"Playing" in the night

[CattyPads]

This may be a stupid question as there isn't a big problem as such, but here it goes...
My DS (24mo) has a toy sheep since he was born that plays relaxing music to go to sleep. He has always been a great sleeper and I have assumed he was sleeping through the night,he usually goes down for 12 hours.
But he has now figured out how to turn the sheep on and off, and I have been hearing the sheep in the middle of the night through the baby monitor, also very early in the morning, and also when I put him down at night I hear the sheep play on and on for up to an hour! (He remains quiet and doesn't call us).
Was he always having awake spells and I just didn't know about it cause both him and the sheep were quiet, or is it the excitement of playing with the sheep what keeps him up/wakes him up?
My DH wants to confiscate the sheep  but I am not sure as he loves it!
Thanks for reading my loooong sheep story!

[Truly Blessed]

Hello Honey,

First off I think it is super when a LO has any kind of 'lovey' that gives them comfort and that taking it away would be a shame  . The question I would be asking first and foremost is whether or not you think he is 'sleep deprived'  If his mood is good and he doesn't appear to be over tired then I wouldn't worry about it. All children wake up several time a night, it's just that they go back over independently and quickly as a rule, so we tend not to know. Can I ask, does he still nap at this point  If so, then it may be that his sleep needs at night are shortening, but because he has his sheep he is happy to lie with it quietly until he is ready to drift off. If he didn't have the sheep then you could possibly be facing 'settling' issues at bed time which you don't currently have.

I hop this is of some help.

((HUGS))

Vicki.x.

[CattyPads]

Thank you Vicky 

In answer to your questions, he doesnt seem tiredto me, he has been playing up quite a bit but i just had a baby so I guess its more to do with that, coupled with some terrible twos problems like running away etc.
He still naps, about two hours every afternoon.
I also think he' d probably get very upset without his sheep, i just worried that was what's keeping him up, for example this morning i heard it play for nearly an hour but then he went back to sleep for another whole hour!!

[Truly Blessed]

In answer to your questions, he doesnt seem tiredto me, he has been playing up quite a bit but i just had a baby so I guess its more to do with that, coupled with some terrible twos problems like running away etc.

I agree, that all seems perfectly normal developmental stuff Hun, and of course as you say the current circumstances may be relevant, but not necessarily so as I think we have a tendency to look for reasons, when it is actually just down to age.

I do think you have options. If he is average sleep needs, then it could be that expecting 14 hours sleep out of him is optimistic. Although a high sleep needs LO could still sleep 14 hours this age, my DS who is ASN was averaging 13 hours at this age, his routine was something like this:

WU 7 am
Nap 1 to 2.30
BT 7.30

So if  you cut his nap back by 15 minutes at a time over a week or so and his nights become more settled, then it would be conclusive. Alternatively you could bring his BT later, but if you're anything like me then that is an option I would prefer to delay as long as possible, depending on how much you need your time with you new LO and your 'me time/couple time' 

WRT to him resettling in the morning, again I suspect it is down to his fabulous woolly friend  and that without him he would likely have been up for the day.

Thoughts 

ETA: I should also ask what is his current routine, as it may be his nap needs moving  .

x.

[CattyPads]

Hi

I am not sure if he has high sleep needs, he has always slept quite a lot with no problems (lucky me  ) I guess he takes after me lol.
Here's his routine, don't be shocked wrt the lateness, the country we live in everything happens later (but this will need serious tweaking when he starts nursery in sept as he will start at 9am so will have to be up by 8am).
10 WU
4 pm - nap for 2 hours
10 pm - BT  (sometimes he takes up to half an hour to fall sleep but stays in his cot).

I have wondered if his nap was too long, but if I wake him up he wakes up sooooooo grumpy! Whereas if he wakes up when he is ready he is fine.

Also, in case it's important, when I hear him awake in his cot he is usually happy to be there and doesn't call us, he does sometimes but usually not).

So what do you think?
And thanks again, I appreciate your help.

[Truly Blessed]

Here's his routine, don't be shocked wrt the lateness, the country we live in everything happens later

Are you in the Med somewhere Honey

I have wondered if his nap was too long, but if I wake him up he wakes up sooooooo grumpy! Whereas if he wakes up when he is ready he is fine.

Sadly this is often the case, but some people go with it and just use distraction as a tool to bring them round ie: favourite TV programme/snack at the ready. If he would go down earlier, you may be able to bring his nap forward, and as the A time is shorter he may naturally wake earlier. I did this successfully for a while.

Also, in case it's important, when I hear him awake in his cot he is usually happy to be there and doesn't call us, he does sometimes but usually not).

Well yes it is important Hun. I mean if it were me I would leave things alone until it becomes a real problem ie: He refuses to go down for his nap, or does start calling you. The reason why I am offering possible alternative solutions is because I know the 'family dynamic' is often also at play ie: You don't want to end up in a situation where you may be a logger head's with DH about whether he gets to keep his sheep YK 

x.

[CattyPads]

Haha yes good guess  my uk friends also put their children to bed at around 7pm and are shocked by my routine  but everyone here is out in the street with the children until 8ish pm and it's completely normal. We can change it in sept and enjoy the summer for now!

As for DH don't worry about him  he was just guessing it was the right thing to do, but I am the softer one of the two and I didn't wanna upset DS and convinced him not,to confiscate it!

