Another 2:1 mess - what to try next?!

[Murdock]

Hi,

Sorry to post another 2:1 mess but just wondering if anyone can see where I can go from here as I have no idea what on earth to try next :-(

I think he’s almost at 1 nap - but perhaps not quite?

We do have night feeding props to sort out but lately I’ve had the odd nap refusal and every night a 1 x NW of 1hr or up to 1hr 30. I'm really struggling with these long NWs on top of the other night issues so want to try and sort them out if I can. He doesn’t want to play or chat but just seems to be really struggling to nod off again - kicks off if I leave the room. Until the hr or so is up and then he just drifts off with no real help. (meds make no difference)

So thought I’d try and fiddle during half term and do some 1 nap days to at least try and understand whether these NWs are OT or UT.

These are the last few days….

Fri:
WU: 7.40 (late WU - so thought I’d try a 1 nap day)
Nap: 12.50 - 14.20 (had to wake for early nursery pick up)
Sleep 19.10.
 = pretty good night with no long NW.

BUT that’s off a late WU. So day was a little shorter than normal.

Sat:
WU: 6.30
Nap: 12.10 - 14.30 (2hrs 20)
Sleep: 19.30
 = 1 long NW of an hr (plus few others)

Sun:
WU: 6.30
Nap: 12.10  - 14.20 (2hrs 10)
Sleep: 6.50 (he was getting fussy)
 = 1 x long NW of 1hr 15mins

Mon:
WU: 6.30
Nap - 11.50 - 1.30 (1hr 40)
Sleep - 6.30.
 = No long NW but lots of frequent wakes.

Didn’t know what to try next - so thought I’d try a 2 nap day again - to see if any better and get us adjusted to time change this weekend. Hasn’t worked!!!

Tues:
WU: 6am
Nap 1: 9.15 - to 9.45
Nap 2: 3pm - 4.35
tried at 1.15 I think - no joy, then again at 2ish I think. Eventually he looked tired just before 3pm so tried then. (to be fair - I didn’t try very long at the others but he had the look of I’m not going to sleep!)
Sleep 20:20
 = No long NW but lots of frequent wakes

Wed:
WU. 6.30
Nap 1: 10 - 10.20
Nap 2: 3.10.
(he did look sleepy in the car at 1.20 ish and I think could have dozed off if we’d been in 5 mins longer) I tried at 2 - no joy.

I guess I could reduce the morning nap to just 10 mins.

Or
 - I’m tempted to just push to 1 nap - I guess around 12. (5,30 A time) which he does seem able to handle.
 - And cap at 2hrs? (Only cause the days he went over 2 hrs = long NW). I don’t really like the thought of capping so young but as he’s not walking yet perhaps he’s just not tired enough?!!
 - On Wed, Thur and Fri - the earliest I can get him down is 1pm. Quite a monster A time on a 6.30 WU….but I guess try it?

But then I have no idea what time to try bed. He doesn’t tend to do more than 11 or 11.30 ON sleep. But I’m thinking the 5 hrs A time after the nap is too long?!! But if too short / the day is too short with a 11hr night and WU gets earlier and earlier...

I’m really sorry for all the rambling here - just sooo tired and lost!!

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Haribo2012]

Hi how old is he?x

[Murdock]

Oh sorry - forgot the important bit! He's 12 months - turned one end of Sept. 

[Haribo2012]

Hi there he could be in a developmental leap too as these happen every birthday and half birthday. Any teeth coming through?
My DS1 was at 1 nap at 12 months but he did a 6.30-6.30 day with nap at 11.30 for 2 hours odd 20 min CN in the pm if longer day needed but DS2 held onto 20 min am CN so his day was WU 6.30/6.45 CN 9.30 main nap 12.30/1 for 2 hours bt 7/7.30

You could just have a build up of OT creeping in so I’d prob try a couple of 2 nap days with CN 20 mind and day length 13 hours.

[Murdock]

Thanks Zoe.

Good point on the OT build up - I'll carry on with my 2 naps for a few more days :-)

He's doing the cat nap ok - just the main nap where he's refused the last 2 days. But I wonder if I tried a bit late and he hit a second wind (I was trying to push things out a little ready for clock changes on Sun). I'll do a bit earlier today.

If he does refuse until 3pm again - maybe I should just give an hr and then aim for 7.45 bed so it's still a 13 hr day.

Thanks again for thoughts - helps so much to get an outside view on it all :-)

[Haribo2012]

I always found 12.30pm a good nap time after the cat nap as they do get a second wind.
Yes I’d let the nap be an hour and do later bt but defo try nap earlier and maybe offer longer windows say more stories or cuddles x

[Murdock]

Thanks for convincing me to stick to the 2 naps for a little longer - worked out yesterday 

WU: 6.40
Nap: 9.40 - 10
Nap: 1.15 - 3.15 (bit of a battle to settle him but got there! And I woke at 3.15)
Asleep: 7.50
Awake this morning at 6am

Overnight we had a quick waking at 8.50pm and 9.50pm - a bit unusual
Then 12.10am, 2.50 and 4.30 - which is fairly usual for him and work in progress!
BUT - no long night wakings and not the frequent ones through to 3am which I'd had either one or the other for the last week or so. So progress I think!

With a 6am wake up - not sure whether to stick to the nap times and still aim for 7.45 ish bed. Or stick to my A times and have him on a 13hr day so bed 7ish. I've never figured out whether sticking to a bed time is best and let them sort it out or sticking to A times and day lengths!

Any thoughts would be lovely  - gut feeling is maybe stick to nap times for now but perhaps get the main nap a bit more 12.45 today and aim for a 7.30 bed.

And I know I should be gearing up for the clocks on Sunday but I have to tackle that next week now!!

[Haribo2012]

Some just aren’t ready for 1 nap, often if you can get a few more months in the progression to 1 nap comes easier with less OT.
Personally I kept naps set and BT set give or take 15 mins regardless of WU as had School runs to work into things too.x