Author Topic: Help with sleep.... please!!!!!  (Read 3825 times)

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Offline Mommyadel

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Help with sleep.... please!!!!!
« on: March 31, 2020, 11:38:40 am »
Guys I feel like I’m living the twilight zone... there has been no sleep in our house for weeks! We have tried the walk in walk out method and it doesn’t seem to be working. We have cut the nap since it was always a fight to get him to go to bed and he generally runs on the low sleep need anyways. He has the odd nap throughout the week to make up for the lack of sleep if he allows it.
He too is so broken hearted when you send him back to bed and takes forever to settle. He will be 3 May 1 and I do realize this is a toddler sleep question but no one has responded in weeks 😞
His routine is
Up by 6:30am
Breakfast 7:30am
Snack 9am
Lunch 11:30
Nap( if this happens it’s around 1-2 ish)
Snack 3pm
Supper 5:30pm
Bath/bed 7:30pm
Should we extend his day or shorten it? This has been going on for quite
Sometime with the walk-in and walk out but he asks for his legs to be rubbed or his feet or his song etc. It’s ususlly a few wakings from 11-2ish and then he will settle til 6:30 ish.
Should I just remain firm with the walk in walk out and if he cries he cries?
I due with my third in a few days and my 5 yr is a peach for sleeping and my son is a vampire who never sleeps.

Please help!! What am I doing wrong??

Offline deb

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Re: Help with sleep.... please!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2020, 01:59:33 am »
We had to drop DD1's nap completely around 2.5 years because if she took one, she simply wasn't tired at "bedtime;" she would be awake naturally until after 10PM! Without the nap she was cranky but we could get her to bed around 7-7:30PM and at least have that time to ourselves. We did institute a "quiet time" of about an hour after lunch. She was in her room w/a CD and could come out when it was done. Maybe once a week she'd fall asleep anyway and we just accepted that tht would be a late night.

This may be the case in your instance: he may be about done napping!

Sorry for the late response - I only get here once in a blue moon these days.

Offline Katet

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Re: Help with sleep.... please!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2020, 04:05:23 am »
I don't think it's anything you are doing wrong... But you being pregnant and your obvious struggle with his sleep is probably part of the problem. Some children are very in tune with the emotional energy around them from a very young age and when what they do is perceived as up settings their parents they pick up on that and it unsettles them and lots sleep time is when the insecurity comes out.
It definitely comes out that at almost 3 he's harder work than your 5yo and that's what's totally normal 3yo are super trying, they NEED connection yet want independence.. their independence frightens them and can cause regression with sleep too, because they are alone.
Unfortunately the problem is he needs what you also need to give to your NB, he needs you to step away from being firm with him and the routine and give him extra nurturing and trust that you are there for him.
At around 3yo both my boys had a camp out spot on my bedroom floor, it was just a folded quit with a sleeping bag and pillow... Not too comfortable, but a safe place when they needed our comfort...both got to the point they didn't even wake me when they came in the room.
One of the most important things I learnt was to focus on theost important need...a good night sleep...it's not a child sleeping in their room at all costs...it's that everyone in the family gets the best possible sleep they can AND with a newborn and 'the middle child' his need to feel safe at night is an important part of your solution.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05