Please! - need help with early riser and naps

[Zaiby]

Do you know if it's a boy/girl yet? I'm sure you'll come up with yet another unique name...

He did the same thing at his pm nap!!!   I don't know what is up today.  He again refused his milk - which he also never does, so, I put him down at 1:20 like I had been (on a 30 min catnap which has worked well), and he was just hysterical again - I went in every 30sec or so told him to lay down and leave and he just kept on crying - he'ld lay down but the minute I leave, he's up and crying harder..So I did pd - he'ld stop crying, but sure enough the minute I left...I finally managed to get him to sleep by 2..I held him again - I know I shouldn't have, but I was starting to get upset at him - which is not good (how dreadful is that? it's not even his fault) so I just wanted to hold him close which helped calm me down and get him to sleep as well..
He hasn't resisted naps like this in ages....
He is teething, but it has never caused a reaction like this...overtired? How?
Ready for one nap?  So quick?  We just started this new routine..Could the leaving him in the crib for so long in the morning have anything to do with it?
Maybe it's only today and something is up...I'm afraid of bedtime now...

Ok, I think I need to lay down myself and take deep breaths...
Zaibun

[brightside]

We had a better night!  Woke at 6.15 and just moaned a bit so left him until 6.45. So he had 10.75 hours sleep! YAY! Unfortunately he has had the same amount of sleep today cos only just read your post about less sleep, Kelly. Bedtime was the same though so at least we have some consistency. It will all get messed up tomorrow though cos he is at daycare and we'll be lucky if he has even an hour there! 

[KellyC]

Cath, it'll even itself out with daycare then

Zaibun, hopefully today is just a blip!  Did he seem tired prior to his naps?  Is your instinct that he was overtired?  It does sound that way to me too from what you've said.  I also know that alot of mums with toddlers this age have started having problems with their LOs going off to sleep and they've needed to adjust their pre-sleep routines to help with the separation anxiety.  I make sure Zander gets a 5 minute cuddle and some songs in the dark before his sleeps and he's happy with this - I'd just make sure Riyan is getting lots of cuddles before you put him down (extend the wind-down if necessary) and if he needs you to stay by his cot a little longer to feel safe and go to sleep then I wouldn't worry about doing this in the short-term.  If you're thinking over-tired pull the pm nap back to 1pm - better to put him down and have him fart around for half an hour than put him down too late!

We don't know the sex of the baby yet but will hopefully find out in 2 weeks!  I'm convinced it's a girl but I'm fully prepared to be wrong - I don't have a 6th sense!  I mentioned a name to my mum yesterday (Bronte) and she said, 'oh, so you're going for another weird name then'

Kelly x

[Zaiby]

I think Bronte is cool - I like unusual names - Riyan (Reeyaan) certainly is....

Well, he wasn't acting tired, but I thought he had to be and was just sticking to schedule...
Could be SA, will try more that tomorrow.. Will just see how tonight and tomorrow goes..

He woke up after 1hr 15minutes today...I don't know what to make of that - either he was overtired, or he's needing even less sleep now

Oh the saga continues...
Zaibun

[KellyC]

It's difficult isn't it - that's 2 sleep cycles so either he had that time and that was enough or he struggled to transition into a 3rd cycle because he was over-tired.  How did he wake - happy or crying?  That's the give away with Zan.  I wouldn't actually expect a 2 hour second nap at this age if he's already having 30 minutes in the morning - probably more like 2 hours a day in total max BUT you have the shorter nights and early wakings to complicate things!

I'm at work for the next few days so won't be logging on so much.  I hope you have some good days and nights!

Kelly x

[brightside]

Was very impressed with DS last night. Stirred at 12 and 3 but went back to sleep.  Woke at 5.45 chatted for half hour and then went back to sleep. Just had to wake him at 7!  Now we're off to daycare! 

Zaibun: hope today fairs better.

[Zaiby]

Thanks Brightside...
Good to hear you had a good night - love to hear about progress...

Riyan stirred at 3 last night, then somewhere between 4-5 and then up again at 5ish - but...I didn't get him and I think he went back to sleep some time and than woke again at 6:30..
So out of crib at just before 7..

Tried catnap at 9:30 again - same deal as yesterday - just absolutely did not want to...as Kelly said - he seemed quite upset that I was putting him to sleep..
So we stayed up till 12 ...and he napped 2.5hrs - which is great...
So we'll see how he does this afternoon and shoot for bedtime around 7/730

It seems he's getting enough rest staying in his crib in the morning to not make him tired enough to catnap in the am?
I can't believe he's ready for 1 nap seemingly overnight...
But let's see how tonight goes...

