Where am I going wrong?!

[moomoo]

Ok let me start by saying that my LO isn't the greatest of sleepers at the best of times, but now I seriously don't know what's going on!? I think he's ready to drop his only day time nap, but still needs it else he goes into meltdown by tea time!? Here's our routine:

7.30 - wakes up and has breakfast and bottle 8oz around 8/8.30

11.30am - another bottle 8oz

1pm - lunch

between 1.30pm and 3.30pm he will take an hours nap. There is no set time as it just depends on how tired he is!!

5.15 tea and yoghurt

7.30/8.30 bottle and bed.

The issue is, he fights and fights his nap until as late as possible then if his nap goes any later than 3pm he's up until 10pm!!!! (that's 2 and a half hours of tears and tantrums!!)

We try and do lots of activity with him to tire him out during the day, also we've had the same bedtime routine since he was 8 weeks old.

There seems to be nothing that works, or some days it does and some days it doesn't... My friends say "oh this worked for my LO" well great but I've tried EVERYTHING - nothing works.

Does anyone else have a toddler like this? Also is there any way I can change our routine to make him any better/ less fighty and tired?

Xxx

 

[Ilovehim89]

James is the same way...James sleeps in a toddler bed and has since he was a year old and he gets out whenever he doesnt want to sleep. So DH sits in there with him with his hand on his belly until he falls asleep. Sometimes he screams bloody murder when we lay him down...
I know he is tired, he just doesnt wanna sleep. So you arent alone...--hugs--

 

[Per16]

MooMoo Annie and Reggie must be related hahaha they sound like the same baby I dont know what I can do to change her sleeping patternshe has been like this since birth I am hoping she grows out of it, good luck huni you are not alone xxx

 

[Nibblenic]

I would say if he isnt sleeping till 10 because of this nap drop the nap. Yes yore going to have a week or so of him being very tired at 4-5 but you could always bring bed time forward to 6 and he more than likely wont wake any ealier as he'll be putting his hour nap into his nightime sleep.

Have you tried have some chilled days in the house and keeping him up?

The only other thing I can think of is going out ealier and getting him tired sooner so he sleep at 12? If we dont do much on a morning lo sleeps just after 12 but the morning we go swimming shes off by 11

Hope it helps?

 

[OmarsMum]

Did he use to self settle earlier?

Omar will not self settle or sleep in his cot. I usually lay him on our bed, play softly with him, then tell him a story. I lie down with him, I dont really help him to settle, but I just watch him while he rolls over until he finally get exhausted & sleep. Omar was the best sleeper until he was 8.5 months, then it changed & he started to fight sleep & since then he stopped to self settle in his cot.

 

[moomoo]

Arghhh! So he refused to nap at all today and went into complete meltdown at teatime... Was trying to nod off in his highchair but was hungry so wanted to eat!!

Bathed him and put him to bed, went down easily as was completely shattered!

No nwb, he's never self settled, well maybe 2-3 times ever!!

 

[OmarsMum]

Arghhh! So he refused to nap at all today and went into complete meltdown at teatime... Was trying to nod off in his highchair but was hungry so wanted to eat!!

Bathed him and put him to bed, went down easily as was completely shattered!

No nwb, he's never self settled, well maybe 2-3 times ever!!

According to me Omar used to self settle, but I used to stay in the room while he "self settle"

Omar is still in our room, & I never left him alone in his cot when he's awake. he wakes up alot for his dummy at night then he moves in with us. I think we created a bad habit, but I dont think we can change it for now. It's a difficut age, he understands but doesnt really understand & CIO/CC are not for us.

I know it's not easy for you as you'r expecting another baby soon. Big hugs hun.

 

[Tinylo]

I know it's hard hun, Lewis has never been a great sleeper, even now.

He'll ask for a nap or go down without any fuss at the childminders or his nans but when it comes to being at home, he doesn't want to nap at all, I think maybe he just wants to play with all his toys and there's to many distractions.

The only ways I can guarantee he'll fall asleep for a nap when he's with me is to either take him for a walk in the pushchair or out for a ride in the car about 1.00ish. This will be harder to do when No2 comes along but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Have you tried the car or pushchair??? Not ideal I know but maybe worth a try until he gets into the habbit.

 

[polaris]

I would say if he isnt sleeping till 10 because of this nap drop the nap. Yes yore going to have a week or so of him being very tired at 4-5 but you could always bring bed time forward to 6 and he more than likely wont wake any ealier as he'll be putting his hour nap into his nightime sleep.

Have you tried have some chilled days in the house and keeping him up?

The only other thing I can think of is going out ealier and getting him tired sooner so he sleep at 12? If we dont do much on a morning lo sleeps just after 12 but the morning we go swimming shes off by 11

Hope it helps?

I would agree with this advice. Maybe try to give him some low key chill out time at the time that he would usually have his nap or bring him out for a walk in the buggy if that relaxes him, so that he gets a little rest but without actually sleeping. Then move bedtime earlier for a bit until he gets used to it. I agree that he probably won't wake any earlier if you move bedtime to 6 p.m. while he is getting used to dropping the nap. I know a really early bedtime isn't often convenient but it would probably only be for a week or two while he adjusts.

 

[oct-bump]

My LO did the same when she went from 2 to 1 nap. She would skip her later afternoon nap at 3pm and she was shattered by 5:30. It was horrible. We put her to bed earlier, like at 6:15. I worked full time and got home @ 5:30, so yeah, it was rough. I had no time with her at all. It took about 2 weeks for her to adjust and slowly I was able to move her bedtime back.

You can try dropping his mid morning bottle. Move his lunch up to 11:30 and get him to nap at 12.

My doctor said a 15 monther only needs 12-14oz of milk a day. But that could have only applied to my "used to be" milk monster.