PLEASE HELP!!14m old has pick up sleep problems

[NiknLily]

Hi Elmarie
Have a look over at the 2-1nap transition thread you will see just what a mine field the transition is and you are very right to be avoiding jumping straight into the transition from what I've seen it takes most LO's quite sometime and a lot of routine juggling before they transition and even then they can get so overtired that they revert back to 2 naps for a while and so on...

I would say try to get her down for nap#2 sooner by maybe 30Min's that you think she needs, better that way and she play for 30Min's before falling asleep than miss the window and then not nap at all, which may be what happened to your LO today.

[elmarie]

Hi Everyone,

The last 3 days I started wi/wo as suggested and it's really starting to work.  It takes about 10 min of walking in and out and then she will settle on her own. She also now wakes up at night chatting (not screaming) and then goes back to sleep.  it was also very pleasant to wake up this morning with her chatting and not crying for us to go to her.  We left LO for 15min and then went to her.

I am having trouble with the naps though.  This morning I left her for 45min in her cot and she would not fall asleep for morning 30min. nap.  I read in the 2-1 thread somewhere that if she does this for a week she is probably ready for the switch.  this is now the 2nd time this week.  I then put her down at 12 instead of 12.45 pm for afternoon nap and will do bedtime at 6 as usual.  the problem is that the afternoon nap is no longer than 1-1 1/2h so I'm sure I am going to have a OT baby in a few days!

 She has now been asleep for 1 1/2 hours but have woken up 3 times crying (mantra) and then going back to sleep. So not a very restful sleep.  Not sure if she is OT.  I'm hoping that we can make the 2h sleep even if she keeps waking up.

Do I just keep on offering the am nap and hope that the pm nap increases. 

Thanks everyone.

ElmariewX   

[NiknLily]

Hi
What I have done is stretched morning A time as much as possible and then just give a 20min am nap and next nap 2-2.5hrs later.  I would try this.  Some even then go onto a 10/15 min am nap before plunging into just 1 nap.  JMO but I think the longer you can hang onto 2 naps the better as the older the LO is, hopefully the easier they will find the transition when it happens.

[elmarie]

Hi everyone,

I have a question.  I am doing the 2 naps with am being only 30min. and pm nap 2.5h later.  I am finding that it is taking her 45min to fall asleep with both naps.  Luckily the wi/wo is at the point where she is quite happy to be on her own, so I don't have to be in the room and can just leave her.  I have followed the suggestion of putting her down 30min before the nap is due to make sure that she doesn't miss the window and have a situation of no napping.

If she's taking so long to fall asleep doesn't it mean that she is not tired enough.  i will try making am nap 20min tomorrow and she what happens.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again

Elmarie X

[NiknLily]

I'd say so too, with a 30min nap she should be able to go 2.5-3hrs before pm nap. You could try extending her A times by 15Min's, see how you go, unless you have already maxed out the total hours in a day with naps & A time.  However I'm finding that if DD is in bed too long before she is tired she will talk herself awake and not want to nap.  I have to time it almost perfectly so it takes her max 5-10Min's to fall asleep.  Your LO could be doing the same.

[elmarie]

Hi There again,

I am at a lost as what to do with DD's naps.  Thank goodness that NW has stopped and she has settled into a 12h night sleep. No problems with falling asleep at night 10-20min max. The naps are a nightmare.  I have now pushed A time for am nap as suggested by new mum but still she doesn't fall asleep.  This morning I picked her up after 45min as not to interrupt the pm nap.  I am still finding that the pm nap is no longer than 1h most days (yesterday 45min) even with 30 or even 20min am nap.   for pm nap. It will also take her 30min to fall asleep What is going on.  Do I start switching to 1 nap or just keep going

Thanks again

Elmarie X

[donna_issabella]

Oh Elmarie, wish I had an answer. But I will come and knock on your door when we hit this 2-1 transition.         

In the mean time, GOOD LUCK and plenty of HUGS!

xx
DI

[Layla]

Elmarie, can you tell me what time you are attempting naps, what she wakes, etc....

Layla

[elmarie]

Hi layla,

hope your DD's sleeping problems are being sorted. My DD's new routine is as follows:

6am ish     Wake
9.15am-9.30      Put her down for am nap  (was suggested on pp that I put her down 30min before I want her to sleep to give her time)
                (If she doesn't fall asleep within 30-40 min I pick her up to preserve pm nap.)  Sleep 20-30min depending when she woke up in the        morning.
12.15-12.30pm nap    Usually falls asleep by 12.45-1 and will then sleep 1- 1 1/2 h
6pm bed     Usually asleep by 6.15

If naps were a mess or to short I do super early bedtime. I finding that last week with her NW and EW being sorted out she is consistently sleeping 12h at night.