[KellyC]

That's so good to hear from both of you 

Zaibun - the fact that he managed to keep going until 12 and then slept 2.5 hours perhaps indicates that he's not over-tired, if he was I suspect you'd get a shorter nap.  Was he easy to put down for the nap?  I would actually continue to see if he wants the catnap for a few more days and only stop with it completely if he's consistently refusing it and maybe replace it with 30 minutes watching a DVD or reading books and maybe a snack at the old nap time to make sure he's getting some rest.  Zander seems to do well with a 7.30 bedtime when he wakes from his nap at 2.30 but I suppose he'll let you know if he's tired earlier!

Kelly x

[Zaiby]

Well, he did go down easy for his nap - I usually give him a cup of milk as part of his wind down routine and he fell asleep drinking it...not sure if that was a good thing or not

He was in his crib by 7:20 and I think asleep by 7:30..
Let's hope for a good night..

I'll keep offering the catnap as suggested for a few more days and see how it goes..
Thanks guys - you are keeping me sane in all of this...knowing I have support and help..

Talk tomorrow...
Cheers,
Zaibun

[brightside]

Hey, Zaibun, that's great progress.

We're back to waking after 10 hours on the dot. Pretty sure its due to being so tired after being at daycare. We always give him a 20-30 min catnap when we pick him up so that he isn't overtired at bedtime (7.30) but he still wakes after 10 hours. Without the catnap, he would be REALLY overtired as he tends to only sleep 30-45 mins sometime around lunch time there.  We seem to spend the whole weekend rectifying the situation and then he's back there again.

Not sure why he has started doing it though. There was a time when even at daycare we would still get 11-12 hours sleep out of him at night.

[debo620]

well we are having a bit of a shabby day.
Noah was up at 5:50am---so not bad and out of bed at 6:15am
he was cranky all morning but he is getting his 3rd tooth on top, and thus I thought I'd just let him sleep however long he wanted this am.
nap 1 9:10-10:10
nap 2--attempt at 1:50pm-----finally asleep I hope at 3pm!!!!! after alot of playing, complaining, crying, and reassurring----he just got more and more tired and I'm sure overtired.

The only difference has been that today we had to run to IKEA and we only got home about 1/2hr or so before nap time as we were running late. maybe he hadn't burned off enough steem to nap?  he definately seemed tired when I tried at 1:50pm but instead of playing and falling asleep---he just played and then started crying.  I mean how on earth am I supposed to go out if we have to spend time at home playing in order for him to nap.

the other thought  is that maybe he is overtired overall? we are having about 10.75hr nights and most days about 2-2.25 naps---which is pretty average for him.
how can I correct overtiredness? he wont add any sleep to his night and certainly isn't really making up for it in naps. Should I shorten his usual amount of A time and try to fit in a third nap? I don't think this would really work.....
I think the teething is sort of complicating things....

[Zaiby]

Deb,
Sorry I don't have advice - I don't think the 3rd nap would work either..
Have you tried leaving him a little longer in the crib in the morning?  I've been doing that, and though R still seems to wake early, he is starting to go back to sleep for a little bit which is helping - I think in time he might stop waking up early and sleep longer at one time?

So Riyan did take 2 naps yesterday - went down ok at 9:30 for 30 and again 1:30 for 2hrs..bedtime 7:30

I have a feeling he might fight the catnap this morning as he seemed to have slept a little more this am..
I mean he still woke at around 5:30 or a little before, but did get quiet again for at least 45min, so Im not sure..
Zaibun

[debo620]

Noah was up at 4:20 am, I tried milk but not back to sleep as of 6:15am,I assume due to crap nap yesterday pm, now 7:40am and I'm going to go lay him down. I'm not sure whats best now. let him sleep for however long this morning or do 2 short naps this morning and longer pm nap. would somehow like a nap to fall at 1:30 or so---to preserve 7pm bedtime.

well its 7:45am----he doesn't sound like he wants/will go to sleep, I'll see how it goes...

[debo620]

thanks Stacy,
I guess I just find that if he goes down btwn 1:30-2pm and actually sleeps 1hr 20min, he does much better that night and doesn't wake early the next day.  The problem with the 430am wake is that even if he takes two good naps, the whole day is brought forward and he has a long stretch to go till 7pm bedtime.
anyway, Noah is really fighting sleep......
finally went to sleep at 8:20am -----maybe the 1.5hrs in his crib this morning kind of effected his A time. ie. although tired, wanted more time to play??

I have a feeling that he may only sleep 40min and wake still tired......If this happens I am going to try for another nap, maybe in the car or stroller before lunch. and then nap 2pm.

I really hate how 1 afternoon can throw us off soooo much....

[Zaiby]

sorry you are having a hard time Deb.  I understand how you feel.  Just know you are not alone..

Well R did not take his catnap - however he at least stayed in his crib for the 30 minutes and babbled - unlike the other days when he was just hysterical..

So asleep at 12 today and ofcourse I'm hoping for 2.5 hours -though he's been coughing in there alot while sleeping..I'm afraid he still is not over his cold, or has picked up a new one...oh oh - -just heard him cry out...not a good sign...only been 30 minutes...
gotta go..
Zaibun