Going down to one nap

[Kaz4755]

Hi, dd is 14 months old and has been refusing two sleeps most days so we are going down to one nap. She wakes at 6 most days so I have tried the last week putting her down at 11.30, she fusses a bit and then sleeps generally for about an hour and a quarter but won't sleep the rest of the day, bed at 7pm. I don't Give her lunch before I put her to sleep so will try that perhaps today and put her down at 12 perhaps in the hope that she will sleep longer, I just feel that is too long for her to be awake, she starts rubbing her eyes about 10 and would fall asleep in the car but won't in her cot. If she slept at 10 she wouldn't sleep the rest of the day. does anyone have any ideas how to make her nap longer? I feel she could do with 2 hours during the day. Thank you.

[FATEdestiny]

Definately start doing an early lunch, she needs to eat before sleeping because a full tummy will make her sleepy and being hungry may wake her up.

You might need a few months of different mealtime setup through the day - maybe having 4 main meals rather than 3 to help her. For example:

6.30am breakfast
10.00am early lunch/substantial snack
2.30pm late lunch/substantial snack
6.00pm dinner

Eating a meal when she first gets tired (at 10a) will give her a little energy boost and help her feel less grumpy. Tgis would then allow for an 11am - 2pm nap with a full tummy.

[CobsAhoy]

Hey OP,

Im going trough this nap transition at the minute too and I've found that giving DD a big snack before her nap really helps keep her asleep for longer. Also on days where the nap is too short and she refuses a second nap then I put her to bed an hour earlier. We are muddling through at the minute, but the routine varies from day to day.

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

We are doing exactly the same, it's been a loooooong process, we've been doing 30 mins nap or quiet time in the morning and big midday nap for months! If I let him sleep in the morning he'll be up from 10am-bedtime which is way too much for him.

DS' routine (15 months)

6am - up
8am maybe some quiet time if not going out, but hasn't slept during this time for a few weeks. He gets all tired and red-eyed though!
10am - substantial snack
11am - lunch (now!)
11:30/12 nap
2/3 - wake up
3 - substantial snack
5/5:30 - dinner
6/7 bed

He's always asleep before 7.

He's also been going through a phase of waking in the night but this week I've been trying to give him proper, mindful, substantial snacks throughout the day (previously just give him bits here and there) and he has stopped even waking for him 3am bottle which he's been doing for months!

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Sorry, 9am stubstanial snack, not 10!

[Elephanty21]

We dropped to one nap recently (14 months old) and just follow the routine they do at nursery when he is there, for consistency.

That means nap is at 12.30. It's a long time to wait and he does get visibly tired around 11am but as long as he is busy I can keep him going til then, with lunch at 12. He does 2-2.5 hours at 12.30 as he is so tired by then.

Only downside is that if I drive anywhere/push him in the buggy at 11 onwards then it has to be a quick trip or he will nod off for sure!

[Kaz4755]

Hello, thank you all for your replies! I will try some of what you have mentioned and see what happens. Just when you think you have got things slightly more worked out something changes! Today we had a rhyme time at the local library so I gave her a sandwich before we went to that at 10.30 and I put her down to sleep at 11.35, she was asleep by 11.45....and awake again at 12.45, and that was it for the day. This evening she was so unhappy and had two meltdowns like never before so I'm not getting something right. I was hoping she would fall asleep on a journey back from my parents, about 20 minutes, but she didn't. She has just had the top of her molar come through so I wonder whether it could have been pain rather than tiredness but I feel like I fail her when I can't get her to sleep or have a long enough sleep. An hour today wasn't enough was it! The nap and sleep bit stresses me out so much it's actually making me wonder whether I can have another baby and cope which makes me sad! Thank you for all of your advice.

[CobsAhoy]

Ahhhh OP you aren't a failure! i know it's easier said than done, but try to remember you can't make a baby sleep, all you can do is encourage them and some of them are way more stubborn than others!

Nap transitions are hell, only the other week I posted something asking for help because DD was flat out refusing her second nap everyday (and was waking at 5am so the days were loooooong and miserable!). it's so exhausting when you're in the throes of a period of hellish sleep, but chances are she will come through it on her own when she is ready so don't beat yourself up about it!

[Kaz4755]

Thank you for your kind words cobs! I hope things are improving for you!