Baby is not sleeping

[Td1988]

Hi everyone,

I really need some help! I have never posted much on here but always looking for answers on other threads.

My baby is now 13 months old, from around 8 months old she would go to bed at 7pm awake and sleep until 6am no issues.

Around 7 weeks ago she got chicken pox so was unsettled but still no major issue going to bed. Once recovered from chicken pox lockdown set in place and I chose to keep her at home and no longer send to nursery as both me and my partner are now working from home.

I dont even know exactly when it started but for around 5 weeks will no longer go to bed at 7pm awake. We have meltdowns. Screaming hysterically. It can take us an hour or more to settle her to sleep. So she will be falling asleep around 8pm-8.30pm. On top of this there are some night she is waking through the night unsettled. This isnt every night but the same applies again can take up to an hour to get her settled again.

She will then wake anytime from 5am but today was 4am... tired is an understatement.

When she was sleeping well. Bed time would usually be 7pm (odd day she might have gone earlier as when at nursery she some days came home exhausted) she would have 2 naps, one around 9am for an hour. Then another in the afternoon usually after lunch time and could be anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours.

I've really tried to keep a routine going at home for her since lockdown. So a nap at 9am and another in the afternoon after lunch. Now were at home earliest I can get her 5o take a nap is 1.30pm and will sleep until 3pm.

This isnt the same all the time though. Yesterday she went to sleep at 9am and slept till 11.15am I think this was cause she was so tired from being up so early and I didnt know whether to wake her or not. I chose to leave her. This resulted in no sleep in the afternoon she just would not give in. A meltdown then at bedtime, she was very tired but wouldnt give in.

We have tried to let her fall asleep on us, with us,but when we move her 8/10 she wakes instantly and is screaming. We have tried to settle her in her cot, talk to her, in and out the room to lay her back down etc.

Ive really tried to keep nap times regular as well.

I guess I'm just at a complete loss!! I know everyone is or maybe finding things difficult at the moment we are all adjusting to these uncertain times but both me and my partner are exhausted and its becoming really stressful.

I need help or some guidance on what to do here. Feel like I'm failing as a mum or I'm missing something that will help her be more settled and content. Please help!

I believe 12 months is about when dd1 changed to one lunchtime nap only? Could be this and genuinely not tired at bedtime because of the extra nap?

I did wonder this but when I was reading online a lot of things say to still have 2 naps.

I worry about the transition as well so will become so tired this morning that she will want to nap. Do I just battle it out and aim for the afternoon nap after lunch?

Thanks

I did wonder this but when I was reading online a lot of things say to still have 2 naps.

I worry about the transition as well so will become so tired this morning that she will want to nap. Do I just battle it out and aim for the afternoon nap after lunch?

Thanks

Time to switch to a single nap. Early lunch at 1130 then nap 12-2. Bedtime 7pm latest. Will take a few days to get into the new routine.

My son dropped his second nap arou Nd 12 months as well. It's hell for a couple of days bitten you should be fine. I would drop the morning on and bring the afternoon one back to about 12. For reference we wake around 6-6.30, nap at 11.30/12 for 2 hours then bed at 8. I'd love for him to sleep more but he just doesn't need/want to!

I'd keep the morning nap and drop the afternoon. Bedtime is always easier here when ds has had his longest stretch of awake time before it. Also, is she teething? Might explain unsettled nights? Maybe try some teething gel or calpol.

My DD dropped her morning nap at about this age. We do the same as @welshweasel suggested, 11:30 lunch then nap 12-2 although now she’s nearly 18 months this has started reducing to 1.5 hours then bedtime anywhere between 6:30-7.
If you’re struggling to keep her awake give her a snack at 10:30 and put her down at 11 and nap 11-1 then lunch when she wakes up. Then bedtime at 6:30. I do this with DD sometimes if she’s been up early or had a bad night.

Yy as above - early lunch + midday nap.

To be honest, dd1 was at nursery then and they just informed me this was what they’d changed to so i had to follow
Bit intimidating for a couple of days, but soon settled into fine.

My LO went down to one long nap around this age- it was also a round a year the super early
Mornings started, I thought it was because it was around summer time and the light mornings but guess it could be an age thing!

Thank you all ever so much. We have started the transition today to one nap. Lunch ar 11.30 then she went voluntarily for a sleep at 12.20.

Will aim for bed time at 7pm as normal and see how we go this evening.

I know the signs of teething due to previous episodes and dont think that this is down to that but will keep an eye out.

Thanks