15 Mo Old Only Sleeping 45 Min-1 Hour

[MNMum]

I have a set of siblings that have been here for 6 weeks now, Mon-Thurs. Initially the 15 mo old was taking two naps, but they were only lasting about 30-45 minutes. So we switched to one nap. She was sleeping 1.5-2.5 hours. Now she is waking after 45 minutes. Our rules say we have to get babies up as soon as they wake.

She gets here at 8:15. Wakes sometime between 7-8. She is happy and alert all morning. I put her down right before the rest of the kids, figuring she will need a longer nap. She's in a PNP, own room, darkened, loud fan.

Sometimes parents says she is really crabby, so they put her down at 6:30, instead of her normal bedtime of 7. She's rarely crabby here.

But I have one that doesn't go down until 1:45(still taking two naps), and then she is up 15 minutes later. I need my break!

Should I ask the parents to keep her up later, or are there really 15 mo kids that only sleep an hour/day?

[beachgrl]

My 15 mo dcb likes to sleep 45min-hour max and very rarely will sleep longer, today was a good day as he did for two hours but for the most part he will sleep about 45 min and wake up. Sometimes he takes an am nap and a pm nap and sometimes only one, I typically try to keep him at the one nap so hoping he will sleep longer but the lil guy is such a light sleeper that the least little thing wakes him.

[daycare]

What time does she get to your house?

[MNMum]

She arrives at 8:15, leaves at 4:30pm

[nannyde]

She arrives at 8:15, leaves at 4:30pm

I would put her down right when she arrives for an hour or so and then down again from 12:15 to 2:45 -3. That will get her enough rest so she stays up till eight or nine for her family. She needs some AWAKE time with them. She's coming straight to child care and going to bed right after she gets home. Have her sleep on your clock so she can have the parent time she NEEDS so badly.

[daycare]

do you know what time the child wakes at home?

I have a dcb age 16 months here from 8:00am to 7:00 pm...goes to bed at 7:30pm ( I know so sad, does not see parents at all)

She wakes up around 7am (however, I think later sometimes) so i put him down as soon as breakfast is over and he sleeps a good 45 min. I then have him play hard with the rest of the kids and eat a nice lunch. He goes back down about 1:00, but does not fall asleep until about 1:15-1:20...He will wake up around 3-3:30

It took me awhile to do it this way, but he is much happier here....Oh and I still don't believe the parents...

[cheerfuldom]

Totally agree with nanny! Kids that age need more sleep! Her plan is what I do with my 14 month old and 13 month old daycare kids. We were in a horrible cycle of exhaustion with each kid and this tip worked! Don't depend on the parents to do anything consistently.....I know that sounds bad but it is important that you do what works for you there. If the parents can maintain consistency at home, great, just don' count on that.

[MNMum]

I put 15 mo down for a nap this morning, slept an hour, and has now been asleep another hour this afternoon. Probably helped that she was up for 2 hours last night with a sore bum. It was really nice to have her sleep in the am, as I was able to give the preschoolers undivided attention at circle/activity time.

I'm going to try sticking with this schedule. Sleeping 9:30-11 and again 2-3:30. It took her a little longer to fall asleep with each nap, but eventually she slept. Hope parents don't mind me going back to 2 naps!

[Heidi]

I put 15 mo down for a nap this morning, slept an hour, and has now been asleep another hour this afternoon. Probably helped that she was up for 2 hours last night with a sore bum. It was really nice to have her sleep in the am, as I was able to give the preschoolers undivided attention at circle/activity time.

I'm going to try sticking with this schedule. Sleeping 9:30-11 and again 2-3:30. It took her a little longer to fall asleep with each nap, but eventually she slept. Hope parents don't mind me going back to 2 naps!

According to the sleep center website, a child of her age needs about 14 hours per day of sleep. If she sleeps 10 or 11 at home, she still needs 3-4 during the day.

If she doesn't sleep in one long stretch in the afternoon, she still needs two naps. You are doing her a great service letting her sleep, and she will sleep BETTER at night if she gets enough rest during the day.

[Nellie]

I would put her down right when she arrives for an hour or so and then down again from 12:15 to 2:45 -3. That will get her enough rest so she stays up till eight or nine for her family. She needs some AWAKE time with them. She's coming straight to child care and going to bed right after she gets home. Have her sleep on your clock so she can have the parent time she NEEDS so badly.

Not trying to take over the post, but I am having the same problems. What do you do when the state says you HAVE to let them get up after x amount of time. In my state it is 30 minutes an OP said in her state they have to get them when they awake. All of my kids 18 months and younger sleep for about 45 minutes. I had one cry for 20 minutes sleep for 20 and wake up and cry. I did let him cry for an additionally 5 or so minutes while I ever so slowly walked to the door hoping he'd go back down. Even though I have all my light sleepers in there own bedrooms the first ones crys wake the rest up. Licensing told me that trying to make a child stay in a pnp or on a mat any longer that the 30 minutes is the most common violation if they don't fall asleep or wake early. When they get up you have to give them things to play with or activities. You can't let them just sit there with nothing. Just curious what you would do? I read many people are having problems with this, but letting them cry it out or making them lay there is NOT an option or I am unwilling to violate the rules.

[Heidi]

I would say that depends on how you interpret the regs. Cry 29 minutes...go to sleep for an hour...cry 29 minutes...go to sleep again? or cry 30 minutes and get up....

assuming they are no longer "infants", which means per our regs they define their own schedule (in an alternate universe where unicorns play with kittens and bunnies in fields of flowers).

In WI we have to get them up if they do not sleep after 30 minutes, so you can techinically let them CIO for that long. I couldn't listen to a child crying for 30 minutes, but I do have 2 that wake up after an hour, cry 2-7 min, then go back to sleep. If I got them up right away, we'd all be miserable the rest of the day. Most days, they sleep 2 1/2 hours. They are slowly getting to the point that when the wake and are really done sleeping, they play in the pnp or engage in crib-talk. They are both 15mo. If they wake up crying hysterically, I know they are really still tired, but probably have a limb that fell asleep or some other wierd thing.

Now it's smooth sailing until they turn 4, at which point their parents will insist that they no longer need a nap and should be kept up...

[jojosmommy]

I have to disagree with the idea of keeping the kids up later at night so they get "parent time". Both my kids are on the 7 am to 7 pm sleep sched (with night nursings as needed for my infant). We operate on the idea that they need approx 14 hours of sleep per day 12 at night and two during the day. If you let them get overtired they fight you. Sounds like the OP is having that issue with the 15 mo old. Too tired, sleeps 45 min (quick recharge) and wakes up, then plummets by 6 pm and parents are forced to put to bed "early" in their eyes.

I would do the am nap as you posted earlier 9:30 and a second pm nap to try to get the kid more sleep during the day so that she is not so irratated by 6 pm. I would still however put to sleep at 7 but I get to spend the whole day with my kids and I know what works for our family.

I recommend The No Cry Nap Solution or The No cry sleep solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Both books cover schedules, overtired kids, how to sleep train (get to sleep other than in a swing etc).

Also, on the 30 min rule, can you take them out, rock them/hold them, read them a story and then try again? I wouldnt even take them out of the sleep room. Just out of bed, snuggle and put back in bed to try nap again. This way they get the message it is sleep time, not play time and they will start to get on a nap routine for you. Would your licensor frown on that?