tbh I would not worry too much about it unless it starts to impact nights or becomes a case of him calling you in to stall bedtime! There is a sleep regression that can happen at 18 months (along with a growth spurt) so I would probably let it be for now.

[Chloevalentine]

So if he does a 2 hr nap or even a shorter later nap and wakes as late as 3 should I stull put him in crib at 730? This is why I kind of like the eariier nap 1230-2/230 because he's usually ready for bed by 730. This is tough you'd think I'd know by now when to put him for nap and bed lol. I usually stick with set times as to make it easier but that doesn't always work with inconsistent wake times.

[Chloevalentine]

Ok so today he woke late almost 8 am nspped from 110-310 I had to wake him. What time should I put him to bed? 8?

[Chloevalentine]

I put lo in crib at 745 last night and he fell asleep around 810 so it seems on average to take him about 25 mins to fall asleep. My question now is how do I get him back on the old schedule of 7/730 wake and bed? He's still asleep this morning at 730 and usually does a 12 hr night.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I think if you want a specific wake and bedtime you will have to wake him in the morning and then move bedtime back a bit.

[Chloevalentine]

He woke at 715 yesteday on his own so that was good but I posted a new post about him taking so long to fall asleep at night. I can't figure out if it's ot or ut

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I saw that one, but since it is such a similar post I actually linked it back to this one and locked it so any advice is in one spot for you (and others reading on the forum ). I truly think he is just doing his own relaxing, and tbh I would love it if my DD3 had a routine like that (lol she is low sleeps needs so we have a short nap to preserve our 10.5/11 hr nights!). If anything Inwould think ut because ot would usually result in a very unhappy baby here, needing mommy and not wanting to self settle in the crib.

[Chloevalentine]

He doesn't get fussy when it but it takes him a while to fall asleep. It seems that even with his nap the he needs 5.5 hrs A time before nap and 5.5 hrs before bedtime.  I just dont see though how bedtime at 830 for a 16 month old makes sense it just seems to late. Tonight msybe I'll try later bedtime but he just seemed exhausted last night.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

My 14 month old has had an 8 pm bedtime her entire life really...just depends on the kid, my older two go to bed shortly after her and there is 5 & 7 year gap in ages! It does suck when it cuts into your evening though, I find I tend to stay up later than I should to make up some Y time.

[*Ali*]

Sorry I can't remember where in the book it is but I'm sure Tracy said it takes 20 mins for the average LO to fall asleep so it really isn't a problem if he is happy in his crib for 20-30 mins or so. Especially if as you say he is doing his own winding down that he doesn't seem to do during story time etc. with you.

So you know if he has high or low sleep needs typically?

Although 8.30pm may seem like a late BT don't forget you are also getting a late morning wake up. Many LOS are up before 7am so really sleeping 8.30pm-7.45am is exactly the same as BT at 7.30pm and morning WU at 6.45am. I agree with Heidi, if you want an earlier BT then you probably need to move the morning wake up and then the nap time earlier as well.

[Chloevalentine]

Thanks everyone! He typically sleeps 12 hrs sonetimes 11. And his nsp is usually 1.5. He normally wakes around 7/730 and in crib by 730 /745 asleep by 8/810. He used to fall asleep within a few mins of going into his crib do this 20-25 mins is new. Today he was up around 730 msybe a little befire and he napped from 1245-215 and I put him in crib at 735. He seemed tired and cranky tonight so I don't think he needs a later bedtime. Just going to go with the longer wind down in crib for now. When I put him down for nap nap later around 1 he usually does a 2 hr nsp until 3 but this brings bedtime later and you'd think it would be ok to put him to bed later but he seems to get wild and cranky being up past 8. So I think what best for him is the earlier shorter nap and a 12.5 hr day.

[*Liz*]

Why do you feel bad? It's entirely normal (not to mention rather lovely) when children chatter or sing themselves to sleep.

It's just a young child's wind down thing. And a sign of a child drifting happily off to sleep  .