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Help with 2.5 year olds sleep

10 replies

Deltx · 20/08/2024 11:05

really hope someone can give some advice or even just relate to this….

our 2.5 year old is becoming increasingly hard to put down to sleep of a night time, we spend sometimes over an hour going back in and setting him back in bed, he constantly asked her juice/milk/cuddles anything to stall bed time. He will eventually go to sleep but it is a battle and by then he is over tired. We have tried earlier and later bed times, cutting down his day time nap, cutting OUT his day time nap, tried leaving him to it (he gets hysterical and I can’t do that to him).

the worst part is he also wakes up at 5am EVERY morning, without fail. We have a stair gate on his room and go in and tell him to go back to bed or to play quietly in his room until mummy or daddy come and get him (we think 6am is the earliest reasonable time to be awake). This results in him shouting and crying which I worry probebly wakes up our neighbours so I end up taking him downstairs and laying on the sofa with him until it’s 6am and then I will allow tv or breakfast etc. just so he isn’t in the habit of getting what he wants the minute he wakes up.

he isn’t getting enough sleep because of all this and it’s turned into a cycle and I think he is just programmed to wake up like this now.

we have another baby on the way due in 6 months time and I am desperate to get this sorted! Anyone else have this issue? What helped? Does it just resolve itself?

up until maybe 2 months ago he went to bed no issue at around 6.45 and would wake up at 6am with no dramas. He was admittedly a very diffuser babg with allergies and Colic and didn’t sleep well at all until he was 16 months old. So sleep has been a problem in the past. Just thought it would improve with age not get worse 😂😂

OP posts:
mewkins · 20/08/2024 11:06

Does he still have a nap?

Deltx · 20/08/2024 11:16

mewkins · 20/08/2024 11:06

Does he still have a nap?

Yes he has one usually around 11.30-1. We have tried reducing it to just 45 mins and a few times have tried cutting it out all together but neither have made a difference! Other than making him very grumpy 😂

OP posts:
mewkins · 20/08/2024 11:18

I think he's probably ready to cut the napping down but it may take a week of pain to get there! Maybe aim for an hour at most. I find that doing it for a day or two makes no difference but if you create a new routine hopefully it should take effect. X

Deltx · 22/08/2024 06:21

mewkins · 20/08/2024 11:18

I think he's probably ready to cut the napping down but it may take a week of pain to get there! Maybe aim for an hour at most. I find that doing it for a day or two makes no difference but if you create a new routine hopefully it should take effect. X

Yes this makes sense! It must be that time of his age where he is needing his nap less but can’t be without it completely! We have done a few days of shorter naps and I’ve been sitting holding his hand by his bedside to go to sleep and it’s been a lot less painful and drawn out! He woke up at 6am this morning so let’s hope it’s starting to pay off!

thankyou xx

OP posts:
mewkins · 22/08/2024 08:06

Deltx · 22/08/2024 06:21

Yes this makes sense! It must be that time of his age where he is needing his nap less but can’t be without it completely! We have done a few days of shorter naps and I’ve been sitting holding his hand by his bedside to go to sleep and it’s been a lot less painful and drawn out! He woke up at 6am this morning so let’s hope it’s starting to pay off!

thankyou xx

This is good news! Hopefully it continues 😀

WhatNoRaisins · 22/08/2024 08:09

I agree that it's time to cut down the nap. I think tiredness and grumpiness can get worse before it gets better when they drop a nap, it's like they have to adjust.

ammmmmo · 09/10/2024 05:41

Hi I just read your post because we are going through literally the exact same thing, word for word, including me being pregnant! I’m exhausted and terrified.

Have you cracked it?! I really hope for your sake it has improved. Please tell me your secrets if it has!! 😬

Deltx · 11/10/2024 12:39

ammmmmo · 09/10/2024 05:41

Hi I just read your post because we are going through literally the exact same thing, word for word, including me being pregnant! I’m exhausted and terrified.

Have you cracked it?! I really hope for your sake it has improved. Please tell me your secrets if it has!! 😬

Hey!! So YES we are on a good sleep track now he is currently sleeping 7-7 most nights!!! We ended up quitting his day time nap completely which at first was brutal because you just need that break! But then the awful bed time were the price to pay so definitely worth it in the long run. He now has a 15 minute car nap a couple of times a week if we are heading out somewhere but we never let it run longer than 20 mins. He wakes up quite grouchy but soon recovers and then we get him dinner bath and bed for around 7ish. He’s sleeping through and most mornings wakes up anout 6.50/7 o’clock.

it took a week or 2 just adjust and the days felt quite long with the no napping but now we’re in the swing of it and in a routine it’s such a relief to know when it’s bed time he goes to bed, no tears no fighting just straight to sleep as he’s knackered 😂 hope this helps!

OP posts:
ammmmmo · 11/10/2024 13:52

Deltx · 11/10/2024 12:39

Hey!! So YES we are on a good sleep track now he is currently sleeping 7-7 most nights!!! We ended up quitting his day time nap completely which at first was brutal because you just need that break! But then the awful bed time were the price to pay so definitely worth it in the long run. He now has a 15 minute car nap a couple of times a week if we are heading out somewhere but we never let it run longer than 20 mins. He wakes up quite grouchy but soon recovers and then we get him dinner bath and bed for around 7ish. He’s sleeping through and most mornings wakes up anout 6.50/7 o’clock.

it took a week or 2 just adjust and the days felt quite long with the no napping but now we’re in the swing of it and in a routine it’s such a relief to know when it’s bed time he goes to bed, no tears no fighting just straight to sleep as he’s knackered 😂 hope this helps!

This is AMAZING, I’m so pleased for you!!!

So when you first cut out the nap, did the first night immediately improve or was it just as bad, or small improvements? I feel like I need some kind of expectation to base it off, otherwise I’m just going to give up. We tried a shorter nap yesterday and the night was just as bad so in my head I’m like - what’s the point in cutting out precious nap time if it doesn’t improve?

Sorry I hope you don’t mind me asking x

Deltx · 18/10/2024 13:27

ammmmmo · 11/10/2024 13:52

This is AMAZING, I’m so pleased for you!!!

So when you first cut out the nap, did the first night immediately improve or was it just as bad, or small improvements? I feel like I need some kind of expectation to base it off, otherwise I’m just going to give up. We tried a shorter nap yesterday and the night was just as bad so in my head I’m like - what’s the point in cutting out precious nap time if it doesn’t improve?

Sorry I hope you don’t mind me asking x

Sorry for the slow reply!

if I remember rightly it took a good couple of days or the nap being cut out for him to start waking up at a better time the next day, but the crying and getting upset at actual bed time is as quite instant in stopping, I think because he was so knackered 😂😂 I also implemented alot o f re assurance “mummy will be in in the morning and we can go downstairs and have a nice morning together and watch blah blah or have so and so for breakfast. He’s quite a visual kid so he likes things being explained to him of what his day will look like 😂

hang on in there! Hope it works x

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