Struggling with one year olds sleep badly

[yvonneb13]

I'm posting on aibu as it gets the most traffic.

I'm really really struggling my one year old has never been a great sleeper has never slept though the night and still gets up 2/3 times a night.
It's got worse in the sense he's fighting naps he's still on 2 maybe I should drop one but then I don't think he'll sleep long enough he has literally just fallen
Asleep there 11.28pm
And his last nap ended
At 5.

Today he woke up around 9
Had a nap for 40 minutes at 12:15
And then another at about half 4 for 30 minutes. Just to add he wasn't crying ect but you could tell he was tired
Showing all signs and then fell asleep there he doesn't fall asleep on his own I have to lie there beside him
And rub his back if I move he is hysterical.
Any tips I'm really struggling.
Do I try one nap?? But I don't think 40 minutes is long enough all day

Hi,

I'm having the same issues with my 15 month old. I've dropped a nap only because getting them to nap even once is a battle that takes at leat a hour in the middle of the day. By the time bedtime comes though they do seem knackered and usually fall asleep. Mind you they are still up at least twice in the night. It will get easier hang on in there.

I feel your pain. My youngest started sleeping through at 4, and even then it's unpredictable. It sounds like your child's second nap is far too late. Could you try shifting first nap to 11:30 and then, if they desperately needed it, to a half hour at 14:30? It's really hard being sleep deprived. It does, eventually, improve - but I appreciate you're feeling the impact now and ideally need more rest now.

You have my sympathy. Honestly I would roll with it and do whatever makes your life easier. It's pretty normal for 1 yos to wake 2 - 3 times p/n unfortunately. If you really want to address it I would probably start trying to get him to fall asleep without you - naps first then bedtime. Have a look at sleep well with hannah. Good luck.

Ok so I'm no expert as have awful sleepers! But we "fixed" my 2yos sleep in a month with a sleep coach and the below helped.

Wake windows are useful. They should be 3-4 hours at 12 months so it sounds like the first nap is about the right time. The second one finishing about 5pm would mean bedtime should be 8.30pm ish - what time are you starting bedtime? If they are taking longer than 20 mins to fall asleep the timing is probably wrong.

Sort the daytime naps first. Ideally first nap would be longer, can you do anything to lengthen it? Even if it's a car or buggy nap. Work on getting the length and timing of daytime naps sorted before you worry about location.

Bedtime routine- make it consistent every day. Bath, story, PJs, song etc. in the same order, babies love routine and it sets up a strong sleep association.

Good luck x

I'd also think about pulling the day forward - your baby probably won't be sleeping more than 11 hours overnight, and some only 10 hours or less. 7-7 is a myth for most babies!

By waking at 9am that gives a bedtime of 10pm at the earliest which is obviously quite late

Wake up your baby at 7am, and adjust the nap and bedtime timings from there looking at wake windows.

Really just focus on timings for now then how your baby is falling to sleep later on.

If you are happier with a later bedtime then obviously keep the later wake up if that works for you.

He used to sleep about 8 this was
Perfect for us but since he dropped to 2
Naps it for later and it seems to be getting later again.

It's just so hard to know what to do

Hi OP, wow those are short naps. I’d try pulling the day forward as a previous poster suggested. From 6 months the latest I’d let my little one nap til was 3pm.

Have you tried following a set routine with nap and mealtimes etc? I’ll upload the one I used as a guide at that age.