# how do you break an overtired cycle?



## riomidwife (Sep 1, 2006)

DS is overtired. He is 19 months, his schedule used to look like this:

wake up 7ish
nap 11ish
sleep 7ish

Then we moved across the country--driving! We did a lot of car napping and sleeping at night, and now naps are all screwed up. He won't fall asleep in the day unless we're in the car, if we are home he will lie with me for a few minutes, then bounce around the room. I can't force him to sleep, so what do I do? I try the every 20-minutes-try-again thing, and by the time I eventually get him down he is WAY overdue and overtired.

So then we don't end up going down for nap until 1 ish, which pushed bed time back. By the time evening comes I know he is overtired. If I try to do the NCSS thing and take him to bed (try to nurse him down) as soon as i see signs of tiredness, we will be in the bedroom for 90 minutes with no success. Happens almost every night. If I wait to take him to sleep until he he's simply run out of steam, it's 9 ish and he is once again overtired. Then he will want to sleep later in the AM.

Add to all of this that he is still waking up every 2 hours on average and i KNOW he is overtired.

Any ideas for what I can do to break this cycle? I can't car nap every day anymore, it's just not a solution and I can't afford the gas! Thank you mamas!


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Warmth. Have you tried a warm bath or shower right before bed?

Also, I know a lot of kids aren't like this, but Lina sleeps more readily if I play with her until she's worn out. I notice her getting sleepy and I think that I should do cuddles and stuff, but she responds so much better to dancing around and toys and such. If I try cuddles 30 minutes later she's still awake and I'm frustrated, if we play until she's worn out in about 15 minutes she makes a very loud "I'm DONE" protest and nurses down in 5.


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## Strong Mama (Feb 7, 2006)

Lots of fresh air. In the afternoon, go for loooooooooong walks/plays outside for at least 2 hours. come home,eat dinner for 5 30, bath at 6, and he should be tired enough to sleep well by 7pm.

ok i re read your post now so i have more advice. if he didnt sleep well at night, still wake him in the am by at least 7 30 and get him out after breakfast for a while, sothat he should lunch by around 11 and then hopefully go down for a nap before 1...hth.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Transitions* 
Lots of fresh air.









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: +














snuggles =


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## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

What used to work for my DS - shortly before he gave up his naps all together was going for nice long walks with the pushchair...he did not fall asleep in the pushchair but he was soooo relaxed by the time we got home I would lay in bed with him and he would fall asleep.

Thats another trick - lay with them/sleep with them! (for naps as well as nights of course hehe)

Its hard to break the overtired cycles - we go throuh this every holiday as there is a lot of driving involved and lots of attention from relatives keeping us up later than we normally would be! hehe... Usually for my DS, it means going to be rediculously early - this does mean waking up earlier at first but then it does eventually work itself out!


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## riomidwife (Sep 1, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan* 
Warmth. Have you tried a warm bath or shower right before bed?
Also, I know a lot of kids aren't like this, but Lina sleeps more readily if I play with her until she's worn out.

We used to do baths before bed, but they did not help, and DS is also battling eczema now, so we are minimizing baths. I can wear him down, but by that tim he is delirious and overtired, you know? Like we missed the window, and he typically sleeps worse when he is overtired,so that's why I am trying to get out of this pattern.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Transitions* 
walks/plays outside for at least 2 hours. come home,eat dinner for 5 30, bath at 6, and he should be tired enough to sleep well by 7pm..... if he didnt sleep well at night, still wake him in the am by at least 7 30 and get him out after breakfast for a while, sothat he should lunch by around 11 and then hopefully go down for a nap before 1...hth.


Thanks! Yes, in our move we probably have been spending less free-form time outside exploring and wandering. And I agree the consistent wake up time could help, and we are not doing it now. After getting up every 1/2-2 hours all night long it's hard to drag myself out of bed, but this could reallly be setting us back. From now on we'll get up at 7!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ann_of_loxley* 
Thats another trick - lay with them/sleep with them! (for naps as well as nights of course hehe)...Its hard to break the overtired cycles - we go throuh this every holiday as there is a lot of driving involved and lots of attention from relatives keeping us up later than we normally would be!

I do lay with him every night----while he climbs all over me and fidgets with everything in the room----while he's rubbing his eyes and fussing. I do get a poor woman's massage out of it though! We too got on to this cycle while staying with relatives, staying up late, etc. And he would sometimes go down at 4 and do a sleep through. Haven't managed it here yet!


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