So now we figured out the sheep is not to blame (that's right, right?  ) he can keep it right? I mean, he was waking up before he figured out how to make it work, is that right? I was just wondering if the sheep is prolonging the awake time.
If you think I need to tweak his nap or BT please do let me know! I am happy to give it a go! X

[Truly Blessed]

Haha yes good guess   my uk friends also put their children to bed at around 7pm and are shocked by my routine   but everyone here is out in the street with the children until 8ish pm and it's completely normal. We can change it in sept and enjoy the summer for now!

I worked abroad for 20 years, and almost lived in Mallorca I love and miss the med life Honey. It all makes sense to me including those fabulous siesta's lol.

As for DH don't worry about him   he was just guessing it was the right thing to do, but I am the softer one of the two and I didn't wanna upset DS and convinced him not,to confiscate it!

That's good news

So now we figured out the sheep is not to blame (that's right, right?   ) he can keep it right?

Only my opinion, but if you are happier for him to keep his long nap, it is my best guess that the sheep is a friend right now and not a foe

I was just wondering if the sheep is prolonging the awake time.

I don't think so, I suspect the sheep is keeping him happy to lie there quietly and without it he may be shouting for you and unhappy to be in bed.

If you think I need to tweak his nap or BT please do let me know! I am happy to give it a go! X

Not as long as you are happy now that the 'status quo' is acceptable. But if you change your mind I will be here to help and hold your hand.

x.

[CattyPads]

Thanks for your reply

Well the only thing that I am wondering is if I am expecting too much S. Last night I put him to bed at 10ish and he took about half an hour or drop off - sometimes he cries when he can get the right tune on the sheep so I have to go in and sort it out  and then today he was awake at 9,15ish, again cried for me to sort out the right tune (he is a picky one  ) and then he gave up at 9:45 and asked to get up.
So my point is, how many hours would you say he needs at night, and for the nap? He usually sleeps two hours at nap time, so I wonder that's why he takes half to one hour to go to sleep at night.

Thanks for helping, it's very nice of you

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Hun, it does sound like he needs his nap cutting back then, and if he is now averaging 11 hours at night if you take away WU and messing about time, with the 2 hour nap I'd say he is average sleep needs. Having said that if you decide to cut back the nap then you need to decide if he has later BT and an earlier WU or vice versa. My best guess is that the first of the 2 would work best as if that is do-able then it would be the start of changing up the routine for him to start nursery. My guess with you being in the med is that he will have a set nap/siesta time with all the children, so do you know if that will be at the same time as he now has it at home 

If you decide to start shortening the nap then if he will do it, I would try shaving off 15 minutes at a time and stick with it for at least 7 to 10 days to see if it's enough and you get results. PD at the same time, then you get that extra 15 mins to BT too, which may also help him go over quicker.

What do you think 

x.

[CattyPads]

Hi

I've been thinking, trying to figure things out.
I have very bad memory so I am not sure where/when things "went wrong" (I am aware I can't complain as I have a good sleeper, but I can't help but wonder why things have changed and if he is getting enough sleep, I have also wondered if he is high needs or average).

As I said I have been putting him down at 10, and he used to wake up somewhere between 10 and 11am) so he was getting about 12 hrs sleep, plus the 2 hr nap. But since the sheep "incident" he has been taking longer to fall asleep and for about a week or so he has been waking at 9am, so his usual 12 hours are now suddenly closer to 10. The nap is still fine.

My routine is sometimes a bit rubbish as when it's sunny sometimes we stay out in the pool longer, so somedays he naps at 4pm, some at 4:30/4;45,,,, could my inconsistency be what ruins things?
Also,sometimes I wonder if he plays up as maybe he's tired? Or cause of the new baby? Or the terrible twos? Lol the possibilities are endless. Hence me wanting to make sure sleep is under control.
I also wonder if thr baby's screams wake him, the new baby sleeps with us but DS is just down the hallway.

I am sorry to go on, I wanna make sure I am doing the right thing before attempting any changes. Thanks AGAIN!!

Edit: just wanted to add, we have been having NW for the last three nights too now, usually just have to go in, put sheep on, little cuddle and he settles straight away, but we hardly ever had NWs!

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Honey,

My routine is sometimes a bit rubbish as when it's sunny sometimes we stay out in the pool longer, so somedays he naps at 4pm, some at 4:30/4;45,,,, could my inconsistency be what ruins things?

Sorry to say this, but yes this could be relevant, as if he naps too late, it could be causing BY resistance and NW  . However I would expect it to be worse on these days.

I also wonder if thr baby's screams wake him, the new baby sleeps with us but DS is just down the hallway.

You could try using white noise to rule this out.

My gut feeling is that the nap needs cutting back. LO's don't always wake early or refuse naps when it needs cutting, sometimes it is the nights that are effected.

If it were me (IIWM) I would start cutting it back 15 mins at a time over the course of a week or so and see where you're at.

x.

[CattyPads]

Thanks, I am gonna do that and report back to you! 
So I will stick with same length nap every day, 1hr 45mins!

[Truly Blessed]

Good Luck Sweetie 

x.

[CattyPads]

Thanks  I am just so annoyed with myself for ruining a perfectly good routine  I am glad we chatted cause I can now see it wasn't the sheep to blame  and where I am going wrong!