Toddler sleeping- pregnant woman losing her mind

[EllieJai44]

I need to have a vent or at least hope someone may have an answer 😫

I'm literally at my wits end with my toddlers (21 months) sleep atm- she used to be great sleeping would have 1 nap in the day and then go to bed about 6:30-7pm till 5-6am, we tried later bedtimes to make a later wake up but that never happened so we stuck with what worked!

Well within last few weeks she's been dropping the nap in the day and at first it was no problem she still slept the same at night but slowly that got worse and now she doesn't nap in day and her sleep at night is awful 🤦‍♀️ she can vary from waking a few times in the night and being awake for a while to sleeping through but waking at 3-4am and then being ready for the day 😴

Even with the bad sleeping at night she is not napping in the day- I'm pretty sure its the lack of day nap but how do I get her to nap again?! We try going to lay in bed, putting in cot with white noise, pushchair, car ride etc

She is teething, she's always been a late teether and currently is getting some big ones coming through but I don't know if this is effecting anything because she's not fussy with it?

I'm just so so tired and running out of things to try and slowly losing my mind 😭

I'd try to reintroduce the nap tbh, it's on the young side to have dropped it and being over tired isn't good for night time sleep.
When moving bedtime later for a later wake up time you need to move everything in the day to later very gradually. So 15 minutes later for breakfast, lunch, dinner, nap, bath etc then a few days later another 15 minutes until you're at the desired time.

To reintroduce nap stick to the same routine every single day for 2 weeks. Can you keep her at home with you during that time?
Have lunch at 11.30 then fresh nappy/pull up and straight to bed. Make the room dark and warm enough. If you have to stay in the room and shh and pat. She might not sleep on the first few days but don't engage with playing etc just say "its nap time, shh" and close your eyes yourself.

Try giving calpol or ibuprofen for teething to see if that helps any

@40weekswithno2 trust me when I say I want her to nap and I really try but it never happens anymore, we've tried teething gel and calpol before naps and in the night when she wakes, because of lockdown we have only been at home except the one day she goes to nursery a week

Can you ask the nursery to get in on putting her down for a nap straight after lunch too? If it's happening every single day for 2 weeks she will likely eventually realise its nap time xx

@40weekswithno2 shes only there from 9am till 12pm and then usually she comes home, has lunch and then naps, but since having no naps that doesn't happen anymore either- she's knackered, you can see in her eyes from the moment she wakes up, she's not getting enough sleep but she just doesn't give in

Hello,
I feel your frustration, this happened when my little one was around 2 and was too interested to play at nursery so stopped napping, which played havoc at night.

We started having 'quiet time' in her bedroom instead of nap time, with dim lights and she could have a couple of books on her bed. It took the "fight" out of trying to get her to take a nap at home. She actually fell asleep most of the time which was great, but even when she didn't, she was a bit more rested.

The other thing I read and tried was resetting her sleep cycle at night. I'd go in just before I went to bed and gave her a small cuddle just to wake her slightly. (not fully waking) and this seemed to work a treat too.

Whatever is happening with your little one though, hopefully it is a phase and she will start to sleep better soon so you all get lots of rest

Hi OP, I feel for you, could literally written the same post myself so know how hard it is. My son is nearly 19m and has been refusing his nap the last couple of weeks and also waking again in the night and calling for me (often more than once, and doesn't want daddy), he goes back down after a cuddle but the broken nights are hard esp when days are long juggling a tired toddler and work and everything else! (Plus im also 25w pregnant so feeling exhausted generally!) Like you I think he's also teething molars so like other have suggested we're giving calpol etc when we think its needed. Im trying to take him to a playground daily to burn off some energy which sometimes helps, also soft play when they open up again - he always falls asleep in the car straight after that! Routine/quiet time in a dark warm room etc just dont seem to help us either, so I'm just hoping it's a phase and teeth tbh (and perhaps a growth/development spurt) but I know it's so difficult and tiring. To add to it he's also suddenly refusing most food, including stuff he normally loves 😟 I can't offer much advice other than a virtual hug and just take each day at a time and I'm sure it will either work itself out or you'll find a balance that works...deep breath and a big mug/glass of whatever keeps you going! xx