Help - Haven't STTN Consistently in 2 Years

[FrankiesMom12]

So, everytime we make some sort of progress with my daughter (she's 2 next week), something happens to derail her sleep and we're back at square one.  We will get about a week to two weeks of decent sleep and then sickness, the time change, travel, etc. throws her off routine and we are a MESS again.  When all goes well, her routine is like this:

6:00ish - Wakeup
11:30 - 1:00ish - Nap (non older brother school days)
12:45 - 2:30ish - Nap  (older brother school days)
7:00 - 7:20 - Bedtime (non older brother school days)
7:30 - 7:50 - Bedtime (older brother school days)

When her routine is off she wakes up multiple times a night, she won't go to sleep easily without me holding her.  She will wake up super early to start the day (today was 3:30).

I'm tired and not sure how much more I can take.  I also have NO IDEA what do about naps on days when she wakes up so early

[Buntybear]

Could you push the nap a bit later? I would be tempted to try and keep the nap the same time every day of the week as their body clocks do adjust to sleep times.

[FrankiesMom12]

Thanks BuntyBear!  I forgot to reply earlier, and we've been pushing her nap later.  Generally, she takes it at 12:30 for about 1.5 hours.  I have two follow-up questions:

1. There is always a high degree if liklihood she might fall asleep in the car.  I don't mean like right before her nap time, I mean anytime in the morning.  Is this normal?  If she does fall asleep it affects her normal nap.

2. We are still stuck in a loop where she is waking up painfully early.  She might wake up anytime between 4:45 and 5:30.  Generally, its around 5.  Is this what is contributing to the falling asleep in the car?  Any advice on how to get her to sleep later?  Her bedtime is generally 7:30.

Thanks again!

[cath~]

1. There is always a high degree if liklihood she might fall asleep in the car.  I don't mean like right before her nap time, I mean anytime in the morning.  Is this normal?  If she does fall asleep it affects her normal nap.

This was def normal for my DD2!  A right pain for going out anywhere in the morning

The EWs could be contributing though.  (And if the cheeky car naps happen quite often, then could be contributing to the EWs too...  A vicious cycle IYSWIM).  Can you give her a small snack to nibble on in the car to help keep her awake?  That used to help mine stay awake for a bit longer.

Have you tried a gro clock or lights on a timer?  I introduced them with my DDs around the same age your DD is and they worked great for getting them to sleep until a reasonable WU time.

[Buntybear]

Olly loved a sleep on the car so yes perfectly normal and yes probably as she is EW! Gro clock is a good idea 

[FrankiesMom12]

Thanks ladies!  I will try the lights on timer until we can get a fro clock.  It never occurred to me that she's ready for something like that.  Her older brother was 2.5 When he moved to a toddler bed, so some of this feels all new.

I have a couple of dumb follow-up questions.  I cap her nap at 2:30 and her bedtime is either 7:30 or 8.  Does a 5 - 5.5 hour stretch after nap sound reasonable?  I started that because we had loony tunes shenanigans at bedtime, but maybe that was a phase?

If she skips her nap/takes a super short one what bedtime do you recommend?  At least once a week her nap gets messed up because of preschool timing for her older brother.

Also, thanks for letting me know regarding the napping in the car.  I was starting to worry there was something wrong with her.  When she starts to fall asleep there is literally nothing I can do to keep her awake.  She has literally fallen asleep at the dinner table, lol.

[cath~]

Does a 5 - 5.5 hour stretch after nap sound reasonable?  I started that because we had loony tunes shenanigans at bedtime, but maybe that was a phase?

It sounds like it could be reasonable, to me.  However, the best test will be how BT and the night go after that.  It's perfectly possible at this age that it would be a good length A time, but all LOs are different

If she skips her nap/takes a super short one what bedtime do you recommend?

I only ever brought it fwd by 45 mins max, I was too scared of EW the next day!  How does she cope for the rest of the day on a shorter/no nap?  Sometimes if LOs miss their nap you can APOP a short CN later, just to tide them over until BT, e.g. in the car or buggy.  Could you do that?