Lots of hugs

Elmarie X

[Layla]

I personally think that 30mins before the "actual" nap time is a little too long. Sometimes what tends to happen is that they are not genuinly tired when placed in the cot & then work themselves up & don't take a nap at all or take a short nap. I usually give it about 15mins for nap (in the cot).

With us when Jasmine was that age, she was doing something like this:

6am - wakes
9:20 (in the cot)
9:30 - asleep
10:15 - I would wake her
1.15 - in the cot
1:30 - she was asleep
3pm - she would wake
6.30ish - in her room with a bottle
by 7pm she was asleep

What about trying 45mins rather than 20 or 30? How did that go?

[Layla]

Ok, I have finally had the chance to read your whole thread .

So what I would suggest is to put her down for the nap bout 15mins (max) before nap time. She needs to be sleepy for a nap & 30mins before nap time might be too long. Also there might be times when she can truly last longer in the morning, resist the morning nap & in that case I would do an early afternoon nap - say about 11ish & in bed at 6pm (latest). There will be days when you might go back & forth but thats ok... Isabella did this & Jasmine is doing that as well here & there. I noitced that she is doing 12hrs at night... I find that its on those nights that Jasmine is more likely to turn the morning nap into "quiet play" in the cot rather than sleep. I still leave her for about 30mins & if she's not asleep by then, I pick her up, give her either a large snack or 1/2 lunch & then in the cot by 11ish for 1 nap. Sometimes that nap is short & sometimes its as long as 2.5hrs.

I truely appreciate your fear in making the transition to 1 nap as I have the very same fear..... If though you are finding the afternoon nap is only 45mins-1hr on a 20min morning nap, then she might be ready? You could always try for 1 nap days about 2-3 days in a row & if she's showing signs of tiredness in the morning the next day, then you could always give her "catch up" 2 nap day. This is what we are doing at the moment & thats what we were doing with Isabella. Even when she transitioned to 1 nap, about a month leading up to her being 100% on 1 nap, she was doing 2-nap days every 3-4 days.

If you are going to go for 1 nap though  - it really needs to be brought forward to about 11am. 5hrs is still a long stretch & eventually what you will be doing is 1 nap at 11ish & pushing it out slowly towards 11.30-12pm. Isabella at 16 months was on 11.30 nap & 6pm bedtime until she was close to 18months, which was when I was able to stretch her to 12pm & finally at 24months to 12.30pm.

Let me know how you go
Layla

[NiknLily]

Hi
Sorry haven't checked in for a while.  Looks like Layla has given you some superb advice.  I know I said 30mins before nap, this was advice I was also given to try, but I was going to suggest that you try giving less time before naps as literally I have found over last few days that this was also being a problem for us and I have been trying to get DD down at max 15mins before nap and the difference is incredible (she will actually take a nap!)

Hope things start to improve.  All the best
newmum

[elmarie]

Thanks new mum and Lyala,

For the next 3-4 days I will continue to try the morning nap of 20min. with putting her in the cot only 15min before sleep.  As you say layla quite play is also restorative and she is happy to play in her cot anyway  If she keeps doing the 45min-1h pm nap (this afternoon was 1h again, I am going to try the 1 nap at 11ish.  i am going to try and preserve early bedtime of asleep between 6.15 -6.30pm as it works for our family and routine.  We are early to bed and early to rise people.

Will keep you posted

Elmarie XX

[Layla]

How did you go?

[elmarie]

Hi Layla,

(Wanted to say that your wedding picture is beautiful-so romantic!). 

Courteney was asleep by 6.10pm last night and woke up 5.40am so 11.5h which I'm happy with.  Took 10min for her to fall asleep. Did put her down for am nap only 15min before time but still took 30min to fall asleep.  I left her because she was a bit miserable this morning-I think she's teething.  Put her down this afternoon at 12.30pm(took25min to fall asleep-still so long)  and will leave her now to sleep for 1 1/2h.  and will then wake her to preserve bedtime.

I do think that i'm going to take up your suggestion and do 1 nap at 11ish depending when she wahes up tomorrow morning (I put her down 5h after waking up??) and see if she falls asleep quiker.  She is taking too long with the 2 naps.  Will let you know tomorrow how it went.

Going to relax for 30min before she wakes- BW for toddlers arrived today so I'm looking forward to start reading.

Elmarie X