UPDATE 20mo - bedtime shenanigans & EW STILL - now nap time shenanigans too!!!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

My DD3 dropped her nap at 22 months...but she was obviously lsn from the get go, went to 2 naps at 4 months and one nap at 7.5 months.

[Mackjack]

How did she cope with it? Did you get a lot of OT?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

She is a bit of an odd duck with sleep, and handles ot really well so we have had issues only when she is ill or someone at daycare lets her nap (she would happily nap at first and then not go to bed or have ew, now she will not nap at all).

[Mackjack]

Argh we are getting NWs now and EWs are creeping in. Think I mentioned he's been waking about 9pm ish and is easily settled which is fine. Although he's been sleeping about 12hrs, when he wakes at about 6.15, he doesn't seem happy.

Yesterday morn he woke at 5.30 am.  Last night he went to sleep about 6.15, cried out at 9pm but didn't need me to go to him. But he woke at 4am and I was in and out his room til about 5am when he fell back to sleep til 7.15am. Granny got him down about 6pm tonight.  He's just woken and I had to go in twice over about 30mins to settle him. So I'm expecting another NW in the early hours.

I know this is the OT manifesting itself but what can I do?  I know the advice is probably to let him have a catch up nap day but a) he won't go down for naps b) yes I could ask granny to take him out in his pram/the car to get him to nod off but what time? And how long for? If I get it wrong which I undoubtedly will, it will mean a BT fight and then there will be further fall out over the following days.  I just don't feel willing to go back to a nap "guessing game" but I'm worried the NWs will get worse and he will prob EW too. So what shall I do? Super EBT??

[Mackjack]

And sorry, Masyn,  I meant to say thanks for sharing your experiences. I wish he handled OT like your LO!

[Haribo2012]

If you think it's OT then I'd do sebt or a catch up nap!

Are you having NND then now or still using a CN?

[Mackjack]

ARRRGGGGHHHHHH! GIVE ME STRENGTH! Firstly toanswer your question Haribo, we are having NNDs every day. After the early NW last night that I mentioned in my last post he slept all night and woke happy at 6am. I asked Granny to have him in bed tonight for 6pm. She took him up at 5.45pm. He then proceeded to strip 3 times and mess about for an hr!!!!! WHYYYYY?? I thought the messing about at sleep time had been cured by dropping the nap!! What does this child want??? WHAT?

[Mackjack]

*just realised the "arrrgh" looks like it was directed at you Haribo - it wasn't!!*

[Haribo2012]

Don't worth I kind of realised the argghhhh wasn't at me! I know it's frustrating honey sometimes there is just developmental stuff going on we can't fix.

I'd try forcing the CN for at least 20 mins just to see if it helps!?

[Mackjack]

Thanks Haribo. But when do I do the CN?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Hmm that I not sure of timing, but I do think I would pull out all the stops to get a nap in. I think ot is accumulating and the stripping etc is likely down to development not being ut if he is still doing. Have you ever laid out expectations out of the moment? We get a lot of mileage out of that lately!

[Mackjack]

I'm not sure what you mean by "laid out expectations out of the moment"?

He slept all night btw, but woke at 5.50am

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

What time had he fallen asleep at the night before (guessing 7 ish?).

What I meant was we finally clued in here that although DD3 was not talking a lot her receptive language is quite good so when she was happy and calm I would tell her what I expected - ie "when you wake up tomorrow everyone else is asleep so no shouting from your bed" or in your case "bedtime is time to get in your pj's and get ready for sleep. We do not take our pj's off at bedtime".  Just had a thought - what type of fabric are the pj's? Tags? Could it be more a sensory thing?

[Mackjack]

So to recap the last few days (as i'm losing track myself! )

Monday
Asleep 6.15
Cried out at 9pm but didn't wake
NW 4-5am


Tues
Wu 7 15
Asleep about 6pm
NW 9pm for 30mins

Weds
WU 6am
Bed at 5.45 - stripped/messed about til about 6.45

Thurs
WU 5.50

I see what you mean now. I will try saying things like that to him - thank you

[Mackjack]

Sorry those days should be sun, mon, tues, weds - not mon-thurs