Author Topic: Need help for overtired 1 year-old  (Read 4951 times)

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Offline aidenmc

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Need help for overtired 1 year-old
« on: July 02, 2006, 17:45:24 pm »
I don't know whether this is the best place to post but I am having some difficulties with DS who will be 1 on the 8th. About 3 weeks ago we started sleep training as prior to that he was put to sleep on the boob or by rocking (lots of AP due to reflux and food sensitivities). We finally hit a point when his new meds were helping him sleep better and DH was home for 3 weeks. He did PD and it worked fairly well, except he dropped his pm nap. Right now I would say that sleep training has not helped DS to sleep better.

Here is the current situation: He usually wakes 1-2 times per night and wakes very early in the morning, generally at 5:30, but as early as 4:30. YEsterday morning it was 4:20 for the day, and this morning he woke at 4:10. I managed to get him back to sleep by 5:30 (by doing anything and everything), then he woke at 6.

Since he dropped his pm nap (he will just spend up to 1.5 hours playing and fussing) we have tried to move him to 1 nap. However, when he wakes so early he can't make it to a midday nap. His bedtime has also become very early (about 5:30) and if he is asleep much later than that, then he tends to wake even earlier in the morning (like the past 2 days). I am really at a loss with his routine. I know he needs more sleep and he is having a harder and harder time getting to sleep, but I really don't know where to make up the lost sleep. I have tried to limit the morning nap to get a pm nap but that just results in one short nap in the day. We do the early bedtime to try to catch up but I have the feeling that also perpetuates the 5:30 wake-up (he woke that early before we started sleep training as well).

Our routine used to be (approximately):

Wake: 5:30
Sleep: 9:00 - 10:15
Sleep: 1:30-3:00
Bed : 6-6:30

He would wake anywhere from 1-4 times per night depending on teething and tummy problem (constipation, reflux etc.). There were bad times with extended NWs and very early mornings too.

Now:

Wake: 4:30-5:30
Sleep: anywahere between 9:30 and 12:00 for 1.15-2 hours (usually short)
Bed 5-6:30 depending on whether we can get him to bed that early and how long it takes to fall asleep.

Usually one night wake - I usually feed him and if he wakes right up, settle in the crib.

I am losing confidence in our new plan - at least when I was putting him to sleep he was sleeping more (even though it required hours a day and DH was of no use). Now DH can put him down which is great but he needs more sleep.

Any ideas for our routine, before I lose it and go back to BF? He just woke from his nap after 1.15 hrs. I know he is tired but he fights sleep so much and started babbling....

Thanks!
Becky,
Mom to Kieran (10/15/2000); Aiden, (7/ 8/ 2005); and Samuel (7/10/2010)

Offline Florencia

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Re: Need help for overtired 1 year-old
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2006, 19:05:59 pm »
I would tend to think that it's the napping and not the sleeping at night the trouble with sleep. You're doing right at putting him to bed earlier in the evening and he's having an average of 10.5-11 hours of sleep at night which is not bad. Now if we could only break the vicious cycle of him waking so early then having a nap early and then going to bed early... and manage to work on a more "Human" schedule (which includes at least a 6-630 am waking).

I would try and keep the one nap a day schedule, since there's no use in trying for an afternoon nap  (he plays and fusses and doesn't go to sleep) and it will just confuse him even more. But if he wakes extra early in the morning, i would either offer a short catnap in the early morning (say, if he wakes before 530 am, offer a 9 am catnap no longer than 30 mins). This catnap will provide him with relaxation that will prevent overtiredness and most likely he'll take a midday nap that will be long and last till a decent hour that can make a 630 pm or even 7pm a reasonable bedtime. The catnap is more likely to succeed if offered in the car/stroller so he won't associate short naps and crib. Besides, it'll be easier for you to get him down for that catnap (fighting the catnap and taking hours to have him sleeping will be only more tiring for him). The idea is getting to extend the nap, setting it around noon and having a set bedtime and wake time and get all that with a morning catnap that prevents lo from overtiredness while he adjusts and on days he still wakes early. Try this for at least 3 days in a row consistantly to see if it works and you see any improvement in the right direction.

If the catnap doesn't sound like a good option for you or if having the catnap means he won't sleep at noon for a solid long nap, you can try keep pushing the one nap on 15 mins increments till you get somewhere around noon. Offering snacks and keeping activity time very low key before nap can help you to get this. THe 15 mins increments should be changed each 3 days if you're seeing progress.

Another option and given your lo's age might be teething, especially molars. The pain they cause prevent lo's from a deep and solid sleep and this is often solved through meds given before bedtime. Check with your ped to see what he recommends (tylenol and motrin are the more common and also homeopatic remedies have reported some success to some mommies around here). Remeber that molars take up to 2-3 months to pop up and the pain and upsetting can be bothering before any visible sign. Also, motrin (or ibuprofen) must be administrated with care, especially on refluxers because it is a hard substance on their tummys. Paracetamol is much friendly on that side.

