Help!!!!! Is this normal???

[MudPies]

Dink is 28 months. Never been a good sleeper. He has been better lately- but it takes him so long to settle down at night. I blame the time change :giggle Before the time change he would settle and fall asleep in 15-20 min. Now it takes an hour. He is working on his last molar- but teething things don't seem to help him settle- but do help him sleep longer.

our routine:
dinner, play, bath then quiet play. we ususally watch 1 dora episode in the rocking chair and he gets very mellow. We then go upstairs (between 7:30 and 8) and I nurse/rock him while daddy reads a story. then we lay down with him in his bed (we take 20 min shifts). He wiggles, squirms, kicks feet for 30-40 min. sometimes we get back up to rock and nurse. Once he is still for 2 min in a row- he is OUT!!! When he wakes in the night- he comes to our bed for the rest of the night. sometimes that is at 11pm sometimes its at 5:30.

I have tried calms several times- not much luck. He doesn't like massage all over- and I do rub his back.

Is this normal for his age? anything I can do to help him settle? any insight???

[MudPies]

:heart

[MudPies]

anyone? :nails

[3boysforme]

:hug2

It honestly sounds like he is just not ready to go down at 7:30-8:00. Maybe instead of watching Dora, you could do silly dance time? Or running around the house? Get his energy out, then follow your regular routine but push it back maybe an hour or so?
I found that my boys reached a point where they just didn't need as much sleep as the experts say they should. When I watch them for sleepy cues, then we start our bedtime routine. Sometimes they are tired at 8:30, sometimes not until 10. It really depends on what we have done that day.

[sweetpeasmommy]

:hugheart IME having a difficult sleeper, the older they get the longer it takes. :shifty Some things improve it for a while like giving up naps, but eventually it goes back to taking forever. Does he still nap?

[MudPies]

he does nap- and he is tired! we play when we get home and after dinner. outside a lot too. I haven't tried rescue remedy or melatonin- but I'm not sure it would help. Once he settles- he falls right to sleep. We have tried earlier and later bedtimes- it still takes an hour. yesterday he only had a 30 min nap- was exhausted- and it still took an hour. :shrug3 :/

[sweetpeasmommy]

We've tried RR, valerian, chamomile, magnesium, Calms Forte so I feel your pain. We are on to Melatonin now and it works pretty well. :tu I was going to say what about an earlier bedtime but it sounds like you've tried that. I think it's a HN/spirited thing. :shrug3

I know this sounds backwards, but he falls asleep faster and stays asleep better if we run around the house like crazy people and lots of tickles and giggles right before bed.

Does he ever miss a nap? If so how does he do then?

[MarynMunchkins]

FWIW, my kids started sleeping *much* better once all their teeth were in. I didn't have to do anything. :no

[Blue Aurora]

It could just be a stage. Mine go through periods of time where it takes them longer to go to sleep.

[MudPies]

thanks everyone!!

If he misses a nap- he is a bear the rest of the day and it still takes an hour. Not worth it.

Ihope when all his teeth come in it will be better. I might try RR or melatonin- it won't hurt, right?

It is almost like he has restless leg syndrome- he squirms, wiggles nad flips like he can't get comfy. then once he is still for 2min (literally) he is out! I also worry that he will have trouble when he's older and an adult and I'm not doing enough to help him settle now easier.