Too little sleep during the day - Why would this be

[meanmum]

My childminder has said ds is not sleeping as well as he used to during the day. He is now only sleeping for 30 minute periods and a maximum of 2 times a day. She has had a little girl start with her who has been there now for the last 4 weeks approx. The little girl required a lot of attention but is finally settling down.

We don't know what the problem is. Is it that he just wants her attention because someone has taken it away or something else. She has tried everything from a normal house to a quite house, upstairs, downstairs in the lounge room with her etc.

By the time he gets home he is exhausted. Putting him to bed at night is not a problem but he is still waking during the night. I believe he is waking during the night out of habit which I have to break as he eats very well during the day.

He has recently been ill with his teeth hurting him but none actually cutting through or even showing like they are close. He is over that now and always used to sleep for about 2 hours each day. Has anyone else experience this and if so do you know what it might be down to. We just can't seem to figure out why he has changed his pattern and if there is a reason how we work with this.

He loves his childminder and just waves at me when I leave in the morning so I know it's not that he doesn't like being there. But if it is because he is feeling a little insecure or something I want to be able to work with him and reassure him. He's just reached the age as well where he is taking everything from the little girl when she has it and hitting a lot. I need to break this habit too.

Sorry, just posting this again in the hope someone may have some advice. Just so you know, ds slept reasonably well for us this weekend. He had half an hour on Saturday morning and then an hour in the afternoon and on Sunday he had 1.5 hours in one sleep. I'm happy with him getting between 1.5 - 2 hours sleep a day but he just doesn't seem to get this at the childminders. Can anyone think of a reason or is it just because he feels he may be missing out on the action while he is asleep. He is a deep sleeper and I can hoover under his bed and everything when he is sleeping so don't think it is down to that.

How old is your DS? Fumdamental piece of info!

Meanmum - you are online.... how old is DS?

Meanmum - I presume it's all OK now - I see you are posting but not here??????

Sorry Pupuce - thanks for your questions. Didn't realise anyone had responded and as I checked it for awhile after I posted the second thread and didn't see a response assumed it was just going to be one of those threads that went into oblivion.

Ds is 15 months and after he managed to sleep better on the weekend when he was home with us (last weekend) he has started to sleep slightly longer at the childminders but I think that is because she is lying down with him. I haven't picked him up every night this week so haven't had the conversation with her about how he is sleeping. When I have picked him up from her she has told me both times she has lain down with him. He has increased his sleep to one hour in length but then only one per day. I still don't think this is enough and know others say children differ but he is so exhausted when he gets home and tends to go down in the evening without a peep as he is so tired. I feel like when I put him to bed at night he is thinking thank god she finally put me here.

As another note he is still waking up during the evening as I continue to weaken and give him a bottle. I know I should stop but just weaken each time. It's amazing as I am so tough in other areas but when I have to get up for work I find it the easiest thing.

So thanks again for your interest and intent to help and I hope you can help with any advice you have. Sorry again for not responding I feel really bad about not checking the thread again.

First idea I have would be to give the childminder his teddy and sleeping bag... I found that helped with my 18 months DD.
Most kids his ages slowly drop the AM nap for one a day of about 1h30... what happens once he wakes? Do you know that babies have sleep rythms and that they often wake after 45 minutes only to fall back to sleep. Some will just "talk" when they wake and others will cry - some for 30 seconds - others longer,...
How bad a sleeper is he at night anyway?
Waking at night at his age is IMO - not related to food intake but out of habit... well it's MO!
Presumably what you give him is milk???? And he falls asleep on it? Hate to be a worry wort buit that's not good for his teeth....
Tell me a bit more.

BTW - I only chased you up becasue you posted twice and I use to post loads on sleep threads and saw no one replied to you... and I could see you were "heavily" online
I thought that was strange - that's all

Thanks for the advice. I didn't mind you chasing me up and appreciated that you actually wanted to help. I thought my question had died a death as some threads do.

He has a blanket that he goes to sleep with and as long as it is a fleecy blanket it doesn't matter which one it is. The child minder has one of these at her house all the time.

You are right about him falling asleep to the milk and then waking out of habit. I know that's what it is but I have been to lazy myself to change the habit. I find once I am in bed it is much easier to just get up and give him the bottle when he wakes than listen to him cry, however, I am going to stop that very shortly. Things have been a bit hectic at home lately and our normal routine hasn't been normal for the last couple of months so as soon as that all gets back into order I am going to stop giving him his bottle when he goes to sleep and then also stop giving it to him in the night. It might take me a bit longer to get him to sleep through the night but it will be worth it in the long run.

Maybe that is what has happened in terms of his day time naps. His pattern has just changed. He's only ever really slept between 1.5 and 2 hours per day but for some reason wasn't even sleeping for 1 hour at a stretch but more for 30 minutes each time. He seems to be much better with me and once again on Saturday he slept quite well and then on Sunday he slept extremely well. We had a big day on Saturday and he did loads of running around and playing with other kids at a party so was exhausted come Sunday and slept like a log during the day.

I'll see how he goes this week at the child minders and if he is better as the last 2 days he has been. Mind you she has guests for the next month or so at her house so I don't know if that will disrupt him initially anyway. I have him at home all next week so will be able to put him down and get him back into a routine I hope and I will probably start next week trying to go through the night with no milk.

It's because I work full time that I find it easier to be awake for 5 minutes in the night as opposed to longer stretches.

Thanks again for your help and I'll keep you posted and ask for advice. Sorry I didn't get back to you again sooner but this weekend has been manic and today is the first day I could get onto the computer. Mind you I have to dash off and do some work now and don't know when I will get back on today.

Thanks again I really appreciate it.

You have just said that your home routine has changed over the past 2 months and he has not been sleeping well for over a month... there might be a link too.

BTW - "getting" tough may not be such a long drawn out process BUT if you are going to do it... STICK TO IT otherwise you will only make life harder for yourself! Do you have a DH/DP who can help?

Pupuce, I'm determined to stick with the getting tough/cc approach and will be starting it Saturday night. My dh is very good although hopeless at getting up during the evening and unfortunately not on holiday next week so if I'm feeling tired I'll just sleep when ds is. We are still in the process of decorating our house but as I always manage to find an excuse I am going to just do it this time.