[Daffodil]

My daughter's sleep schedule has been off track ever since she got sick several weeks ago...she is doing much better now but seriously, every single day she goes to sleep at a different hour. One day it'll be 8. The next day it'll be 5. The next day it'll be 7. The next day it'll be 6. Its CRAZY. And also her morning nap keeps getting pushed farther and farther away from her previous normal time. She used to get up, eat and play for 45 minutes-1 hour, and then be down again. Today she was up for 2.5 hours before she took her nap. Which is fine, but she's been resisting her second nap for a few days. If she didn't need it, that would be one thing, but she keeps rubbing her eyes and acting over-tired..but she doesn't want to sleep. I know her teeth aren't bothering her as much anymore, she's no longer chewing her fingers off or crying in pain.

Anyone else's kid doing this? I'm so confused!! I want to try to figure out a schedule for her, because her old one seems to be out the window, but she's SO completely erratic these days. I know there's a 9 month growth spurt but I'm pretty sure she already went through it (she had several days of inhaling formula).

I wonder what time she will go to sleep tonight. Could be anywhere between 5-10.

This is just my advice and what I would do. If your wanting to get her on a schedule, you should try to keep her up until nap time, then do a nap routine, etc. If she takes a late nap, try waking her up so she'll want to go to bed at a time you want. I did this with both my girls, but I started very early to get them on a good schedule. So for instance Kaileigh naps at 10am after getting up at about 8:15am but maybe 2x a week she will get up at 7:45 so she gets tired at 9:30 but I entertain her by doing TONS of things even walking outside holding her just to keep her up for 30 mins. That way she stays on her schedule. I know that in the afternoon she has to be up by 6pm to still go to bed at 9. If I watch the clock and see its 5:50 I go in a softly wake her. I know some think it's wrong to put them on a schedule but in my eyes if it works for that child, why not do it? Once again, this is just what I would do, and my opinion about schedules.

[Daffodil]

Thanks Shannon, I actually came back her to say she JUST fell asleep at 4:45, and I'm not sure if this is just a nap or if she's down for the night. I completely agree with you...I will wake her if she doesn't on her own, because I think unless she is sick (which I can tell she isn't), she shouldn't be going to bed this early.

I do want her to be on a schedule. I'm not incredibly rigid, but I think its better for her well-being to be on one.

[AmandaEliz]

Yeah, I'm with Shannon. Avery has been sick & now she's on antibiotics that upset her tummy, so the schedule is a bit more flexible than usual. As soon as she's well & off the abx, back on the schedule. It's defintitely not for all kiddos/parents, but both of mine have been happier on a schedule (at least within an hour or so). I really would wake her in the morning & then try to restablish her morning nap; the rest will likely follow once you get the am nap back on track.

[Daffodil]

LOL Mandy, unfortunately she has been waking up earlier than usual (between 4-6, when she used to wake up at 7)...I think she's just not ready for a nap as early as she used to be. Its the afternoon nap that she's not going down for anymore...

So update, she woke up pretty early from her nap she started at 4:45 pm, and was cranky the rest of the evening. Not sure if her tummy was upsetting her or what. She went to bed at 8, which is a good time. *sigh*....I hope tomorrow goes better.

[Jule'sMomInOR]

Juliana has been having crazy sleep patterns for the last couple of weeks. I think she's trying to drop a nap, but just can't quite get it worked out. We did pretty consistently have naps at 9:30, 12:30, and 4:15. Now, sometimes she takes really short (15 minutes) naps around 9:30 and 4:15, and a long one at 12:30ish. Other times she skips the middle one and does a morning and late afternoon. Today she woke up at 6:15 vs. her usual 7 am (much to my dismay), acted sleepy within minutes of waking, and took her first nap at 8:45 (just after the nanny got here, of course!). Just when I think she's starting to get a schedule down and I can try to plan to go to the gym, she switches it up. She also seems extra sensitive to noise, and is having a hard time sleeping alone. We co-sleep at night, but she's never had an issue with napping along until recently. She seems to only sleep more than 40 minutes at a time if I lay down with her in the beginning, and I just don't have time for naps this days.

We're going to Atlanta again next week and I'm sure everything will just be completely thrown off again if we do manage to work out a schedule this week, so I'm not going to bother. Oh, and I never really tried to work out a schedule with her, she just kind of did it herself and at one time I could predict her naps within about half an hour. In fact, I even have my nanny here from 8:30-3:30 because at one time she would reliably go to sleep around 3:30 for 1.5 hours, allowing me to get some extra work done. Not any more!

[Daffodil]

Today is still kinda weird... I'm wondering if eating is having something to do with it? Like she's not getting enough solids anymore? I'm trying to give her 3 meals a day but I feel like her overall intake is less than what it used to be. I think I'll go back to 2 purees a day, and then just give her one meal of finger foods. Last night I really wanted to give her dinner so I fed her pretty late, but then she barely had any of her bottle, so of course she woke up a few hours later wanting a bottle.

But it could be anything. I really don't know. The thing that I don't like is she's acting tired and cranky for a long time before I can get her down for a nap. Before when she was sleepy I could usually get her down pretty quickly and now she's not able or refusing to sleep.

I also think (LOL my gazillion theories, probably all which are wrong!) she's really trying to figure out so many things, like standing and walking and whatever else, because a lot of the time when I put her down, she keeps trying to do active things. She really does more on the bed than I've seen her do on the floor.