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Why is my 1yo so cranky at bedtime?

6 replies

wish1406 · 28/02/2017 10:56

I wonder if anyone else has this problem? My 1yo is awful to put down at bedtime! He naps like a pro in the day. I always give him a bottle before his morning and afternoon nap as well as bedtime (6oz for each) and I can literally put him down in his cot and leave the room. He will then spend upto half an hour playing or chatting to himself before rolling into his tummy and sleeping.
Bedtime however is a nightmare. We start his routine at 6pm. I cream him up (he has eczema so bath only once a week) then we put pyjamas on followed by stories or quiet play with daddy. By 6:30 he starts to show tired signs (yawning and rubbing eyes / getting a bit grumpy) so we go to his room, put on some music (same as at naptimes) and he has his bottle. This time he goes nuts if we try to just put him down and walk out. We (myself or hubby - not both) stay in his room and rub is back or just sit there beside his cot sushing and saying sleepy time. He stands up, throws his dummy's around the room and generally screams at us (lots of tears) we try not to pick him up but keep laying him down or pat the bed and encourage him to lay down. Some nights this can go on for an hour. We creep out the room but sometimes even when we think he's asleep he catches us out and starts screaming and standing up again.
Most nights he's asleep by 8pm after an hours ordeal and generally he sleeps through until 7ish in the morning. Some occasional night waking where he may be itchy (we give piriton) or needing his dummy back that he's lobbed across the room. Or just a quick pat. Occasionally like last night he will be wide awake and hysterical. We can only assume on these occasions he is teething or in pain so we end up giving calpol.

Anyone with any advice on the bedtime routine or ideas we can try for this and for the night waking would be gratefully received. Thank you

OP posts:
lougle · 28/02/2017 11:00

You need to move his routine back so he is ready for bed before he shows tired signs, because when he's showing tired signs, you've missed the boat Smile.

Hgmother · 28/02/2017 11:01

Maybe try moving his bedtime a little earlier, before he starts yawning? Maybe straight after his bath? He's probably a bit over tired. Everything else sounds good though.

FATEdestiny · 28/02/2017 19:10

What is his daytime sleep like?

What times does he go to sleep and for how long?

wish1406 · 28/02/2017 21:15

FATEdestiny - he tends to nap about an hour and half - 2 hours after he has woken up. He takes between 1-2 hours for this morning nap. He then has an afternoon nap, mostly in his cot at home, or in the car / pushchair. If we are home he will go down about an hour after lunch. So around 1:30/2pm. He will have about 45min- hour (sometimes upto 2 hours if we have had a busy morning or he has had a shorter morning nap) he is rarely asleep after 4pm. I wake him if he sleeps much past 4.

Tonight I tried putting him down at 6:30 and took him to his room st 6. He went down without any fuss and although he woke up an hour later screaming (teething I think) he did something he's not done in months! I didn't let him nap this afternoon. He was desperately cranky for hours from 3-6. I think he still needs the afternoon nap. I'll let him have it tomorrow then see if he is still willing to go down at 6:30... fx

OP posts:
FATEdestiny · 28/02/2017 21:35

I would start limiting the morning nap. Wake up after an hour, maybe only 45 minutes. Make the morning nap more of a power nap, with a view to dropping it eventually.

Then make the afternoon nap earlier and longer. Say asleep for 12pm (early lunch before this) until 3pm.

wish1406 · 01/03/2017 18:16

Ok I'll give that a go too! Thanks Grin

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