Author Topic: Help with gradual withdrawal for 2 year old  (Read 1474 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline hayleystar

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 66
  • Location:
Help with gradual withdrawal for 2 year old
« on: February 12, 2017, 06:16:25 am »
Hi, I'm after help with my 2 year 3 month old. She's never been a great sleeper and recently I have paid a sleep consultant for help with bedtime settling and night waking (2 - 8 times a night and needing me to sit with her for about 5 mins before she returns to sleep).  She wakes about 6.15/6.30am and because this is early the sleep consultant has recommended a bedtime of 6.15pm and a nap time of 12.  My dd settles within 30 mins for her nap and naps for an hour (she's never been a long napper), and wakes happy. However it's taking over an hour for her to settle at night. She just talks in her bed. I'm at the gradual withdrawal stage where I'm sitting in the doorway on a chair, I don't talk to her but been sitting for an hour 10 and she's still rolling around talking!   Not sure what to do to help her settle faster. Is this bedtime too early?

By the way, even before when I was doing a 7pm bedtime she would take ages (around 40 mins to settle).  When I do no. Nap (tried this a few times) she's asleep at 6pm and only takes a few minutes BUT I get many many more night waking s so not sure if that's the way to go either

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Help with gradual withdrawal for 2 year old
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2017, 10:03:42 am »
Hi there
My LO never did a 12hr night until he had fully dropped his nap.  If he was taking so long to fall to sleep at night I'd move BT later to make sure he's tired for it.  Personally I'd rather a good (short and happy) put down at BT even if it is later and I'd happily accept a shorter night with the nap still there.  Between 25 and 31 months mine was working towards dropping the nap, in our case it meant maintaining a long nap but nights going very short until he was able to go without the nap.  Others find they can maintain a longer night by capping the nap shorter so this might be an option for you.
I would suggest either:
- cap the nap 15 mins earlier and do BT at the same time to see how the shorter nap and longer A time effect the BT routine and night (wait for a good week to see results.  Then perhaps cap at 30 mins if BT PD and night are no great)
or
- leave the nap at 1hr but move BT significantly later. I don't know if many this age can manage an hour nap and a full 12hr night.  I would likely go straight to 30 mins later, see how it went for a week then move it again in 15 min increments leaving a few days or a week between changes to see how it settles down.

People approach the nap drop in different ways depending on the LO and the family.  It's a bit of  trial and error to find out what works for you - but you might have an idea of which approach would suit your LO, in the same way that I quickly worked out my DS really had to have a 2hr nap or he was awful to be with...but with a 2hr nap I accepted 10, then 9hr nights, even went as low as about 8 or 8.5 at one point.  He dropped his nap cold turkey one day when he was poorly did 2.5hr nap due to being ill then never napped again (ok one catch up nap 2 wks later when the tiredness had accumulated so much that we were both struggling), he was 31 months at that point.


Offline hayleystar

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 66
  • Location:
Re: Help with gradual withdrawal for 2 year old
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2017, 18:03:19 pm »
Thank you for your great advice! My daughter can manage very well without a nap, she copes quite well until about 5.30 but the problem is she must get OT because I get twice as much night waking when she doesn't nap.
I think I will try the option of moving bed time later because even if she has a 30 min nap she struggles to settle at night.

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Help with gradual withdrawal for 2 year old
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2017, 19:38:01 pm »
When you've tried without a nap do you put her to bed for 5.30? Or do you still aim for 6.15pm?
It's pretty common for those OT NWs when dropping a nap which is why most people try to hang on to a nap for as long as possible to really make sure LO can handle the no nap days.


Offline hayleystar

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 66
  • Location:
Re: Help with gradual withdrawal for 2 year old
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2017, 23:34:05 pm »
No nap days I have tried 5.30 and 6pm bed time but still get the OT waking

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Help with gradual withdrawal for 2 year old
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2017, 08:47:50 am »
OK in that case I do think holding on to the nap and moving BT later is likely the best route for now.
It's pretty normal for BT to go quite late just before a nap drops.