1 Year old suddenly nightmare to get to sleep, is this a phase?

[helips]

My 1 year old ds usually has a 1-2 hour nap in the morning and 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon and then sleeps 7.30-to around 6am. Usually it's not a problem getting him to go to sleep (apart from his afternoon nap when I usually cuddle him to sleep). However, for the past week or so he is taking ages to go to sleep. When I hold him he kicks and screams, when I lie him down he stands in his cot and screams. He is tired because he rubs his eyes and gets whingy. At bedtime in the evening he cries and cries until exausted and then he can be cuddled to sleep. I am really losing my patience and find it very waring. He is asleep now but only after me giving up trying to put him in his cot and taking him for a walk round the block. I'm already dreading this evening's bedtime

I'm wondering if it is because he spends his whole waking time standing up and walking round furniture and feels that sleeping is boring! Literally as soon as I take him up for a nap it is like he senses its sleep time and goes mad! Please tell me this is just a phase! Do you think it might be worth me trying to cut his daytime naps, say 1 late morning? Sorry if this is long and rambly but would appreciate any words of wisdom!

[ShowOfHands]

As they turn 1 you often encounter 2 problems:

1. They're trying to drop a nap
2. They're learning to walk

The first causes obvious disruptions and the second is such a difficult and consuming milestone that it disrupts normal sleep patterns for a short time. Try a single nap if you want. It's a phase. A tough one but things will improve.

[helips]

Do you think a single nap will help?

How long will this phase last?

[ajm200]

Our LO's sleep patterns became a nightmare around the age of 1. It was a combination of teething and too much sleep in the day.

We decided to dropped his morning nap which used to be from 11-12 and started to put him down after lunch at about 1. It took a few days to get into the routine but within a couple of weeks we saw a definate improvement.

He's now approaching 2 and really needs to drop the afternoon nap too but I'm holding out of now as I'm pregnant and due in a few weeks so tend to nap with him in the afternoons but in a few weeks he'll be up all day long

[helips]

Mmmm, at the mo ds naps from about 9am to 10-10.30am and then aound 2pm for a few hours. Should I make his morning nap later and wake him earlier from his afternoon nap?

[ajm200]

I'd definately try to shorten the afternoon nap if you can or drop the morning nap and bring the afternoon one forwards.

If he is sleeping until 4 or 5 in the afternoon, he probably isn't sleepy enough by early evening.

I was never very good a routine during DS first year so his morning nap just got later and later until it was easy to push it back to the afternoon.

[wzmo]

OH BOY I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM! LO is now 13 months and she has weaned herself during the day but now is up alllll night wanting to nurse or just throw tantrums which is not like her at all but i am going nuts with it!! when we used to put her in bed with us she would sleep so well now we end up getting kicked and wacked with her thrashing around, LETS HOPE THIS IS JUST A PHASE.

[NellyTheElephant]

I do think it could be down to the naps. I found both my DDs were a bit tricky around one as it seems to coincide with needing less daytime sleep. I cut back DDs morning nap drastically and did not allow her to sleep more than half an hour in the morning - so I'd continue to put your DS down at 9am but wake him at about 9.30. Without the nap DD2 couldn't make it through to lunchtime at that age and would pass out in a heap on the floor! Then bring forward the afternoon nap to straight after lunch, around 12.30 / 12.45. Hopefully if he is up by 2.30 ish you will find he goes down better at bedtime. I dropped the morning nap altogether at around 15 / 16 months.

[helips]

Thanks Nelly, will definately try that. Yesterday was a much better day. Ds napped for an hour in the morning 9am-10am and then we were out in the afternoon so he fell asleep in the car at 3pm and once I got home carefully transferred him to his cot. He had an hours nap in afternoon and was a bit grouchy when he woke up but went to sleep easily at bedtime. Don't want to stop his two naps just yet so will try what you have suggested.