My Son Is Having So Much Trouble Sleeping

Have you tried a baby mobile? We bought this one from walmart and it shows like a light show on the wall and its soothes and relaxes the child. Also my son used to do the same thing. I used to giove him 2 naps too. But now that I limit him to one afternoon nap and he has the mobile he sleeps through the night. Also by letting him cry it out worked as well. As long as he was safe in his crib and I had the baby monitor I was okay. Sometimes its hard for a mom to just let the child be in his crib. I found that out my self.

You are getting a lot of good advice. My two cents is to also get into a routine like a warm bath before bedtime and also make sure he hasn't recently eaten. For some kids going to bed on a full tummy can create gas or upset tummy (think about how you feel when you go to sleep on a full stomach). But the teething is most common. My son is 26mo now and he went thru a similar stage for about a month. For a while my son was the opposite in that he still wanted his morning nap but skipped his afternoon nap and went to sleep by 8pm - 7am. Now he skips his morning nap and sleeps from 1pm-3pm and then down by 8:30 - 8:00am. Every child is different, just gotta get a routine down and stick to it!

best wishes,

C.~
http://www.HelpUStayHome.com
http://www.TotalWellnessInfo.com

hi, A.!

i hope my two cents helps a little! i have a now 19 month old little guy and he, too, started having problems sleeping through the night (but around 13 months) and i got onto the baby whisperer forum page (i just love these books...they really helped me!) and realized that maybe my guy was ready to drop the morning nap. what i did was put him down for his morning nap at a later and later time...so, instead of 9, i'd put him to bed around 9:20 for a few days, then stretch it to 9:45 or so for a few days, and so forth. i tried to keep the afternoon nap around the same time, but i didn't let him sleep for longer than 1.5 hours so that he would be tired for the night! then, eventually, when we were about an hour or two between naps, i'd just keep him up by taking him to the park or doing something novel and then put him to bed at 1 pm. some kids have to go to bed at noon. once we started my little guy on just one nap a day (his is from 1 to 3), he started sleeping all night again.

i hope this helps! it does sound like he only needs one nap because he is waking up and wanting to play!

good luck!
-B.

Hi A.
My son went through the same as yours is, basically just like the other ladies said just comfort him thru the night and let him take both naps those are exactly the same nap times my son had. Once he turned 2 he stopped with his naps and slept thru the night. You will miss those naps during the day. Good luck and dont worry this is definitely a phase hes going thru.

www.janetesho.freelife.com

I have a son the same age as yours. He was doing the same thing, and I dropped his morning nap. I just started keeping him up a little later each morning, and now his nap time is a solid 2-2 1/2 hours starting at 12:00. Then he goes to sleep at 8pm and sleeps until 8am. It will just take some getting used to, but it's really worth the effort to change his schedule. Jaiden (my son) was not into the change at first, but now he has been on this schedule for about 3 months, and it works great for both of us. Just try to do it gradually and it won't seem like too big of a transition. Good luck! :)

Hi A.,

I have two sons and they both did the same thing. They were in bed every night by 7 and up by 5am. Napped from 9 - 10:30am and again from 1-3pm. They eventually dropped the early morning nap but continued with the afternoon nap until they were 4 or 5. I think my kids would have even continued with the afternoon nap if it had not been for school. The key is consistency. If you play with your child during the night when he wakes, he will continue to wake to play with mommy. My pediatrician told me that if the children wake during the night that it's ok to let them cry a bit and then comfort them if need be but don't pick them up or turn the lights on. I always had a night light in their room so I didn't have to turn the lights on to see. Children will comform to your expectations (unless you comform to theirs). Good luck and hang in there.

