sleep crawling? PLEASE HELP - SO CONFUSED

[pune]

hello

i have posted a number of message on the sleep boards as the problems keep changing!

I have a one year old son who has become a bad sleeper - as first he wouldn't go down at night - thats ok now - i did walk in/ wlak out

no he won't go down for naps so i an tryign the smae thing - is that what i should do?

he wakes at 5-5.30 every day crying and still tired- sometimes he will settle back - often not - I have watched he asleep and he seems to get in and start movin gin his sleep -then wakes and realise he is sitting up and cries.

He doesn't seem to be able to switch off now he is crawling

as a baby i iknow id din't teach self soothing very well and i am sorry anrgy with myself- he would have a cuddle and then drop off to sleep - that doesn't work now he just wriggles and wants to be moving even though he is exhausted.

I'm really worries he isn't getting enough sleep now

he goes down at 7pm - wakes at 5

have two 45-1 naps a day - i can't get him to stay down for longer

I'm confused anr really need some help

thanks!

[imsmum]

What time are his naps?

[pune]

he usually has then at 10 and 3 - for 45 - and hour

but i have to say its more like 45 most time- I am thinking of moving it to one nap to enourage a longer nap and hope he actually gets some restorative sleep

he is just over one now and is very active in the day- so this may help

what do you think?

[imsmum]

It sounds like he could go to the one nap but it may be hard given the short night sleep/ early wakeup.  I know in BWSAYP Tracy suggests wake to sleep for early wakers first before switching to one nap.  She does a pretty detailed "case study" on it and the transition.  You may want to check that out before trying the switch to one nap.

[pune]

thanks for that Imsmum, I don't have that book - just got the BW for Toddlers - what is to wake to sleep? is it outlined anywhere on this site- i'd liek to have a read about it and maybe try it out before i get the book

thanks for replying - we are getting to the end of our teather with it really- we tried earlier bed, a more mellow ed time ritual and totally blacking out his room- nothing so far!

just seems so odd that its the smae time exaclty and he is clearly still tired. He used to wake happy and chatting- i can't understand it

any pointers on wake to sleep would be great

thanks a lot

Lucy

[imsmum]

Wake to sleep is talked about in the baby book.  A good place to look might be on the sleep board--either general sleep issues or night waking.  Basically you go in about .5 to 1 hour before the usual wake time, do something to get your lo to partially wake but not all the way, and resettle.   The theory behind it is that if you interrupt the sleep cycle they will have to restart it which either breaks the cycle of waking up and/or extends sleep times.  It certainly is not for the timid so I would recommend trying to  find out as much as possible about how to do it before giving it a go.  I've always been too chicken to try it myself! 

Otherwise you could try going to one nap by pushing the am back 15 minutes every 3 days, keeping the pm nap at the same time or close to it, ut makeing sure you wake lo from pm nap at usual time so that the bedtime doesn't get shifted later. 

[pune]

Brilliant - thanks so much