Transition from 2 naps a day to 1

[Bearcrumble]

My DS is 11 months - for the past week he's been refusing one or other of his daytime naps or they've been really short.

I decided to try and see if he was ready for one nap a day but cannot work out if it is best to give lunch first or afterwards.

Today I tried to get him to nap at 11 but he wasn't interested at all and wasn't acting tired (he got up at 8.15 this morning).

So I bought him down for lunch eventually (about 11.45) but by that time he WAS tired and fussed over his food and wasn't that happy. He went to sleep immediately when I took him up again at just after 12.

He had a very long night's sleep last night - from 7ish until 8.15 with a half hour wake for milk at around 5.

Maybe I should be persevering with the 2 naps - but it wasn't just one or two days he's not really seemed to want them. I don't know what to do - maybe bring lunchtime forward to 11 and then nap at 12?

Any ideas?

[BlueChampagne]

I'm beginning to think my 13mo is going down to 1 nap a day, and similarly, it tends to be about noon. I'd go for a reasonable snack at 10.30 or 11, sleep at 12 then lunch together at 1pm. Also gives you a chance to get lunch ready in peace!

[mistresspollocky]

We are in the same position here - DS is 14mo. He's always had a long morning nap at 9am(!) and a short pm one. He went through a phase of waking late (8am) and so we dropped the morning one, had an early lunch at 11.30 and went for a nap at 12 - works fine as long as I can distract him with fun stuff all morning!

I'm finding that he needs 2 naps every other day still, or if he wakes earlier than 7am.

So my suggestion would be to do early lunch, and as he gets older, push it back to when you want it. And be flexible - if he seems knackered, go back to 2 naps for that day.

HTH

[Iggly]

My DS is 15 months. Sometimes he used to fight a nap around 13 months but clearly couldn't last the day without it! I think it was a sleep regression as now he still has two naps. I realised he was fighting either because of wind or he wanted me to put him down quicker.

He can skip a morning nap every now and then. I plan to do this and get him to transition that way.

I read average drop to 1 nap was around 18 months!

[Iggly]

Also forgot to add - he's less likely to want two naps when he's had a long nights sleep. If he wakes early (after 11 hours), he def needs it. Later (after 12/13 hours) then he can drop it although will sleep with some persuasion!

[mistresspollocky]

I always see you when I post in Sleep! Hello!

[Bearcrumble]

Good advice, thank you - especially about being flexible. I guess it depends quite heavily on how much sleep he gets the night before and how much exercise he had (was really ready for nap at 11am the morning we went to baby gym for instance).

I think I was getting a bit hung up on a consistent routine - because we'd had one that worked really well for the last few months (two hour long naps morning and afternoon - every three hours from whenever he woke in the morning). Getting my head round any change is always a bit hard at first - worst one was introducing solids. Just finding the time to do everything, but it's fine once I've got the hang of it after a couple of weeks.

[Bearcrumble]

Crosspost with your second one there Iggly

[Iggly]

Hi mistress! I spend too much time here

bear agree about being more flexible. It's taken me a while to do that! Although having a routine has been really good as DS hasn't been too unsettled when I've gone back to work or was ill so couldn't look after him.