4/19: MW: Here is a synopsis of his sleep issues. He is currently sleep deprived because he is allowed to fall asleep too late at night. Because his bedtime is too late, he wakes up in the morning too tired which causes him to have difficulty or inability to nap in synch with his biological nap rhythm which starts between 12-2pm. Instead, he tires earlier and falls asleep for his nap before 12 noon. The power of restoration that a nap gives depends more on when it occurs than on how long it lasts. This out of synch nap does not hold him so that "He usually is clingy and ready to come home from wherever he is by 4pm" and when you add in the factor of fragmented night sleep, "he's definitely whiny, clingy, demanding, irritable, requiring more attention" between 4-6pm.

The consequences of not napping well means that by the end of the day he is in an even higher state of arousal so it might become more difficult for him to easily fall asleep at night at an age-appropriate earlier bedtime. The higher state of neurological arousal certainly directly causes him to have difficulty returning to sleep unassisted in the middle of the night or stay asleep during the light sleep phase at 4-5am.

"Cumulative Sleepiness" explains why "for seemingly no particular reason, the night wakings have started again." "I do see the effects of cumulative sleepiness with him when he has a bout of night wakings, he'll start off with one waking, then the next night it will be two or three until we are on a terrible cycle of exhausted boy (& parents), poor quality naps and tantrum-prone or clingy. Usually we end up trying to put him down super-early after a few days of this and trying for a "reset". Sometimes it works, sometimes not."

Be optimistic because both of you agree that he needs help and will work together as a team and you have enjoyed great success with your baby's sleep.

What would you suggest?

Marc