# Resetting A Toddler's Bodyclock?



## Marieke (Jan 22, 2005)

Okay, I'm pretty much at the end of my tether here, especially now that I have a 2.5 month old to deal with besides my erratically sleeping toddler (3 in July).

Does anyone have any advice at all on how I can help get my toddler into a normal day and nighttime sleeping routine? Even if I get him up at normal time in the morning, and he goes for an average nap (2-2.5 hrs or so) somewhere between 12-3, it seems to all go to hell in a handbasket in the evenings. If he goes to bed anytime before 11pm or midnight or so, he'll sleep for a couple of hours as though it was another nap, and then be awake for hours on end. Last night he fell asleep at 9.30 (at which point my husband watched our baby as I went to bed too, knowing that the party would inevitably start a couple of hours later and I'd likely be up all night again) and at midnight he was rearing to go and stayed up til 6am, regardless of the multitude of methods I tried to get him back to sleep (quiet and darkened room/a warm drink, rocking in his swing or on my lap).

My son does have special needs as he has a genetic disorder (and receives services for this). His sleep has always been erratic, but I had actually gotten him into a relatively decent and diurnal pattern just before my daughter was born. Since my labour and her birth, it's just been crazy again. He seeks a huge amount of vestibular input, and rocking him on my lap means that he can rock himself back and forth so hard that you almost get whiplash looking at him, but he really seems to need and crave that input.

Since his sister was born he's basically been transitioned into his toddler bed from co-sleeping with us. It was no longer working that well anymore, as he would scratch, hit and kick. Currently he can actually be put down into his bed when drowsy and almost asleep (rather than wait til he's unconscious every time) and not have him immediately try and get up, so that's progress on that front.

However, I'm still at a total loss as to how I'm supposed to get him to do his long sleep at night. If I were to let him sleep as long as he wants to when he does finally drop off in the wee hours of the morning, he can easily sleep at least 8+ hours, but I can't really do that as that would mean he's waking up around or after lunchtime! He has therapy in the mornings on most days, so he really needs to be awake and alert and in a good mood for that if I can help it.

I'm hoping someone might have had some experience with this and some tips to share? Not having a decent diurnal rhythm is making life very hard for my family, and especially now I have a new baby too.

Help?

Marieke


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## ssh (Aug 12, 2007)

Before she dropped her nap, my DD couldn't go to sleep before 10 or it would turn into a nap and she'd be up very late. We just kept her up until 10. Now that she doesn't nap much, she can go to sleep earlier and just sleeps about 10.5 to 13 hours (waking a few times to nurse of course).
Have you tried just keeping your DS up until 11, since that seems to be his 'natural' bedtime?


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## janerose (May 9, 2004)

Check out "No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers". DD1 went through a difficult stage around 22mo & this seriously saved my sanity. She also has a section in the back discussing various issues, so dealing with a child with some special needs may be covered as well (not recalling off the top of my head...) Make sure you check your library and/or inter-library loan too. Our's had it which shocked me, but was great since it didn't end up being a book I really needed to have on hand all the time. And I know it's always there if I need it in the future.









Sounds counter productive, but what actually helped with my DD was putting her to bed earlier (like 6 to start....now she's going on 4 and we're transitioning her to 8....) Also, and I *know* this sucks, but is there any way he could drop the nap? Particularly if you bumped bedtime way up? When we did these 2 things there were drastic changes within 2-3 days. The reasoning behind both of these is in the book.

Also, with your son's special needs you may want to try contacting her for ideas as well. She has a pretty good website. If you Google "No Cry Sleep Solution" she should come right up.

Good luck!


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