Sunday, February 26, 2012

Toddler Sleep

If you've been around this blog for any length of time, you know that I have Braden on a good sleep routine. We did sleep training when he was 5 months and after some hiccups, colds, and teething....he had it down pat 100% by 7 months, sleeping 12+ hours through the night and never looked back. I admit it, I've been super lucky with a boy who loves his sleep. He probably gets this from his father! Don't hate me, but I can also attest that I have never, not once, been up with a sick or teething child in all his life. The rare time that he's been sick, he's slept even more. When he wakes up wailing, the odd time, I give it a minute and if he hasn't settled, I usually just go in, reassure him that everything is okay and he goes back to sleep no problem.

But now? He's 2, and so much has changed. Going to Maui he would cry and fuss for a few minutes, then be settled and fine for the night. It took awhile, but eventually he would settle for his monster 3-4 hour naps all by himself and was sleeping great at night. Ever since we got home, essentially since he's turned 2 he's so off with his sleep habits. Here's what we're dealing with now:

  • Pretty much every time he goes down for a nap or night time he cries. Only for a minute or even just one "MOMMY!" but then he's fine
  • Very inconsistent naps, sometimes 1 hour, sometimes 3 hours
  • Always wakes up cranky from his naps
  • Waking up very early, to what we're used to in the AM at 6
  • Going to bed at the same time, 7
I know 11 hours of sleep is enough for him at this age, but he used to do at LEAST 12.5 hours, usually 13. Seems like a drastic drop to me. One thought that has crossed our minds, which scares me, is to drop his nap. I wonder if he wakes up cranky and pissed off from his naps because he doesn't need them anymore? I've read of this happening with other mommy bloggers, and one solution is to move them to a toddler bed...
Thomas Toddler Bed
I really don't know that I'm ready for this! Actually to the suggestion of one of Jay's daddy friends, we thought we'd set it up in his room, just so he can get used to it and see what he does.
Thomas Toddler Bed
He actually wasn't that impressed. Totally took the wind out of my sails. I thought I'd be Mom of the Year with a Thomas toddler bed and bedding!
Thomas Toddler Bed
At least the cat likes it! So for now...we have both his crib up and the bed. There's enough room and maybe one time he'll want to sleep in his new bed? Who knows.

I'm really in no hurry to get him out of his crib, he just needs to be out before another baby comes along, so we do have quite awhile! I'm just trying to think of anything for why he's been so off with his sleep now.

Any suggestions? I'm all ears! If you've had similar experiences with your toddlers, I'd love to hear them. For now, I'm just going to gauge day-by-day whether or not he needs to nap or not and not automatically put him down.

8 comments:

  1. We are going through a similar situation here. We went from 2 naps to 1 nap, but the 1 nap isn't very long...only about an hour! G has always been a good sleeper too. Goes to bed 630/7 and sleeps until 630/7. The 1 nap a day is never at the same time and some days she needs the 2 naps. I am so confused and she has been cranky after the naps. If there is no second nap, and I do try, she is just tired and hard to please. She is almost 16 months so I'm not so sure she is ready for a toddler bed. I will certainly be following anyone else's suggestions on this transition. Good luck Mama. Maybe he is teething? Molars?

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  2. I think its just TWO. Everything seems to happen at 2.

    Molars? (I know we've chalked everything up to that at our house for months too!!) A way to voice his ever-growing independence? My kids as infants always had sleep "issues" when they went through a "learning spurt." Like right before they learned to roll over. Or other skills. Like their mind couldn't shut off to sleep as much. Olivia had a very nap resistant phase & it was as she was learning like 5-6-7 new words a day & really getting into stringing sentences together. I think her mind was working to fast to shut down & really nap well.

    I wouldn't stop a napping. I would DIE without a nap!! I've heard a lot of people talk about a "nap strike" around age 2 & that if you power through it & "force" nap time or quiet time, they will go back to it.

    Our kiddos lately are up an hour earlier too. 7 is the new 8 around here. They sleep 8p-7a rather than 8p-8a. With a 2 hour nap. So a total of 13 hours, usually. When they slept 8-8 they napped from 1:30-3:30 or 2-4. I have found that they would LIKE to nap later, from 2-4 or 2:30-4:30. But then they wake up crankier, I think it gets too late into evening & they aren't sure if its time to wake up or time too sleep? And then they go to bed harder & sleep less at night. If I push lunch up to 11:30 & try to have them in bed by 12:30 or 1, they wake up happier from their nap & sometimes sleep until 7:30am! But its a little more work to get them down for nap. And its not as convienent for my day.

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    1. Katie...you are like my mentor! Thank you so much for reading and commenting! It helps to have someone a few months ahead of us! I totally agree about pushing the naps back! We usually tend to keep him up until 2ish so he'll be "extra" tired, which probably ends up leading to "over" tired. He did have a 3 hour nap the other day, but still woke up cranky! Who knows. These 2 year olds - I tell ya!

      I tend to blame everything on molars too...but I haven't seen any evidence of the actual teeth yet...just lots of chewing on his fingers! I'll be happy when they're all through so I can stop trying to blame everything on them!

      I totally agree with the "learning" thing too. Braden had troubles sleeping when he learned to stand, when he learned to walk, just like Liv. And he's learning words and stringing sentences together like mad now, so I bet that's part of it too! Thanks SO MUCH again, this has helped me a lot! :)

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  3. I have to say I am no help in the sleep department. I know for me at 2, Hayley started only sleeping 11 hours and unfortunately, these days, it is closer to 10 hours- at 3. Transitioning to a bed is hard- but I have found after a few weeks- it gets so much easier. As for naps, I don't have much help. Hayley gave up naps:( Zane is doing 1 nap for 3 hours now and sleeps around 10.5 hours a night. I wish they all slept 8-8 with 1 long nap:) Wishful thinking. PS- the bedding is adorable!

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  4. We were having the same problem but Tristan had been taking 3-4 hour naps so we started waking him up after 2hrs. Suddenly he was sleeping through the night again. He goes back to waking up at night all the time if he naps longer than 2hrs though. Hopefully you guys will be able to figure out what's up with him :)

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  5. Xander was a horrible sleeper through infancy and well into two. When we switched him to a twin bed he slept 100% times better and still does. He dropped his nap for the most part around 2 1/2. He still naps at daycare and really needs a nap but just won't when he is at home. Hope B transitions well and he is back to sleeping well soon. My youngest is almost 11 months and still not sleeping through the night! I'm one tired mama and near the point of trying the CIO method. Didn't do it with #1 but thinking I may need to this time around.

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  6. It's just a new age & a new phase. I, like you, never once had to 'get up with him' during the night. So when things changed it was hard to deal with. In my experience if you try to figure it out you'll drive yourself crazy. I still haven't figured Luke out. He goes through phased when he wakes up at 5 - 6, & phases of 6 - 7. Nothing I do changes anything. But as I've said over & over, keep him in the crib as long as you possibly can.

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    1. I agree with the crazy part! No sense in trying to figure them out, but when you've tried everything you can think of...eek! I soooo dread the toddler bed. Luckily???? he has no interest in it at all. I think we should move it back downstairs so that when he HAS to go in it...maybe it will be exciting again???

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