Help with 2-1 transition gone wrong

[Scottishmummy]

Night wakings are a mystery to me to be honest! I can only guess ours based on how much sleep she's had and what's gone on in day. Sounds like your DS has got developmental stuff going on though.

If he's playing around in cot and not settling for 2nd nap, would you consider cutting first nap any shorter and see if that helps?

[JennVanessa1083]

Lol yes a mystery indeed! I have been just looking at the day and trying to piece together what may have caused a strange NW as well. I definitely think developmental stuff bc he has always been the type to practice anything he is learning at night and during the day. He's a persistent little guy. The teething seems to bother him more as he now only wants to be upright or propped up as he sleeps. I might just have to ride the wave.

I realized I can't let him sleep for more than 30 minutes in the am or I get fights for the pm or fighting at bedtime.

We will see if capping at 30 for the am nap helps.

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi! I'm wondering if DS keeps sleeping in the am at 3.5 A do I keep waking him even if he's tired or do I consider trying to put him down earlier say 3.25 A. I woke him at 45 minutes in the am but wondering if it's better to have him wake himself with an shorterA?

If I wake him after 45 minutes, will a A time of 3.25 before the pm still be fine or do I adjust? I rather not lol

[Scottishmummy]

I thought he needed no more than 30 mins in the am in order to go down easily for the pm nap?
I would try to keep as close to same start time and nap length as possible, if it's been working for him.

[JennVanessa1083]

Yea you're right. Usually he wakes himself at 30/35 minutes but he slept longer. I'll just wake him up since it wasn't bad doing it today.

[JennVanessa1083]

I'm noticing that DS isn't quite doing an 11 hour night. He does between 10-10.75 hour nights not including NW. He had 3 last night but I only fed him once. He wakes up happy but not sure if that's an indicator of anything since generally he's such an energetic happy baby. He does rub his eyes ALOT but again not sure if that's reliable?

I don't know how to stretch out his day to 13 hours or maybe the routine is off and that's why he's having shortened nights? A handful of times I get 11.5 hour nights if his day was 12.5 but that was bc his second A ended up slightly longer than usual. I can't seem to get a consistent wake up time because of this.

I know this is the 100th time I'm writing this EASY but I figure it would be easier to have it right here:

WU 7:30
S 11-11:30/45 (although I'm going to try out just 30 minutes)
S 3.25 A later (2:45-4:15)
BT 3.5 A later

Any suggestions? Maybe stretching out the second A to see if I get a slightly longer nap? Since his pm is usually between 1:15-1:25.

[JennVanessa1083]

Well I stretched out the second A to 3.5 and got a 1hr nap where he woke up fussy but cried when I tried to resettle.  What does that mean?!

Now I have to do a 7:30 BT when it's still light. Not looking forward to this.

[Scottishmummy]

OT, I think. 

I would stick with the routine you had (3.25 for 2nd A) a 1.5hr nap is good for 2nd nap. I wouldn't worry too much about getting a "textbook" or "ideal" length of night. Every baby is different and some do just fine on less than 11hrs if they get their naps rights& his daytime routine looks good now with the EASY you posted.

Good luck for BT and your night tonight xxx

[JennVanessa1083]

Yea I think you're right it's OT bc I notice this has happened before with that length

He has also been resisting bedtime to the point where he falls asleep closer to 3.75 when I'm aiming for 3.5 even after a 1 hour nap today. Then he wakes up 2-3 hours after BT. Does that sound like OT or UT? Ughhhhhh this transition is killing me slowly.

I could stick with the current EASY but then if I'm getting less than 11 hour nights not including NW then won't it make his WU earlier and earlier?

[Scottishmummy]

If that happens, then I would suggest set naps to try to keep first nap the same, compensate for different Wu times & stay on routine.

[JennVanessa1083]

Got you. Does that eventually discourage differing wake up times?

Funny thing is, he ended up having a 12 hour night. Of course there were teething and OT related NW in the beginning of the night but no short night lol this kid surely keeps me on my toes.

In general I'm not supposed to move the pm nap any later but cut down the am nap little by little if he refuses the pm nap correct. As I cut down the am nap do I move the pm nap up? Say it gets cut to 20 minutes, do I do a 2.75 A before the pm and so forth?

[Scottishmummy]

Got you. Does that eventually discourage differing wake up times?

For some (not for my DS though!) but it gives you and him a very predictable day and at least a more consistent wake up "window"

Funny thing is, he ended up having a 12 hour night. Of course there were teething and OT related NW in the beginning of the night but no short night lol this kid surely keeps me on my toes.

In general I'm not supposed to move the pm nap any later but cut down the am nap little by little if he refuses the pm nap correct.

Yes, that sounds right.

As I cut down the am nap do I move the pm nap up? Say it gets cut to 20 minutes, do I do a 2.75 A before the pm and so forth?

It depends, some LOs need an earlier nap as first nap is cut, some keep 2nd nap at same time. I'd watch him for tired signs and nap length and see what you think.

[JennVanessa1083]

Thank you!

I guess I'll ask more specifics when it comes to that time. I'm confused on to move it to noonish when the pm is currently at 2:30osh. But I don't have to worry about that.

I had two long wakings where he was happy but then a first ENW 2.5 hrs after bed. Not sure if that's OT or UT. In doing with UT from nap lengths then maybe too much A before bed.

Can I ask what was your routine? Specifically the last A if the pm nap is 1.5-1.75 long?

[Scottishmummy]

It was over 2yrs ago so my memory is a bit hazy but I *think* at 11mo DS was doing something like this:

Wu:6am
Nap 1: 9.30 for 15-20 mins (capped)
Nap 2: 13.00 for 1.5-2hrs (woken by 3pm if not awake already)
BT:6.30- 7pm depending on wu time

The first nap eventually became 10-15 mins then he stopped going to sleep for it (at around 18mo) so I just kept the second nap at 1pm and he was ok with that.  Your day starts later than ours did though...maybe the 2nd nap will stay around early afternoon for you because of that.

[JennVanessa1083]

That's what I was thinking...bc of the 7:30 start.

So I'm wondering if a 3.5 A is enough after a 3.5-2 hour pm nap. I notice you did 4 hours. Last night he had one long waking where he was just playful then this morning he had another one. He would get really agitated when I attempted to lay him back down. Eventually he went to sleep. But the curve ball is that he woke up 2.5 hours after BT but resettled quickly.