Author Topic: 2.5 year old sleep regression?? (Read 7107 times)

Mandy.kamal · « **on:** August 04, 2015, 11:33:35 am »

Hi ladies,
Is there a 2.5 year old sleep regression? My son was sleeping perfectly. Our day was:
Up- 7:00/7:30am
Nap- 1:00/1:30-3:00pm
BT- 8:00/8:30pm

He was like clockwork and even on days things were off he handled it well and slept great and would find a way to make up lost sleep without a whine. We were good like this for months.

He got sick and things went off but nothing more than normal odd sleep/sick behavior. We haven't recovered. He did okay for about 2 days once his fever broke and then things went off the deep end. He's up 3-5 times a night and waking early. He's skreetching/screaming/crying and yelling for me.

Sometimes I go in and sometimes I just try and calm him by talking in the monitor. He's not too terrible to calm if I go in and he never seems to really want me but just needs help calming down. Very odd behavior for him. Now all day he is exhausted because he's been up all night and he will nap still and willingly and would sleep 2+ hours if I let him. It's just been an issue with nights.

Is there a normal sleep regression now? He will be exactly 2.5 in a couple days. I'm really hoping it's a phase and will pass. It doesn't feel like a routine shift or anything. If feel like it's something different but I've also had zero sleep in days so my judgement may be off.

And to add, he goes to bed just fine still. Never a huge battle. It's just the WU all night and EW. We do have an ok to wake clock so he knows he has to stay in bed (still in crib) until it turns green. It's just the issue of him waking so much horribly upset....all night!

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 05, 2015, 06:30:07 am »

Hi there, yes there are developmental leaps at birthdays abc half birthdays so this could well be it.

When he wakes at night does it take long for him to resettle? Are there any teeth left to come through?
Around this age we did start having to cap the nap as it was causing EW and NW but he seems from the NW description to have more OT behaviour than UT!?x

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #2 on:** August 05, 2015, 10:40:01 am »

Thank you very much. I thought I remember hearing that half birthdays can be pretty tricky. And coupled with him just overcoming being sick could be messing with him.

I believe he still has one set of molars left but I'm not sure. I'll feel around and see if I feel some poking through. He takes about 15mins or so to resettle. Sometimes it's easier than other to resettle. Going to him calms him the fastest but I try not to every time because I don't want to start a habit.

Yesterday I laid him down for nap earlier than norm- he was completely wrecked. I let him sleep 2 hours and woke him up at 2:45pm. He was much better after nap and we did BT at 8:00pm and he was saying he was tired and ready for bed. He went straight to sleep and no NWs last night!!!!! Huge change from the nights prior. He did wake at 6:00am so only a 10hr night but probably from the 2 hour nap. I just wanted to be completely sure I could rule out OT.

So I'll see how the next few days go and see if we continue to improve and get a routine back!

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 05, 2015, 16:36:27 pm »

Sounds like a breakthrough. Those half birthdays do mess stuff up, fingers crossed for another good night!
Keep us posted x

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #4 on:** August 06, 2015, 17:18:41 pm »

Another good night! I suppose a combo of built up OT and half birthday mess. Thank you for your time! Now I just need to shift his whole day forward a bit and we will be back on track. Thank you again!! Xx

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2015, 17:24:09 pm »

Great update

xx

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #6 on:** August 11, 2015, 17:51:05 pm »

I got too excited too soon! His half bday was the 8th so I'm not sure how long things are supposed to stay messy but its progressively gotten worse. I don't even have a schedule to really post since our days have been chaotic and not on any good routine. He was still napping 1.5 hours but his night sleep was really shortened and he was taking forever to fall asleep for BT. That was screaming UT to me but his behavior is fully OT. When he's OT he takes forever to sleep and is very restless and has short nights and becomes so cranky all day. I suppose some UT days/nights has lead to OT build up. But not sure where to go from here?

Today he is refusing his nap in the first time in ages. He took over an hour to fall asleep last night and went to bed the latest he's ever done- 9:00pm and woke at 6:30am so a super short night. He was very fussy all day and he hasn't eaten well in a few days because of that too. I laid him down at normal 1:00pm nap and he's still just talking and playing in his crib and it's almost 2:00pm. My gut says fully OT but I can't do anything to get him to sleep for naps or BT now and he's EW.

Any suggestions? Or do I just wing it and try and see how the rest of the week goes? We are going out of town for the weekend now too so this will make for an interesting trip. Especially since I'll be having to cram my big 2.5 year old in a pack n play since he's still in his crib. Yikes.