K.
www.GreenKidzRUs.com
www.CompleteSenseNetwork.com

It's great that he's taking two naps! I would actually put him to bed at night earlier. Have a bedtime goal of being asleep by 7pm I know this sounds crazy since he's getting up early, but it shouldn't make him get up any earlier. Once you've got that down, don't go to him at 5am. If the earliest you think he should get up is say 6am, wait until then to get him. HOpe this helps

Is he in a twin or the crib still? My now almost 4 year old had this problem. But we moved from state to state and took him out of the crib at 14 months old and never put it back together until we moved from apartment to house. He slept on twin bed until he was 18 months old started having night terrors. He's been in my bed ever since until he was 3.5 y.o (this past August). But now, he's back in his bed and sleeps thru the night. He use to nap up until October last year 1-3pm. Now he naps from 3:30-4:30 no later than 5pm..but goes back to bed around 9 or 10pm and gets up sometimes at 5:45am or latest 8am. It depends on his preschool days/times too.

I think your son must be having night terrors early. It is a phase and should go away by the time he's 2.5 y.o.-3.5 y.o. Perhaps leave a night light on and don't let him watch tv past 7pm.

Every baby is different. My daughter was about 17 months when she decided to drop her morning nap. So maybe he is ready. At 9:30 when he starts to look groggy, take him outside for a walk or do some kind of stimulating activity to keep him alert. Try to make lunch time around 11:30 so he can go down for his nap by 12:30. My daughter had the same schedule as your son....1 hour in am and 1 to 2 in afternoon. Now she does a 2.5 hour nap midday and sleeps 10 hours at night. 8 to 6. It should only take only a couple days for his little body to adjust. as far as him waking up in the middle of the night....it seems like it has become a habit. I would suggest not checking on him. (unless you think he is big enough to climb out.) My daughter goes through the same thing. It is usually around every 4 hours.....the end of a R.E.M. cycle that she cries a little because she shifts around. If I go in there and she hears me, that is it....end of my sleep for the night. They need to be able to put themselves back to sleep at his age. It will be rough at first but again, he will get the hint that mommy isn't coming in. I wouldn't let him cry for an hour though. Give him a godd 10 to 15 minutes before attempting to go in. If you do go in, just lay him back down and tell him calmly that it is night night time and rub his back and leave. He will probably cry again....let him go another 10 to 15 mintues before going in the second time. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT PICK HIM UP. This is what he wants , so don't give in. He will learn....they all do. We are the ones that have to suffwer through the tears.
Sorry so lengthy....but I have been through all of it too. Hope this helps

My son went to one nap per day at 12 months and, incidently, he always wakes for the day at around 5:30 and goes to sleep around 7:30. It can be stressful when their schedules begin to change and you have to figure out what they are needing. I would be sure to keep any interaction at night very quiet and keep the room dark. Dont give him the indication that it is playtime. I think he is definitely ready to go to one nap and perhaps keep him up an extra 15-30 minutes, gradually, to see if he sleeps better in the morning. Good Luck, M.

Instead of dropping the morning nap have you thought about combining the two naps and giving him one in the afternoon a little sooner. I was having this problem with my son also. I took his two naps in the morning and afternoon and just made one in the afternoon. Now he is back on schedule at night!

I went through this with my son at about the same age. It was his 12 month molars and it lasted for over a month. Until that time, he slept in his crib great, but the only way I could get any rest at all was to have him in bed with me - plus I was pregnant at the time which made me extra tired. Anyway, it took me weeks to figure out that it was his teeth keeping him up. I started giving him tylenol at bedtime and using teething tablets if he woke up. Unfortunately, he's never slept the same since.

Good luck!

S.

You are not alone, my 14 month old daughter has gone through the same thing. Her doctor just chalks it up to either new fears (we have started leaving a light on for her) or teething. Sometimes she sleeps through the night and other times I am in there comforting her 3-4 times a night. It is getting better though and I think it is just a phase. As fas as the morning naps, our doctor says she will let us know when she done with them and to enjoy them while you can.

I would still go check on him and try to get him back to sleep, but ignore his trying to play. It's so hard with little ones... it could be anything! It is honestly, probably a phase he will grow out of! My son goes in and out of phases all the time.