Over active 14mo??? help help help

[LynseyM]

ds 14 months is very very very active but tires very quickly. he is constantly shattered even after nap and night time sleep. he has been having around 5 hoursnap during the day and 11 hours at night. doc thinks it could be diet so have cut out biscuits etc.. but he is very whiney and cries ALOT. It is near impossible to keep him up for long periods during the day and often makes it hard to go anywhere. Anyone else had such an active child or experienced this

What sort of pattern do his 5hrs of day time nap take? Could it be that he needs 2 longer naps for example? If he is catnapping it may be that he isn't really getting the deep sleep he needs...

DS 16 months can only manage from 8-1 and then he really is ready for a good 2 hr sleep til 3. He then goes tol 6.30 & is again very ready for bed. He usually sleeps from 6.45-8am.

Could you spend some time doing quieter activities. Reading together, 'drawing', for example. I find that DS needs some time out - so a walk in his buggy where he doesn't have to participate & perform!

He has 2 long naps a day. I have tried drawing reading watchin teletubbies etc but he will only sit stil for a few minutes. if i put him on my knee he just climbs off again. today i had him out in the buggy but he whined all the way and right up to his bed time. what am i doing wrong!!

My 14month old has a very similiar sleep pattern as yours. Typically he wakes at 7.30, breakfast, then back in bed for about 9am, sleeps until 11.30ish, dinner, play, milk at 3pm then bed until between 5 - 6pm, then up and has his tea, then milk and back in bed for 7-7.30pm.

Sometimes he was waking from his pm nap very wingy, and this has improved since I made sure I gave him his main protein in his lunchtime meal, and a healthy snack with his 3pm milk. Other mners thought he may be wingy due to low blood sugar levels, so a snack of cereal, banana, (NOT biscuits) etc with his milk would keep his blood sugars up, and therefore not waking up grumpy.

Seems to be helping anyway.

As for being active, well, aren't they all?

Glad to hear your DS is a bit happier PanicPants!

Lynsey do you take him to any parent & toddler groups etc? Am wondering if he's a bit bored maybe & could do with some structure?

I know my DS will read with me for hours but doesn't watch TV for long. He has only just started being able to sit & draw for a bit longer so as your DS is 2 months younger hopefully that will come soon. Their attention span is so short when they're that age so it does make it hard to do those quieter activities.

It would be worth looking at what he's eating over a couple of days & hopefully someone on Mnet will be able to comment & advise.