My 18 month always seems tired...

[Carmela's Mom]

I'm not sure what to do.

For a LONG time, we have battled my 18 month old daughter, Carmela, early wakings.  I'd say for the past two weeks I started putting her to bed earlier (used to be 7-7:30 and now we do 6:30 to 7:00).....she sleeps until 6:30-7 now with a few nights a week her waking before 6:30. 

The strange thing is that even with the 11.5-12 hours of sleep a night, she wakes up and by 9:00 she is yawning.  By 10:00 she is totally ready for a nap, but we usually go and some running around at 9:30 and get home around 11.  At this time, though I am fighting her to stay awake in the car and if I take her for a walk in the stroller, I'm fighting her to stay awake also.  If she takes a 10 minute catnap, then she refuses sleep for the rest of the day.

What am I supposed to do?  She changed to one nap a day at 14 months and the one nap started at 10, then went to 11 and was at 12...now it seems we are regressing.  I am afraid if I put her down at 10:00 and she sleeps 1.5 hours (her normal nap), then I have to go 11:30 to 6:30 and that's a long time.  I have tried 11:30 and she normally just plays in there for awhile and then starts to cry and I have to go in there to get her to sleep.  When I put her in at 12, she usually talks or cries for 5 minutes and is out...then wakes 1.5 hours later either talking or crying.  If she cries, she'll go back to sleep in 10 minutes for another hour.

Suggestions?

[Matthew's Mommy]

How is she after nap?  Does she seem refreshed, or is she still sleepy?

[Carmela's Mom]

If it's a good nap (2 hours or longer) she seems refreshed, but if its 1.5 hours (her typical) she still seems tired.

[Matthew's Mommy]

I met a little guy today, 18 months old, who is going through the same thing. He went to one nap around 14/15 months, but there are days when he still needs it.

You have a great bedtime for your daughter, so definately stick with the early bedtime. She's definately getting great night sleep.

Really, I think the best you can do, is get your errands and stuff done early in the morning, and be home by 11:00, so she can have a good lunch and low key time before her afternoon nap. You may want to look at how much you are doing in the morning, making sure there is a balance between activity days and sticking around the house-kinda days.

Hang in there.. I think you have everything in place for her and doing your best!