Need help with tweaking schedule...

[Sabine]

My ds is just a week shy of a year.  Up until now his schedule has been really stable and great.  This was his routine on most days:

6-630 wake up and bottle (7-8 oz homo)
800 breakfast (7T cereal, 4T fruit, 1/2 toast or cheerios and sips water)
900-930 nap (1-1.5hrs)
1115-1130 lunch (6T mix pasta and cheese with meat/veg, baby yoghurt and fruit with sips water)
130 bottle (6-8ozhomo)
200 nap (1-1.5hrs)
330 snack (cheerios/rice rusk and water)
500 supper (same as lunch)
730 bottle (6-8oz and bed)

For the last week he has been waking at 5 am and all out, inconsolably crying. Normally he was sleeping 10-10.5hrs and night and now it is only9 and he is very tired.  He takes his bottle very willingly.  I have tried keeping him up from 5 and he will take 2 good 1.5 hour naps.  However, if I put him back to bed he will sleep until 7 am and then his naps for the day are ruined.  For example yesterday I woke him up at 7 after putting him back to bed at 5. He woke very happy.  I put him down for his nap at 10 and woke him after an hour to ensure aft nap.  He loves his am nap BTW and for the last few weeks has only been taking 45 min afternoon naps and waking cranky.  If I let him sleep in the am he will sleep up to 2 hours . I think he may be ready for one nap but with the early wakings I don't know how to tackle the nap issue and pushing to one.  I know he is overtired and I am wondering if that's why he is waking screaming. 

Also should mention I have tried limiting his am nap in hopes for longer aft nap but that never happens and he ends up even more overtired so i have started letting him take as much for his naps as he needs.  otherwise he is bearish.

Please help me adjust his schedule...what am I doing wrong???

How old is your child? 1 week shy of a year
What’s his/her daily routine? see above
What’s nap routine? always brush teeth, read book, lovie and bed
How long are naps? am always great 1-1.5hours afternoon was same but last week only 30-45min
What's bedtime routine? Time?consistent at 730--brush teeth, stories and prayers lovie and bed--usually takes 20min after talking to go to sleep
Do you bottle or breastfed?? bottle
How much? or how long? see schedule
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed)
How many wakes per night? 2 nights ago one in a long time up at 11pm for an hour otherwise sleeps through
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up?
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry? 5am mantra crying last week
What do you do for A time and how long is it? am usually 3 hours, aft 3.5--playing, park, walking, crawling
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones???maybe
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months)
Do they have a prop? If so what is it? no
Do they have a lovie? yes


Sabine

[Colin Macs Mom]

Hi Sabine!

I think you're absolutely right that your DS is overtired. I think that it's definitely time to go to one nap, and that ought to do the trick. Getting there can be the challenge though. Have you tried extending A time lately?

[Sabine]

Thanks for the reply...he was doing

3-3.5 am and 3-3.5 pm and 4-4.5 before bed and that was fine before.  How long should I be extending his A time to? Also re one nap (I know there are numerous posts for this but.....) how do I push his nap back if he is waking at 5 am??  I think he'd still need the 2 during the day.  Any suggestions?

[Colin Macs Mom]

Being that my lo is younger than yours, I'm not really sure how to handle that. But thinking about your situation now (since it's later in the day  ), I wonder if maybe he doesn't need to go to one nap yet and is just plain overtired. When he wakes in the morning, what does he do? Is he crying, or just talking and happy?

[Sabine]

Normally was waking happy and only in the last week waking up grumpy, crying.
No nap this afternoon and only 45 min this am --very cranky and refusing to go down to bed right now.  Tried for 7 and he is still awake at 722....I am really at a loss for what to do.

PLEASE HELP ME 

[Colin Macs Mom]

Poor guy is definitely overtired. Could there be anything going on like teething, a cold, tummy upset? Have you tried PU/PD?

[teezee]

i had some issues with my lo a while back and i went down to one nap and that worked for about a week...but it worked REALLY well for that week. then i went to two naps every few days. now i am giving her two naps most days and one nap on the occasional day..it really just depends on her as i read her (which isn't always very well  ) - but i would def stick with two naps for now as i do agree that he sounds overtired, and it is def starting to affect not only night sleeping but naps also..

[Sabine]

Last night put him down finally asleep by 730 and slept until 6am   
he didn't wake screaming but still cranky
for the next few days i will stick with the earlier bedtime to get him caught up
i am thinking he is getting his molars as his fingers are always at the back of his mouth
just curious...how much A time is normal for his age?

Thanks for all of your help BTW

[Colin Macs Mom]

Aren't los funny things??

[teezee]

there are sample routines to be found at the top of the easy forum..lo's vary greatly on the amts of times they can handle so i think it would be best to see different samples so you will have a better general idea kwim?

glad lo slept better

[Sabine]

OK....

It has been about 2-3 weeks and we are still dealing with 530-6 am wakeups.   I have extended A time to 3.5 in am and 4 in afternoon.  He has been taking two naps 1-1.5 hours and now he is refusing to go down at bed time.  First nap usually 9-930 depending on wakeup and afternoon nap 230-3.  He goes to bed at 730 but won't fall asleep.  Last night crying until 9 and finally asleep at 930 but still waking same time and still waking crying in the am...why?

What is going on?

[Sabine]

Could someone please respond??  THings are still unchanged and now we are dealing with crying before bedtime. 

HELP!!

Sabine

[Colin Macs Mom]

Sabine,

Have you adjusted your routine?

[Sabine]

Hi Colin Mac's mom...adjusted routine how?

Sabine

[Colin Macs Mom]

I mean by extending his A time or any other adjustments as Teezee and I had suggested.

[Sabine]

I did...I tried extending A time now he is up to 3.5 and sometimes 4 hours.  He is still waking at the same time.
THe other day he woke up at 5 and I gave him his bottle and put him back to sleep until 730.  I kept him up and fed him lunch and put him down for one nap (thought I'd try that out).  He slept from 1145--215 (2.5 hours) woke cranky/crying and cried before bed but fell right asleep.  WOke 2x over the night and morning was up at 530 again...please tell me it will get better?

Sabine

[Colin Macs Mom]

Sometimes a transition period will have some bumps in the road, but it will get better, I promise!!!!