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why isnt my ds capable of catching up sleep?!

8 replies

mad4mybaby · 06/01/2008 19:52

If we are out in the avo/eve we put ds in pjs and sleeping bag and always have left latest 7pm so he can fall asleep in car and put straight to bed. However if he is asleep later than usual he wont get up later or sleep for a longer nap the next day. why?!

Yes he does have a routine and yes i do stick to it even when we are out within reason.

E.G have just come from my sis, done all the above and he was tired and 20 min journey home he didnt go to sleep. When we got home i read him story (as i would normally) put to bed and he is still in his bed talking. why?! He should have been asleep more than an hour and when he wakes up he will have lost sleep and will never gain it back. Dont know what to do as it puts me off going out after tea and sometimes that isnt possible

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Niecie · 06/01/2008 19:58

I don't think any of them are capable of catching up on sleep when they are little. He is probably awake now as he is overtired which is making it difficult to switch off.

How old is your DS? What time does he normally wake up?

mad4mybaby · 06/01/2008 20:01

he is 18 mnths. Normally 7am ish.

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mad4mybaby · 06/01/2008 21:08

niecie, still there? Gota go in a min!

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Niecie · 06/01/2008 22:18

Sorry, got caught up in putting my two to bed and having tea.

I used to find that my two would never sleep any later than a particular time, no matter how tired they were at that age, or even now come to that. I think that is pretty normal for small children. In fact, the more tired they are the more likely they are to wake up early.

Like adults children don't need to go to bed earlier or sleep any longer if they had one bad or late night. I know we all like a lie-in as adults but apparently that is not the best way to deal with loss of sleep and we should just keep to our routine and go to bed and wake up at our normal time. If your DS wakes up obviously tired and grumpy I would try and move his nap half an hour earlier tomorrow and see how that goes.

If you go out in an evening again, as you did this evening, I think I would just drive around until DS went to sleep. Does he normally take a little while to settle? It could be that 20 minutes is not enough to settle properly and if you just drove round for another 10-15 minutes, he might be fast asleep. A bit of pain but at the same time if saves an evening like the one you just had.

Other than that, if he is still awake and at home, put him to bed and ignore him after that, unless he gets upset, of course. My DS1 used to sit in bed for half an hour most nights, talking to himself and looking at a book or playing with a teddy (he had a night light) but would settle himself eventually. If he is happy, don't go in and check up on him and just get on with your evening.

I hope that helps but really I just wanted to say that don't worry about them missing sleep. As long as it isn't happening every night and he is able to get back to his normal routine tomorrow, I am sure he will be fine.

mad4mybaby · 07/01/2008 09:25

dont have a prob putting him to bed at home, goes to sleep quickly and easily. Driving doesnt help as when we go to in laws which is 1 1/2 hours away takes him around 1 hour to go to sleep! But if i went out in car in day near nap time he would fall asleep in car no prob! It really is wierd!

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Niecie · 07/01/2008 09:36

How is your DS this morning, mad4mybaby?

Is he very tired? Weird about falling asleep in the car though? My DS1 was a bit like that I suppose. I think they must just get over tired and pick up on how desperate you are for them to fall asleep in the evening!

I hope you have a good day and he has a good nap.

mad4mybaby · 07/01/2008 18:58

really wierd actually, he woke up at 7.45am!! So he did sleep later but was awake at 11.45pm for 1/2 hour!! So strange. He slept his nap as usual, usual time. He is a good sleeper i guess i have to accept his sleep just is rubbish unless at home 24/7! Thanks for your interest!!

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Niecie · 08/01/2008 13:35

Just think, in another 15 years we will be wondering how to get them out of bed, not get them to sleep some more! We parents are a fickle lot!

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