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 11, 2015, 19:06:34 pm »

Big hugs Hun.

I'd say your poss in an OT/UT loop with developmental in there too. Can you do a nap or 2 in the car or buggy. My DS had started refusing bed naps at this age so I had to apop them for a while.

Can you do a super early BT if he doesn't nap to see if he tacks on some sleep?

If he won't fit in pack and play what about a mattress on the floor? If your going out of town I'd wing it until you get back xx

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #8 on:** August 11, 2015, 21:58:50 pm »

Thank you so much! I think you're right about the UT/OT plus developmental chaos. I think this weekend will be a little crazy being somewhere new so I think you're right about winging it and really trying to fix it once we get home.

I may do the mattress on the floor if he can't sleep in the pnp. I am worried he won't stay in it but I'll never know unless I try it out!

I'll come back on after the weekend and start documenting our days too so you have a better idea of what the issues are. Thank you again for your help! xx

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 12, 2015, 06:59:16 am »

Just enjoy the weekend and worry about the sleep etc when you get back. You never know with the mattress, my DS used to think it was like his cot and not get out, I used to just put pillow round the edge so it was like a barrier lol.

Have fun

xx

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2015, 00:48:57 am »

I'm back! So this weekend actually went great! He slept the best he's sleep in a long time. He was napping 1 to 1.5 hours and doing 11 hour nights. I'm assuming from the extra stimulation and physical activity. Our day was back to normal where it was:

Wake 7:00/7:30am
Nap 1:00-2:30pm
BT 8:00/8:15pm

The day we got home he has been back to whacky sleep. Monday was no nap and 12hr day with 12hr night- great! But then it's gotten weird since then. I still lay him down at 1:00pm no matter what and he's been taking until 2:00pm to fall asleep and then I wake him at 3:00pm. Tuesday night he fell asleep right away at 8:00pm but woke at 6:30am this morning.

Today was:
6:30am
Laid down for nap at 1:30pm. Fell asleep at 2:05. I woke him at 3:05 and put him down for bed at 7:45pm since he woke at 6:30am. He's still WIDE awake and it's almost 9:00pm.....

I know he needs rest time in his bed and I want him to sleep if he needs it but are these the signs to fully drop his nap?? Do I just need to roll with it and always lay down at 1:00pm and let him choose to sleep or not? Or will be just be in this nasty cycle of super long days because of it?

This just happened out of nowhere so I'm a little confused how to handle it!

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 20, 2015, 06:13:14 am »

Great to hear you had a good weekend

Looking at your day when away nap was 1pm on a later WU with a longer A to bed in the afternoon....do you think your missing the window putting him down at 1.30pm with a 6.30am WU!? As then you have a much shorter A to bed..I'd prob go with setting nap at 1pm telling him it's time to rest in bed and if he doesn't sleep then he's had quiet time, and then shoot for EBT.

FWIW we went to Florida Disney when DS was just under 3yrs old and he had dropped nap pretty much but he had 1.5 hour nap most days and did 12 hours night...!best sleep we'd had in a year!! All I can put it down to is lots of extra activity. When we got home back to no nap and 11 hour nights

Will he sleep in stroller if you went for a well timed walk?x

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #12 on:** August 20, 2015, 10:45:31 am »

He fell asleep at 9:00pm and he didn't have any NW but up at 6:30am....

I think you're right about the 1:00pm set nap/rest time. But what time do I get him/wake him? That's always where I go wrong and end up OT/UT. He used to do good with waking at 3:00pm and BT at 8:00 but now maybe needs more A to bed?

I don't think he would nap in the stroller. He hardly sleeps well in the car! He's a blackout/white noise type and only sleeps odd places if he's really tired.

Wish me luck today with a tot who's only slept 9.5 hours

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2015, 11:16:02 am »

I was reading back through my posts and at a few others on here. Do you think he's not tired by 1:00pm and to try a set 1:30-2:30pm rest/nap??

I think my concern is that it is taking him until 2:00pm to go to sleep lately so waking him at 2:30pm worries me. Especially with short nights.

Honestly have no clue anymore!

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 20, 2015, 15:34:22 pm »

You could try 1.30pm set nap and cap it, if he falls asleep at 2pm cap it at 1 hour. If nights are short and no nap then I'd go for a super early BT.

