DS 17mo is chronically overtired!

[PPL]

It's driving me insane. He used to nap at least 1hr15 after lunch. Gradual transition to 1 nap took a couple of months and by 15 months he was comfortably going til midday then napping.

Now he is only napping for 30 mins and the days are so long and exhausting for both of us.

This morning I tried giving him a 10 min catnap at 10 on the way to soft play, wore him out there and had a big lunch - and now has woken up after 30 mins. He went down at 130.

As a result of all this overtiredness (I think ) he is waking in the night and just can't seem to get back to sleep, tossing and turning.

He's clearly exhausted as I can hear him up there whining, no energy to cry, and he keeps yawning.

He is learning to walk (has been for a couple of months) could that be it?

I have tried running him ragged (hour+ walks in the park) which didn't work, and yesterday we tried the opposite and sat around quietly at home all day. Didn't work.

What can I do?!

[Iggly]

Nap earlier in the day. My ds still had the odd catnap in the morning until 20 months or so (only when out). Lunch time nap had to be at 12/12.30. He didn't manage to go to 1pm for a nap until over 2.

Also early bedtime of around 6.30pm. Try both for a week and that should help

[PPL]

Thanks so much for your reply Iggly.

So you think he needs an earlier nap. He is certainly tired enough for I to be early, but the reason I went to 1 post lunch nap is that he'd sleep 930-10ish for 30mins, or less when I started to cut it down (he'd never sleep for longer that early in the day) and then it would be really hard to put him down any time before 2-3pm. He would then be way too lively at bedtime.

So until this last couple of weeks, for the past month, he's been sleeping 12-130ish.

So when you say earlier nap do you mean two naps or aim for one longer nap late morning?, day 11ish? He has done this occasionally and I've taken him out for a drive mid afternoon to rest - he rarely sleeps though.

As for early night - I do try, but he arses around for so long at bedtime, takes him at least 40muns to settle regardless of how tired he is. So when I aim for an early bedtime of 630 it means dinner at 430, bath at 530, etc... But I will try that anyway.

Am sick of him waking screaming and inconsolable from his nap. It's so hard to bring him bck to reality and the afternoon is usually a write off, have resorted to tv way too often :(

[Iggly]

Sorry my reply was a bit curt (was doing something else). Yes I'd go for an earlier nap - try around half 11 or 12 after a big lunch? Out of interest why did you stop napping at 12? Was it because of the catnaps?

[princesssmartypantss]

we have similar situation. ds is 16mo. i try to do similar to suggestions above, so our day looks roughly like this...
wake up, between 6-7, breakfast at 7. if up around 6.30, little nap around 8.30/8.45, awake by 10. (similar to you our ds will not go down for lunch nap less than three hours awake in the morning)
morning activity, trip to park etc, then lunch, earlier e.g 11.30if no morning nap, or nearer midday and then down for lunchtime nap, he usually and thankfully sleeps for 1.5-2hours, then wakes up has small snack e.g half a banana. we then have tea around 4.30-5, bath around 5.30-6 and into bed between 6.30/7. have to say i think poster above could be right about earlier bedtime as this does seem to help an when clocks went back rather than it being a nightmare he slept the longest nights he has mosthas ever done as i was putting him down earlier than before. sle
our current problem seems to be waking around 4am and not being able to ge back to ep. i do wonder if this is just overtiredness, hv has also suggested might be chilly, so he wears vest pyjamas8 and 2.5 together sleeping bag, or hungry so he has most enormous meals and two fruit or oatcake snacks each day. i will watch with interest and in interim try to bring bedtime forward to 6.30, i am so tired would be rather nice for me too! sorry about spelling phone is not being very clever!

[PPL]

Thanks both of you.

I am sure its all overtiredness, and the more I think about him learning to wak the more I think that is is having an overall effect on him. He is clingier, more emotional, more affectionate and more lively.

Iggly - I didn't think you were being curt! I don't think I explained myself very well re change in napping. I didn't change anything, carried on as normal with lunch at 1130 and bed by 12, he just started sleeping for shorter periods. Then yesterday I had to let him have a catnap in the morning as he'd had a bad night sleep and I thought it might help - which it very definitely didn't!

The only other thing I can think of is that we've had a few quiet mornings recently because of the weather. So today we went about or usual business, went to a toddler group and back home for lunch at 1140. He was in bed by 12. We'll see what happens. I really could do with a good hour and a half to myself today, I'm shattered!

As for early nights, yes it definitely helps but its so hard getting him down early. will persevere. MY DS also slept amazingly well the first few nights after the clock change!

[PPL]

Well, he napped for 1hr10. 1hr 20 if you count the 10mins he took to fall asleep, getting comfy etc.

Is that long enough for his age? My friends DD sleeps nearly 3hrs after lunch!

He was actually much easier to get to sleep this evening after a longer nap...

[Iggly]

Sounds ok - I reckon it'll get longer as he gets used to it. DS was always a short napper until he got to around 2 then they got very long.

DD on the other hand will nap all day if you let her

[PPL]

Thanks again Iggly. That's encouraging, I hope you're right and he does start sleeping longer!

Today he fell asleep in his highchair at 1130 and only slept an hour, so we have a very long afternoon ahead of us!

[PPL]

Argh this situation is driving me insane!

Last night he wouldn't settle til after 7, after being exhausted all afternoon, and then he was awake and wired between 10 and 12! Up at 6am, couldn't stop him having a 10 min catnap in the car at 10am, and now he's only slept 50 mins after lunch! (1235-125)

I know he needs more sleep but I just don't know how to give it to him :(

[Iggly]

Give it time - it'll take a week of super early bedtimes etc.

Also there is a big leap around 18 months where things like sleep just don't happen that well. I was reminded of you as my friend's kid of a similar age is doing this too.

[omama]

agree with everything Iggly has said.

Early bedtime is king in our house too. When we first went to 1 nap (at 15 months) we also did nap at 11/11.30am. For the first few weeks, nap was also short (under 1hr), so super early bedtimes i.e. in bed & asleep by 6pm, 6.30 absolute latest & he would do a much longer night than if he were in bed for 7pm. We also used to throw in the odd 2 nap day if he was shattered.

We found once he'd been on 1 nap for a couple of months, we then had to gradually shift the nap towards lunchtime (15 mins per week), and at 17-18 months we settled on

Up: 7am
Nap: 12.30-2.30
Bed: 7/7.30

I think something like this will be a good routine for your ds once he has overcome his overtiredness. Until then, an earlier nap at 11.30-12 should work much better for him.

Also agree re: developmental leap - 17 months is wonder week 10 & then the 18 month regression follows - so things may be wonky for a wee while no matter what you do. Hang in there it will get better!

p.s. my DS also naps waaaay bettter now than he ever has, 2-2.5hrs has been the norm for the last 6 months & he is 2.3. So it will come good!

HTH.x

[PPL]

Thats really helpful omama, thank you.

We put hime down at 11 today and he did 1.5 hrs! Amazing. And asleep at bedtime by 615. Only problem is, he has developed a cold and he seems to handle colds REALLY badly. He woke almost every hour last night and I ended up sleeping on the floor by his cot. Really didn't want to get into that habit but I couldn't face going back to my own bed only to have to get up almost immediately!

He has been grizzly all afternoon so anticipating another bad night. ugh.