My one year old fights going to sleep. i know this is very common but i have tried everything. he goes for 3 days with little sleep then he will sleep for 3 days off and on. the only thing that works is putting him in the car then he falls right to sleep.
Thanks to everyone for the great responces. the main thing that really helped was charting his sleep patterns and recognizing when he is sleepy. he is really doing better now also the fan being turned on to simulate movement is great.
Read the book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Being overtired can make it harder for them to go to sleep. This is a fantastic book and a must read for all parents with children who don't like sleep!
Is he taking long/multiple or late naps? Sometimes this can attribute to an off sleep schedule, so can teething...
If he likes the car, then motion/ sounds may help him fall asleep. Try turning on a light fan in his room, or a clock with a light tick.
not to scare you or anything, but I recently seen one of those medical shows where a toddler wouldn't sleep that much, and it turned out his skull had fused together and his brain was touching it so he couldn't sleep. He'd sleep for 30 min to 1 hr a day. Maybe call your pedi and ask what they think...
God Bless!
We had play time baths at my house when there wasn't (sleep) fighting involved, So when I suggest a warm bath, soothing , jammies, right after eating, then soothing music or you sing or tell a little story , and don't put him to bed too early, and maybe this will help. You might try rocking him to sleep every night, do you have a rocking chair? Hope some of this helps. If he sees other family members being real active he'll be afraid he is missing something, so maybe the rocking chair in his room would help.
You know, I have a one year old also and I really think that if mine were exhibiting those sleping habits I would take her to the doctor. I think that is really a pretty odd sleep cycle to have and I think it is one of those things that could be a sign of something wrong. There is a good cance that nothing is wrong and your child just has an odd sleep pattern, but I think that I would see the doctor too. I do not think it is emergency appointment worthy, but personally here is my suggestion. Call Monday and make an appointment for your child to see the doctor, I would schedule the appointment for 1 1/2 weeks- 2 weeks from now. I would immediately begin documenting, like a journal of the baby's actions, things that happen and his sleep schedule. I would write down in the journal (and time stamp everything) the follwing things:
Everything he eats, how much he eats, what time he eats it.
What activities he engages in (playing, walking, cartoons, car rides, park, grocery shopping) what time, duration of the activity and the mood he is in.
Everytime he falls asleep, what time he falls asleep, whether he sleeps solid or lightly, duration of sleep, how he woke up, mood he is in when he wakes up.
I know that seems like a lot and it will take a lot of time, but I think that first of all, paying such close attention to all of that may make you realize something that is causing his sleep to be so off, and if you can't tell anything by it, I think that the doctor may really be able to use it to help you and your child. I think that the doctor would really appreciate that if you did it and I think that it would make your visit more valuable. If there is nothing derived from the journal by your doctor, he may want to check something out ar have you change something. You may also note in your journal if anything odd happened in the environment you are in. For example, maybe your 3 year old threw a huge fit an hour before you tried to put the baby to bed or, you and your husband had an argument, or you had a bunch of company over, anything that could possibly have caused him to think something is out of the normal.
Personally that is what I would do if my one year old was in this situation. I am sure nothing is wrong, but like I said, the journal can't hurt anything and I think that you may be able to get some real help from the doctor. I wouldn't try putting him in the car though, I think it will only make your problem worse because then he will just get a little nap that will refresh him just enough to be awake for longer. I know car naps make my baby's sleep patterns worse. Give the journal a try and make the doctor appointment. Good Luck!