And the final thought i have about this is a very non-whispering advice and take it with a grain of salt... it worked for me and other kids i know. My ds was also a refluxer and will only sleep for 9-9.5 hours at night. Was grouchy and it was clear he needed more sleep. He used to wake for mornings early and STARVING... so i tried offering a bottle BEFORE he would wake, that is at the9.5 hour mark (once i had sleep trained him and had naps going ok and no night wakings)... he was sleeping solidly and sound but still waking early. I offered the bottle in his sleep and he'll drain it! (8 full oz). Then he started (overnight) sleeping for 10, 10.5 and we're currently on 11.5 hours (knock on wood). It was hungry the reason of his wakings. The ped then explained me that refluxers tend to have heartburn and have a problem keeping an empty stomach for periods longer than 8 hours. It was more likely that heartburn/hunger and a mix of gastric acids were the ones waking him and that's why he wouldn't go back to sleep. Before thegastric acids would bother him, i would give him the milk and that did the trick. I've adviced this to other refluxer moms (or have reassured them) and some have found it helpful. It is totally up to you and it might also be not your case... just something to think about.

As for the night wakings i think they're due to overtiredness and once you tacke the nap issue and the teething posibility, they should stop.

Let us know about your progress/doubts. Good luck!
Mom to Manolo, spirited monkey and Jose Miguel, an angel cupcake

Offline aidenmc

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Re: Need help for overtired 1 year-old
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2006, 00:11:16 am »
Thanks so much for your reply, Florencia.

To be honest I have gone back and forth between the one and two nap idea. We have been doing one for a while and not seeing much progress. Last night it took almost one hour to get him to sleep and he woke 2 times, once for 1.5 hours. Luckily, as a result he 'slept in' until almost 6. This morning I had planned to try to catch up on sleep and go back to 2 naps. I tried for a very early am nap but after 45 minutes it was a no go. Took him out for a bit then tried again. He was asleep in less than 10minutes. This was at 9:55. I woke him after 1.5 hours to try to preserva late afternoon nap, but I think I tried too late for that one (I was tied up at the grocery store etc.). He was yawning by 2:30 or so, but I didn't get him to bed until 3:45. I am kicking myself. I didn't try too hard for that one as I didn't want to push it too late. Went for an early bedtime - started at 5:10. It wasn't good. He ended up falling asleep at 5:50 after some really hard crying, the hiccuping kind - he hasn't done that since we started sleep training :(. I think he was hoping to get taken out of his room again.

I think the 2nd idea of gradually postponing the nap may be more realistic for us. Aiden rarely falls asleep in the car or stroller. I am starting to realize he is a very spirited little guy. He will happily put off sleep until he is exhausted. The problem is that he then gets beyond that into a keyed up state. I had noticed that he usually seems tired around 3-4 o'clock which was why I was hoping to get a late afternoon catnap. But if it is going to take so much effort to try for it then it may not be a good idea. I don't like the idea of him going into his crib only to get taken out again because he is not tired enough or too riled up for an easy catnap.

I suppose right now the key would be to maintain the early bedtimes (I have heard they can be as early as 5?) to ensure that he is rested enough and sleeping well at night. Then we would want to gradual move that nap. Today he fell asleep easily after 3hrs 45 minutes of A time. Maybe I should stick with that for 3 days then try moving the time. Of course when he wakes at his normal time of 5:30 that would only take us to 9:15. Hmmm, maybe I can stretch it longer if he sleeps better than last night. I have tried different times, even as late as 11:30. Once or twice he has slept longer (past 2 hours), but it is usually 1.25 or 1.5.


About the reflux - that is really interesting about the empty tummy issue. I am not sure if it applies to him only because I am still feeding him at his one wake-up, whcih really varies, unless he is overtired then there may be 2. Definitely not BW I know, but I don't think we are at the point of being able to tackle the night feeding issue. He always takes a full feed as well. I would rather keep doing that feed for a while if it keeps his tummy happy! Besides, one night waking is totally tolerable compared to the 3-4  or extended ones I used to get. The other thing with Aiden is that it can be risky if he wakes extra early. Once he was up at 3:40 for the day (of course I am sure there were other issues going on).

I do think about teething with him (he is a bad teether - makes his relux and gas much worse!). Some days he really tried to rub at his teeth and tends to make vibrating noises with his mouth (may be just for fun, but could also realieve the irritation). I do give him some meds if I think they are bothering him. Didn't know that about the Motrin, though. Too bad. It is nice to have something that lasts 8 hrs! I will probably keep away from that though. Aiden has enough tummy troubles without adding to the mix!

In some ways I hate to say that I am going to go back to try for one nap. I hate to see him so overtired he can't sleep. If I can at least get him to bed early enough each night then maybe we can start making some progress!

Thanks. I will keep in touch and let you know how it goes.
Becky,
Mom to Kieran (10/15/2000); Aiden, (7/ 8/ 2005); and Samuel (7/10/2010)