We are going through a trying time with DD's sleeps. She's 14 months old and still having two day sleeps. She seems to really need them as she goes down without a peep and generally sleeps for 1.5-2 hours in the morning and an hour or so in the afternoon. I'm happy to continue with the two day sleeps but my only issues is she seems to be harder to settle at night now. She's often up 4 times before she really goes to sleep and lately I find myself staying up until 11pm or so as I can't be bothered going to sleep only to be woken again by DD as soon as I nod off.
She has her 8 front teeth so I suspect her molars may be giving her grief as we've also been up with her throughout the night lately. Generally she just wants a quick cuddle and she's back to bed (sometimes she needs a bottle though) which is fine but it is wearning a little thin. Her sleep use to be so consistent and now it's really hit and miss!
The other issue we have is she just won't go down (or stay down) when we have friends over for dinner or if we are out for dinner (at family or friends houses). Last night we had a dinner party and she slept for an hour (after an hour or so of protesting to go down, mind you) then she was back up and would not go back down until everyone left. I mean literally, as soon as the last couple drove off she snuggled in and nodded off! It was midnight by then and although she slept right through until 9 this morning (thankfully!), I just don't understand why she does that. She is a very social child and doesn't like to 'miss out' but is there anything I can do?!
Sorry, this post is all over the place so I'll try to summarise:
- when should I transition DD to one day sleep? Is it likely it will help her sleep better at night if she has one day sleep instead of two?
- is it just a 'normal' thing for sleeps to be all over the place at 14 months? Due to teeth, maybe?
- does anyone have any tips on how to get DD to sleep when we're out for dinner/have people over? We don't even bother to take our portacot when visiting friends or family as it just isn't worth the effort.
HELP! Please someone give me some words of wisdom!
DD1 dropped her sleep entirely at 20 months, so I won't even bother giving you the run down with her
DD2 was still having 2 sleeps at 14 months, I think it was around 16/17 months we dropped to one sleep. So instead of 2 x 2hr sleeps, she went to one 4 hour sleep.
But, seeing as she's sometimes up until 11pm at night, I would be lookig at 2 things:
1) what time does she wake up in the afternoon? Don't make it too late. I usually don't let DD2 sleep later than 3.30m (at the absolute latest)
2) dropping to one sleep. DD2 usually goes to sleep between 11-11:30 and will sleep for 3.5-4 hours.
When they're teething, yes, it is normal for sleep to be all over the place. Very common. You just have to go with the ride, and try and make it as comfortable as possible for her.
1). Only speaking from my experience, we cut back Moo's day sleeps around 12 months. He was only having about 10 mins in the arvo and really seemed to need his morning nap. If he needs an arvo nap, by all means he can have one. But if it's after 3:30pm I stretch him out and put him to bed a little earlier in the evening. I haven't noticed a difference in him sleeping better if he has one sleep compared to two, but he is difficult to settle if he has a later nap.
2). I think it is normal. Moo started walking around 12 months and now he is getting more teeth. I do notice his sleeps go up the creek when he's reaching milestones and becoming more independant!
3). Sorry, no advice there. I have the same problem! Moo will not go to bed when anyone is here, including the airconditioner bloke we had around recently lol!
I dont' know. With DS we didn't try to change things at that age as it'd never worked previously. He was all over the place at that age also, and transitioned to 1 sleep at around 14-15 months. He was teething, which always makes things bad.
DS sleep really well now, but not if we're out (actually I wouldnt' even take him out at night for that reason). And if people are round then he stays up later than usual and/or skips his day sleep. Again, I just live with it because I've spent too many hours trying to get him to change with no joy.
As you know my kids are crappy sleepers so my advice probably doesn't hold much weight lol
I would try to stretch out her morning nap and lose the afternoon one so she is just having a mid day nap. I would say if she is all over the place then she is about to transition to one nap and you have to wait it out until she finds a new rhythm. It could very well be the teeth - DS had a horrible time with the molars.
A usually wants her nap anywhere from 11 until 3pm. She was only sleeping for 40 minutes but lately she has been doing some 1.5 hour naps which is cool. She only has one usually although if she does have an early one she will sometimes want another in the afternoon and then she is up until 10pm.
I wouldn't even attempt to get her to bed if we had people over or were out, there is just no way. She would wait until she is drop dead tired and then fall asleep on me. This is why I don't go out lol. Like Marcellus I just live with it.
