what would you do? not a serious issue

[PeepersMom]

PJ's sleep continues to be up and down but over all much better.  The thing is he still has some late nights of playing in his crib for up to 2 hours so that means a short nights sleep.  He always takes a short nap on the day following.  For example last night - fell asleep after partying in his crib at 845ish.  was up at 645am and fought his nap until 12.  I wanted him to fall asleep about 1145ish.  So 12 wasn't too late at all, but he fought it which is the problem.  Most likely b/c he was overtired.  This happens about 1-2 times a week.  So I am wondering what would you do, just deal and put him down early that night? or would you try to get a longer nap out of him those days?  He is pretty much a bear by the end of these days and I do dread them.  this just happened on Wednesday, too and we had our first full blown tantrum that night right before bed that lasted 30 min.  So right now I am leaning toward getting more day sleep out of him on these days.  In the past he has tolerated these short night/nap days fairly well and I just put him down for the night 30 min early the next day. Seems like this might have changed.

What do you think I should do? And if you think I should try to lengthen his nap on these days, do I put him down earlier?  like 11:15?  He actually tends to respond well to a shorter awake time, but we end up with a very long afternoon on those days so I generally don't do it.  Maybe now I have to?

Meg

[mari]

If he has a longer early nap then is he grumpy?  i would go with whatever makes him happer towards the end of the day as I think it's important that they are not too tired at bedtime.  A nice long wind down and into bed and hopefully not too long getting off to sleep.  Unfortunately Alex has parties in her cot from 7-8pm most nights.

[PeepersMom]

Mari, actually, not he isn't grumpy if he sleeps early but long.  It is just a long afternoon, is all.  But I guess that sort of answers my question.

Interesting that Alex takes a long time to settle.  PJ is either asleep within a few minutes or not for 1-2 hours.  It drives me insane.  I can't figure out the reason for it.  We do the same LONG wind down every day.   

Meg

[mari]

Well Alex had just 1 hour nap today from 1-2pm and went to bed at 7pm, I thought she'd be zonked but no, she partied on down until 9pm    I can't figure out a reason for it either.  Who knows, but Toddlers are almost as complicated as men!!  (not quite though!)

[Mom to M&M]

Marisa either falls asleep within minutes quietly or parties for up to an hour before bed (and naps sometimes too). Toddlers are crazy!

[imsmum]

Meg after Margot has a poor night I try putting her down about 20 minutes early for nap and about 1 hour early at night.  The slightly early naptime is crucial orMargot won't sleep early to night which is what she really seems to need these days to catch up on sleep. 

A day like that and she's usually right as rain.

[PeepersMom]

Well here I am b/c it has suddenly turned into a serious issue - or is it?  He has only fallen asleep 1 night before 830 this week.  Naps he has resisted but will take, and he has woken up earlier and earlier.

Our new schedule is something like this

6-630 wake always leave him in crib till 7
1130-12 nap for 1.5 hours rarely shorter rarely longer always leave him in the full 2 hours - he is waking happy as a clam now
7pm bed will party until 830-9pm  I have tried keeping him up a little later (730), but it only seems to push it closer to 9!!

so now he is getting 9-10 hours at night and only 1.5 hours during the day.

For the most part his mood is *fine* unless we are at the extreme on short like 9 h night and 1 hour nap.  OR if it goes on for a week with NO catch up sleep.  Which has happened and is happeing more and more frequently.  I just don't know that I can take this little sleep from him.  I know he needs a good 2 hours more.  He is at his best with an 11 hour night and 1.5 hour nap.  I really don't think that should be unacheiveable, I just don't know what to do if he is just... playing.  He seems to tolerate his lack of sleep pretty well, although he always has dark circles under his eyes. :-(

I Know this is developmental.  I know he is too excited to sleep. But it has been an on and off problem since December and now it is becoming ON all the time.  How long can a developmental phase last?  at some point he has to be over learning new words as a novelty!  Ugh

is there anything to snap your kiddo into sleeping again?  He just won't do it.

Meg

[mari]

Alex is partying all the time too.  Especially if she has been busy, nothing seems to tire her, only overstimulate.  She just plays until she fall sasleep so I don't really worry as I don't need to go to her.

You could try an ealier bedtime of 6.30pm and a super long wind down.

[PeepersMom]

i had thought of putting him down at 630 anticipating it would take him 1-2 hours of winddown.  Yikes. 

Really you don't worry?  Knowing she should be sleeping more totaly sleep?  Or does she nap well?

Meg

[mari]

She parties when she has had a good nap as she isn't tired enough.  She just plays there with her teddies so I think that she is having the rest that she needs, its not as if she is running around the house, she is quetly playing in her cot.  So no, I don't worry, she probably gets about half an hour to 45 mins less than what's recommended for her age, but she usually catches up one or two night during the week.

I would try an earlier bedtime to see if you can encourage sleep a little earlier.  If I put Alex to bed at 7 she sometimes plays until 8, if I put her at 8 then she plays until 9pm, so I rarely put her to bed after 7pm and at least I know that she will sleep by eight (usually!!)

Gosh after the sleep issues that I used to have I am just grateful that the parties are early rather than 4am!

[PeepersMom]

That's true Mari, I think I need some professional help. LOL

See this used to happen on occasion and we could easily see what caused it.  Long nap, over stimmed, etc.  But now it is the norm.  I had gotten used to it happening a couple times a week, but now it is every night save 1.  My  OP states that it wasn't a huge issue, but it snow balled. 

I know I should be happy that he isn't needing me, I don't have to go through the painful WI/WO. but sometimes I wish I could as maybe he would just sleep more.

I am trying to just stick with a schedule and hope that he will fall back into it , I guess...... 

At this point he is regularly getting about 11.5 hours total sleep in a day and about 1-2x a week he will get 12.5-13

I can see it is developmental, but this is never ending.

Meg

[mari]

Is he having too much daytime sleep or too early a nap.  Alex took a nap at 12pm for an hour today and she was zonked by bedtime.  If she sleeps all night tonight then this will  be her new routine!!

[PeepersMom]

No his nap is only 1.5 at the most.  I also try to do it as early as possible to get the effect you just described.  For a while there I was pushing him back to be like most kids, but it was pushing his bedtime back.  So now I do 12 at the latest.

He has a flare of eczema right now that isn't really bugging him so now I am wondering if this is what is causing the trouble falling asleep unless he is beyond exhausted?  I don't know.  Maybe I should have given him a drop of benadryl but then that feels like cheating.  UGH

Thanks.  Glad to hear you had good results today.  That is pretty much were we were before this latest month of late nights.

Due to circumstances I couldn't control, I wasn't able to put him down till 7:50 tonight so I will be really interested to see how late our night goes.  It is 8:15 and he is not slowing down.

Meg