15 month old sleep

[Smellz714]

I need help again! My daughter will be 15 months tomorrow, we're now on week 4 of awful sleep. She wakes for hours in the night, usually upset, tries to get back to sleep but can't, sometimes she tries to keep herself awake and have a little party. At the beginning of this she was cutting two top teeth and was transitioning down to one nap. I was worried she was overtired as she was a nightmare at bedtime too so I tweaked daytime sleep. This is a typical routine:

5:30am up, milk
7:15am dog walk
8:00am breakfast
9-9:30am 30min nap
10:30am snack
12:15pm lunch
1:15pm 2:30pm 1-1.25 hour nap
3pm snack
5:15pm evening meal
6:30pm start bedtime stuff
7:30pm usually asleep
12am awake crying for 1.5-3 hours
4am wake for 20 mins- 1 hour upset

I don't think one nap will work just yet cos she's up so early and can't nap longer than 1.5 hours, but will try if someone thinks it might help. She's pretty chipper through the day but is mega clingy with me and gets upset if I'm not holding her half the time. Send help, thanks 😴

She's overtired - she's getting less than 2 hours nap time in the day and only 8 ish hours overnight. But I'm sure you already know this! Could she be cold as well? Temperature has really dropped the last few weeks. Our daughter is in a vest, pyjamas and 2.5 tog sleeping bag now.

I'm not an expert by any means but I think her 30 mins 1st nap is disrupting your long lunchtime nap, and your bedtime is a bit late. I would try:

Wake 5.30
Nap 8.30/45 for 10 mins (wake up)
Snack 9.30
Lunch 11.30
Nap 12pm for 2-2.5 hours (first few days you will need to be on hand to go in and resettle at the slightest sign of waking, approx every 40-50 mins at end of each sleep cycle)
Snack 2.30/3
Tea 5/5.15
Bedtime routine 6.15
Asleep by 7/7.15

I'm sure lots of different people will come along and say different things though! We do roughly the above and our 15 month old sleeps from 7.15pm to 6.15/6.30am with only an occasional stir. We miss the 10 minute morning catch up nap if she sleeps nearer 7. Hope things get better soon.

Thanks MGee123

I'll try this today, or a slightly ammended version because she's just gone down for the first nap. Trouble is for lunch time naps she's looked after by grandparents for 3 days a week and they really don't seem to get how delicate her sleep can be, they think pushing her home from the park for 15mins is adequate time to sleep OH is off with her from tomorrow though so a perfect time to push for a longer nap. Thanks for the temperature suggestion too, she's in the same as yours I think, though the sleepsuit was a hand me down and the label has worn off, its the thickest we have though! I'll keep a closer eye on the ambient temp of her room, thanks again xx

It's really hard with different people involved isn't it. Our daughter spends 2 days with her grandma and 3 days at nursery each week. She follows the same routine at grandma's and that generally seems to go well, but my mum is quite militant about her routine and sticks to what we do. Might be worth a chat with the grandparents and explain the impact it's having on you? And how they will get much nicer quality time if she isn't tired! On the days our daughter goes to nursery I'm just grateful for any sleep she has 😂 but she seems to cope with an altered routine there and it doesn't disrupt her night times too much. Sending sympathy - it's so hard to function with continuously disrupted nights.

@MGee123 thank you again for taking the time to reply, I wanted to update you sooner but it took us a while to get back on track. We followed your advice and sleep has improved massively. She will nap now for at least 2 hours in the day and can usually self soothe through the night. I am forever forever indebted! 😘

Great news! Well done, so pleased for you - everything is more manageable with some decent sleep!