18 month old suddenly refusing bt

[cmerblum]

Dear BW helpers,

I am extremely appreciative for these forums, as I read many of the posts during our bumps. I have a couple of questions related to my son's routine. He is most definitely on the low end of the needs spectrum, BUT our days feel so long...I am wondering if his sudden bedtime refusal is due to his new developments or routine related. Our day is:

6.50- 1 (we backed up the day slightly because he was not tired enough for his naps a while ago)
1-2 (i cap the nap at one hour, although it takes him quite a while to fully wake up)
2-8.30

Over the past several weeks, I have cut the nap back in 15 min chunks to improve his nights. He was sleeping 8.30-6.30 or so after reducing the nap from 1.15 to 1 hr, but then things got very inconsistent. Night wakings (1 per night) at different times- 1 am, 3 am, etc. Then some early wakings 5.50, 6...We help him extend with early wakings until 6.50. For the most part the wakings are all ut, in that he settles extremely quickly. When he is ot, that is not the case. And sadly, the last 4 nights I had to just resort to holding his hand to fall asleep because he was screaming bloody murder. I should add, he sleeps independently for naps without fail. So, do you think he is simply not tired enough and I need to keep shaving the nap back...I experimented with waking him at 1.45 and letting him ease very slowly to wake and he was a bit ot. So, am I looking at an even longer day? Or should I just ride it out and go back to the beginning with GW again? Or is this what the 1-0 nap transition looks like at the beginning?

Thank you in advance for your insight!

[cmerblum]

Although yesterday was a bit of a catch-up day  (with an early 6.07 wake and difficulty resettling, plus the longest time to wake up from his nap), I think he needed more sleep. Yesterday looked like...

6.07 wu, sleeping on and off until day began at 6.50
6.50-1
1-2
2-8.25/faught pretty hard, but asleep 5 minutes later

then slept until 6.49! (small noises at 10.51 and 6.25)

i will stick with an hour nap and our normal bt to see if a pattern emerges. still welcome any thoughts!!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I agree with sticking with the usual routine for now...18 months brings a lot of upheaval (sleep regressions, growth spurts, development leaps) that it sometimes is better to ride it out and then tweak after the fact. Not always though, my DD3 is 19 months and we had to cap her nap to 45 min in the last month and yesterday she had a 20 min nap followed by a great night of sleep. These lower sleep needs toddlers can be tricky!

[cmerblum]

Agreed! Friends of mine with littles that still sleep 2plus hours a day and give a 12 hour night baffle me!!!! Last night was great again- 8.23-6.47! So, as you said, I think I will ride it out through the good and the bumps, and if enough bumps become real problems, I will reduce the nap in 15 min intervals.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Great night! Fx that the bumps don't become real problems...but at least if they do you have support!