desperate holiday help please!!

[mummyW]

Hello all, we're currently on our first family holiday with our LO who is 18 months and so far it's been such a nightmare I'm ready to go home and we still have a week left.

Thanks to you lovely lot she sleeps ok at home will go down to sleep herself and I had managed to get her into a really good routine where she only took 10-20 minutes to fall asleep. Her sleeping routine at home is: wu 6.15, nap 12.30-2.30/3 then bedtime 7.45-8.

Currently our routine has gone to s**t as I expected. What I didn't expect were days like this: wu 9am, nap 12.30-3, bedtime 9-10 then a long night waking 3-5!!!

During the day she falls asleep no bother so is obviously tired, but at night its a disaster, took hubby an hour and 45 minutes of walking with her in the pram screaming before she finally fell asleep. And that's been the last 3 nights now.

I hate to say but I can't even tell if she's over tired by 8pm so starts fighting sleep even with that long nap during the day! I just don't know what to do, we at both at our wits end, can anyone please please offer us a suggestion to try!!!

[creations]

Looks like hse's used to a 10 ish hr night (10hr 15 to 10hr 30) at home but on holiday is being offered 11-12hrs night sleep. It's likely more than she can do for night sleep. As her nap length is workign for you at home and on holiday I'd probably stick with that but either:
- wake her at 6.15am as she wakes at this time at home, and return to the regular BT of 7.45-8
or
- if you want BT later because you are on holiday and going out for dinner etc or because you want the morning WU to be later to give you a holiday lie in, then I'd say you need to adjust the night sleep one way or the other.  Either put her to bed later (10.30pm for a 10.5hr night with 9am WU) or wake her earlier (8am WU for a 9.30pm BT giving 10.5hr night sleep).

I know the temptation is to give her a lie in after she's had a bad night with a long NW but this could just perpetuate the problem.  Setting her a suitable night length and waking her up regardless of having a NW is what I'd do so that she has a chance to get back on track.

Sorry it's upsetting your holiday. There may be no quick fix as her sleep may well just be disturbed due to being in a different place.

[mummyW]

Thank you, that makes sense!! I'm basically expecting her to have too much sleep. I deliberately woke her at 8 this morning, knowing she probably would have slept until 9. She's sleeping just now (11am) but I'll not let her sleep too long and see how that goes.

The whole thing is just exhausting, I never thought it would be this bad

[creations]

Hope it improves for you.  Try to keep to your regular nap time too (even with NW and waking her in the morning) otherwise you can be looking at a very long second A time which could also lead to problems (OT by BT). Sorry it's so tricky.  Remember though this is just a short phase in her life, you will have more holidays where her sleep is not so awful!
Hope you do get to enjoy some of your time away x

[mummyW]

Hiya,
Just wanted to thank you for your advice. The last couple of nights were not as bad but she still woke up. We're now home and having serious problems. xx

[creations]

You're very welcome for the suggestions.  Glad to hear the last couple of nights were not so bad but sorry to hear you are having problems still at home.
I see you have a new thread now on toddler sleep, I'm sure you will be well supported.
Just remember, we all go through the 18 month regression, it is HARD, it can be very tiring and very frustrating but this is only a phase, you will get through it, you will!  In the big scheme of things it's a blip in the life of your LO even if it feels like a life-time when you're in the thick of it.
Hang in there xx