A the end of my tether

[notsonervousmum]

My DS has just turned 1, and has suddenly become a nightmare to put to bed. It's taken me nearly 2 hours again this evening, to the detriment of my sanity!

In a nutshell, he has always gone to bed at 8pm, post a bottle, and for the most part (4-5 nights out of 7) sleeps through. He occasionally had a few 'hiccups', but it usually took no more than 20 mins to settle him.

Nothing's changed in his routine, so why has he suddenly turned into a monster?!?

(incidentally, he still has 2 naps a day, and sleeps in a Grobag, should it make any difference!)

Have you thought about cutting out one of his day time naps, he might not be tired when you put him down?
My DD was on 2 naps a day until she was about 11/12 months and now at almost 16 months she is showing signs of not wanting her sole remaining nap (sob).
She went down reluctantly for her nap today, but we have had a very unsettled bedtime tonight, yesterday she had no nap and went straight down, no waking.

I think like Dingalong that I would look at trying to cut out a daytime nap and see what happens.
Has he changed in other ways too or just with his bedtime routine?

Thanks DingAlongCow - i did wonder that this evening as he was still raring to go! (unlike me, who would happily crawl inot my pit at any time). He usually wakes up around 8am, and his daytime naps have always been at 11ish in the moring for 1.5-2 hours, then another hour at 4pm. The thing is, he's only been a nightmare to put to bed for the last week (since his birthday!), so it seems a bit odd that he 'suddenly' doesn't need his second nap!

I think i'll try putting him down for a nap later, after his lunch tomorrow, then keeping him up till bed time, and see if it makes a difference.

drop the 4pm nap, at 12mths he only need the one at noon / lucnhtime, however cranky this makes him at 6pm

mckenzie - there are a few other things, looking back. It was at the same time he started playing up at mealtimes, basically refusing all my lovingly home-cooked stuff, but we appear to be over that now, and developmentally, he's just started walking (i know from past experience that new skills knock his sleep pattern for a few days, but this has been going on for a week now!)

ideally, according to the text books and if he is an 'average' child, he would just be having a lunchtime sleep of 1 and a half hours. Obviously all children are different but it would seem from his bedtime actions that this might well be the case for you DS. Youc an but try huh? See if you can keep him awake longer in the morning so that he doesn't have his nap until 12.30 or even 1pm. You might have to try that gradually of course. What time does he normally go to bed?

He normally goes to bed at 8pm, but where he's been taking so long to go off to sleep recently, we've been 'starting' the process at 7.30, which in hindsight is only 2 hours sometimes since he wakes up from his second nap. Doh! It's funny how thing seem clearer when i'm writing them down

I shall try the one nap only theory today and let you all know how i get on. Thank you for all your support - MN really is a lifesaver!

Just to report back - DS had 1 nap today only, and only a 40 minute one at that as he was mucking around. I put him to bed at 8pm, and it only took 10 minutes

(only thing is, i'm seriously contemplating a night on the sofa so i don't disturb him going up to bed as our stairs and landing are seriously squeaky!)

Thanks for all your help. NSNM x

great news notsonervousmum but forget the sofa idea please!

thats great