what happened? 2 year sleep regression?

[chirojaz]

I don't know what happened but it's been about 2 months now that my son's schedule has gone wonky and he is all over the place! He turns 2 at the end of this month.  Today he only napped for 45min!!! Two months ago his schedule was pretty much the same every day and looked like this...

up 7/7:30
nap 1/1:30
up 3:30ish sometimes earlier (3pm)
bed 8:15 ish

Now in the past two months things are totally all over the place It's hard to even put down an EASY lately because of that but sort of looks like this....

up 6-6:30
nap 1
up? his naps have been all over the place, sometimes 1 hr30min, I have gotten  handful of 2hr naps, a few 2.5 hour naps (just a few days ago) and then yesterday 1hr but was able to rock him back to sleep for another hour or so. Today was only 45 or 50min?!  I tried to rock him back to sleep for an hour today and he would not fall back asleep!
Bed 7:45/8pm  (today will be even earlier since his nap was so short.

I should also add that all at the same time (in the past couple of months) he has had nights where he wakes up screaming, standing in his crib. He has had his two bottom molars come in but the top ones seem no where near making an appearance.  So he is getting like 10hrs of night sleep and less nap time, where before was 11-11.5 hour night sleep and 2-2.5 hr naps.  Is he completely OT? He has always been on the spectrum of longer than average A times so maybe he is UT? Any help is much appreciated! I'm completely exhausted and have not been sleeping well because of this for the past couple of months 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

If he has previously had higher A times I wonder if he started out ut and is now ot. Honestly at this age I would not necessarily try to get a toddler back to sleep if they had a 45-60 min nap (though we are lsn here so I am used to a non napping toddler). I would want to get those night to lengthen even if means capping the nap. Are his nights better after a shorter nap day?

[chirojaz]

sometimes his nights are a little bit longer after a short nap day but sometimes they are still like 10 hr nights.  So what would you suggest for a bedtime the days he takes a short nap?  Tonight I put him to bed at 7:30 and he woke up crying after about an hour so I'm assuming an OT wake up?  Should I try and bring the afternoon nap closer to 12:30 to try and get him out of this potential OT loop? 

[chirojaz]

So he woke up last night twice and then was up for the day at 6:13am.  He went to bed at 7:30 so he almost got 11hrs. I'm thinking he is OT.  I'm nervous about making his nap too early and getting another short nap :/  Maybe I will try 12:45 today instead of 1pm?

[chirojaz]

Oh my gosh, he is completely OT!!!   Yesterday he was falling asleep in the car at 12pm but had to pick up my daughter from school so I put him down for a nap when we got home at 12:25, he napped for one hour and woke up screaming.  I APOP and this time he fell asleep and slept for another hour.  How do I get him out of the OT loop?! How much earlier should I be putting him down for his nap?  Last night he was up 2x crying, at the 5am wake up it took me 1hour to get him back to sleep.  Poor guy must be OT?! I would love some help on this!!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Aww he sounds exhausted! Sorry we had a death in the family so have not been on much.

Is he teething at all? He does sound OT but wondering if any pain/discomfort is part of it.

[chirojaz]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss.  Makes me realize that dealing with some bad sleep is not the worst thing I could be dealing with.  I haven't been on because I thought I had gotten this whole thing figured out but then last night he only slept 9.5hours, was up at 6am this morning and would not go back to sleep even after rocking him for a bit.  I'm not sure if he is teething? I guess it could be a possibility, he has his bottom two 2-year old molars but the tops have not come through so maybe he is dealing with some pain with those?  I will put down the past few days for you to look at and maybe you can help me figure this out...

9/12/15
up 6:15?
nap 12:40
up 1:50 (wouldn't go back to sleep)
bed 7:30
up 6:50? 7:20?  (this was the first night that he seemed to tack on sleep that he lost from the short nap)

9/13/15
up 6:50? 7:20?
nap 1pm
up 2:20 (wouldn't go back to sleep, I think he was UT?)
bed 8:00 (were traveling back home so bedtime was in the car, left at 7:15 but he didn't fall asleep in car until

9/14
up 7/7:20 (good night sleep here too)
nap 1:30
up 3:10 (I woke him, thinking he shouldn't sleep much later than 3 given the past days and didn't want him going to bed too late)
bed 8:30

9/15
up 6:30 (only 10hour night) was cranky all morning so maybe OT?
nap 12:30
up 1:25 crying, got him to go back to sleep easily then he woke up at 2:45
bed 8:20

9/16
up 7:15 (solid 11 hr night)
nap 1:20
up 3:00
bed 8:30

9/17 (today)
up 6:00 (woke up crying, only 9.5hour night!!!!!  )  I'm assuming OT? I am just so confused because I have been trying to be pretty consistent and was getting better nights but then this happened, just not sure if OT is accumulating again since his naps haven't been that long?  I guess I should try and put him down at like 12pm today for his nap?  I HATE all of this inconsistency when things were so consistent not that long ago 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We are waiting for top two year molars as well! So excited to be done with teething for now! We actually used to get ew from ut when she was still napping...but she is lsn. Have you tried bedtime earlier on days where the nap is a bit shorter?

[chirojaz]

I have been putting him to bed earlier on those days he gets less of a nap and some nights it has worked out that he slept longer, like 11 or 11.5hours total. But some nights he still only slept 10hours.  That's why this is so frustrating, I can't seem to find a pattern. 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

There is so much going on for toddlers you may not find a pattern - between development, teething, growth spurts and sometimes separation anxiety one has trouble pinning it down sometimes!

[Mom-of-boys]

Not sure if I'm any help, but I can sympathize because my DS2 just turned 2 and is doing the exact same thing.  I'm also at a loss and yet to figure out a solution, so hoping I can follow on with you. .  How is waking up in the morning or after a nap?  Is he grumpy or waking up wide awake and ready to play?   

[chirojaz]

He used to be so quiet when he woke up, would just play in his crib forever.  Sometimes I wouldn't even know he was awake.  This does feel like it was forever ago because now he just stands up in his crib and screams for me when he wakes up.  He also used to go down for bed and naps VERY easily, I would hold him and sing then lay him in his bed and he would eventually fall asleep.  NOW the past few days I do the same routine, he is quiet until I leave and then stands up screaming for me.  Tonight it took me 30 minutes of him standing up screaming, me going in there laying him down and saying its "night night time, go to sleep" rubbing his back, leaving, him screaming again and so on.  He did this same thing for his nap today which never happens! What the heck is going on?!   I'm beginning to wonder if maybe he is getting used to all the APOP I have been doing to try and get him to nap longer, his night wakes screaming, etc. and now he needs a bit more "hand holding'' to get to sleep.  I am assuming because of his molars his naps and night time sleep has been so off that I have been doing so much APOP to get him back on track and maybe now its kicking me in the butt! Ugh, I am just so tired of all this, physically and emotionally tired

[Mom-of-boys]

I read that at this age, there could be some separation anxiety and/of fears developing at nighttime.  Have you tried a nightlight or leaving his door open a crack?  If he can fall asleep with you in the room, maybe you could start a gradual withdrawal?  Like try just sitting by the door until he falls asleep and then gradually moved to the hallway?  It might take a little, but if it is anxiety related, then maybe worth a shot?