Honestly if it's the 1-0 transition we all have/had no clue it's a wing it kind of transition really lol!!x

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #15 on:** August 20, 2015, 15:52:15 pm »

Okay, thank you. I know a huge issue is the really long days now. Waking at 6:30am and not falling asleep until 8:00/9:00 is awful. Just tryinnf to figure out how to shift it and get back to some type of normal length day

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 20, 2015, 17:44:17 pm »

How many months is he now? x

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #17 on:** August 20, 2015, 18:36:16 pm »

30 months

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 20, 2015, 19:20:04 pm »

You may need to do some nap capping at this age, we started with 45 mins. But there is a half birthday developmental leap that's often responsible for lots of sleep and behaviour issues so could be in the middle of that too x

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #19 on:** August 20, 2015, 19:32:22 pm »

Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you always being so willing to help and with quick responses! I know there's only so much you can suggest to me and no magic routine (wish we all wish there was

) I'll just continue on for a bit since the UT/OT loop is pretty well known around here! I'll try to keep nap/rest at 1:00pm and just have to wake him or get him up at 2:30 to keep BT decent. Our issue is the long days. I didn't realize how long they had been this week and that's what's the #1 thing that makes for short nights and weird sleep so I'll play with capping and earlier BT in hope of him falling asleep within 13 hour max day.

I'll come back on after a few days of tweaking. Enjoy your weekend! X

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 21, 2015, 05:58:29 am »

Your very welcome, it's always nice to chat things out even if nothing works lol. These munchkins just like to keep us second guessing

On our first proper no nap day DS only had a 11.5 hour day so don't be afraid to go really early for bed sometimes it works wonders.

Keep us posted and enjoy your weekend x

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #21 on:** August 21, 2015, 10:43:30 am »

Thank you

Im going to post my routine yesterday so I can refer back to it in a couple days and see if we've had any progress.

Up 6:30am (9!hour night)
Nap 1:00-2:30 (he was tired and fell straight sleep and woke on his own)
BT 7:45pm (tried to keep close to a 13 hour day but still make sure he was tired enough. He took almost an hour to fall asleep)
14 hour day

Woke today at 6:30am again (10 hr night)

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #22 on:** August 22, 2015, 16:53:18 pm »

Keep us posted...I'd say day is robbing from night with a long ish nap x

ArielG · « **Reply #23 on:** August 23, 2015, 21:18:43 pm »

We are going through something similar! it is so tough.

For us, sleep was clockwork until around 2 years. Now we go through cycles of good and bad.

Right now, at 34 months, Soren is dragging out bed time and making tons of requests and even sometimes waking in the early hours (between 3-5) and making more requests (a band-aid for an owie, lotion for 'itchy' skin...wants to talk to Daddy on the phone when he's away at work). Sometimes she goes back down, sometimes she is up for HOURS.

We've capped her nap at 1.5 hours since her usual 2-2.5 was making her bedtime super late. However, we've had only a little success at implementing an earlier bedtime and she's usually awake until the later time anyway and then wants to sleep in.

Naps are still good but nights have really gone to pot with the NW. I also think developmental stuff is going on and it's really throwing everyone for a loop.

I have noticed, too, that at her age, any shift in routine (a trip, a new stimulating outing) only makes everything worse. She used to adapt but not anymore. It seems like she gets super stressed really easily and, when she's overstimulated, only gets more hyper and gets less sleep.

She will be going to school in a little more than a week and I'm really worried about her rest! She'll need to get up a full hour and a half earlier than she does now and go with a longer A in the morning. I am freaked out about it and am scrambling to make an earlier bed time work!

You're not alone! I think this is just all so exacerbated by the willful toddler stage and we'll be doing much better when they move out of toddlerhood. LOL.

I also want to hear about how your progress is! Rooting for you.

Mandy.kamal · « **Reply #24 on:** August 24, 2015, 00:32:54 am »

Thanks for the post Ariel! It's nice to hear other stories as well. Often times we put so much pressure on ourselves as parents when most of the time the little ones will just do what they want no matter how much routine tweaking we do!

All we want is our babes to sleep and be well rested and it's usually the last thing they want to do!

Hopefully in your case, school will help. It may make her tired enough to nap/STTN just from all the new stimulation.

My plan is to try set 1:00pm nap and cap at an hour after he falls asleep unless it's pushing 3:00pm and I'll just get him and skip nap that day.

I'll let you all know how things go at the end of the week!

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Author Topic: 2.5 year old sleep regression?? (Read 7107 times)