Firstly I'd probably try dropping a day sleep and see if that helps. E now has one sleep and he goes down about 11.30am for around 2 - 2.5 hours. Then he is in bed for the night at 7pm. Sometimes it varies though. If he's really tired in the morning I'll put him down by 11am but if he seems wide awake then he'll have lunch and go down around 12.30pm. I just play it by ear!
My DD used to be (and still is!) a real social butterfly and its impossible to get her to sleep if we have visitors or are going out. If we are having people over I will often ask them to come after she has gone to bed. Or else I just have to live with it lol! E is fine and will go to bed no matter who is here or where we are. So you might be luckier for number 2 lol!
Good luck! And yep it could just be those molars in which case you'll have to wait it out. Oh and pray that they come through quick!
DS has been such a horrible night sleeper that i have no advice cos he's up & down all night no matter how well or badly he sleeps during the day! he does seem to be transitioning to one nap during the day now though (at 16.5 months) so if you've had consistency before, it makes sense to me to cut back the day sleep
i found the molars a bit of a weird time - sleep was definitely all over the place & we'd have a week of tears & grizzling, then a good week, then bad.
no answer from me on that one either - DS is also very sociable & we just tend to go with the flow & let him socialise. as long as he's happy, then it doesn't bother me!
You girls rock! Thanks for all the tips and reassurance about our little social butterfly. I'm glad to hear she's not the only one that doesn't like to miss out when there is a gathering happening! LOL. I think I'll just let her enjoy our social nights then and let her pass out when she's ready instead of forcing the issue. Much more relaxing for both of us!
DD had one day sleep yesterday (as she didn't wake until 9am ) and then we were at my parents for a BBQ last night. She coped well with the one day sleep but refused outright to sleep at my parents so she nodded off in the car on the way home at 9pm. She had one wake up at 1am which required a cuddle to resettle her and then she screamed when I tried to put her back in the cot. I had a bad mummy moment where I simply gave her a dummy and walked out. She screamed for 2 minutes (it was hell) then went to sleep until 9am!! Breakthrough? I'm not sure yet but boy the sleep-in was nice!
Thanks to the sleep-in this morning, she's only have one day sleep again today so we'll see how that goes but I think I'll just play the naps by ear depending on what time she wakes up in the morning. If she's up early then we'll try two sleeps, if she's late to wake, we'll try one. A few people have said if she has two naps to get her up by 3.30pm at the latest so I'll give that a go when she has two day naps.
I feel better just for putting my thoughts out there and all your advice is appreciated girls. Cheers!
Hey I know I'm a bit late (but better late than never eh!). Think you're doing the right thing by playing it by ear, depending on what time she wakes and also seeing whats she's like during the day. I've found when they are doing the transition and dropping a sleep whether it be 3 to 2 or 2 to 1 they can be all over the shop for a little while. Which is a real killer for trying to plan anything as you just don't know what they are going to do from one day to the next. DS has pretty much dropped down to one sleep now though he has taken two recently as he'd been off form like you know from my other posts. I can remember going through the same issues when 3 sleeps went to 2. I've definitely found him way more difficult to settle in the evenings (I can hear him whinging/shouting now as I'm typing) and at my MG today a few of the girls were saying the same thing. Wonder is it they are way more aware they're the only ones going to bed and are fighting it???? Pushing boundaries to see what the reaction is????
Hopefully when the day sleeps sort themselves out the night waking will follow. We've had night waking on and off for the past few weeks which I'm blaming on developmental milestones and teething. But am just rolling with it rather than trying to "fix" it.
As for your your social butterfly - well she is YOUR daughter after all so did you really think she was going to be anything else? LOL Enjoy the nights out and let her do her thing. Its not like its every night and she'll probably make up the sleep the next day - or at least thats what we do anyway.
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Do I need to limit her day sleeps?
It was midnight by then and although she slept right through until 9 this morning (thankfully!), I just don't understand why she does that. She is a very social child and doesn't like to 'miss out' but is there anything I can do?!
) and then we were at my parents for a BBQ last night. She coped well with the one day sleep but refused outright to sleep at my parents so she nodded off in the car on the way home at 9pm. She had one wake up at 1am which required a cuddle to resettle her and then she screamed when I tried to put her back in the cot. I had a bad mummy moment where I simply gave her a dummy and walked out. She screamed for 2 minutes (it was hell) then went to sleep until 9am!! Breakthrough? I'm not sure yet but boy the sleep-in was nice!
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