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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

12mo - 1 nap or 2? Your opinions

16 replies

Madallie · 16/12/2012 20:13

dd, self settles, is sleeping 11.5/12hrs at night. Her routine is:

7am-wake
10.15-11.15 - nap
3-3.50/4 - nap
7pm - bed

pm nap seems to be getting later and a bit shorter. Was wondering if I should perhaps put her down at about 11.30/noon for 1 nap instead?
Any thoughts?

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RelocationHelp · 16/12/2012 20:21

We dropped to 1 nap when DS was 15 to 16mo. He had started to wake at 5.30am ready to go. So I cut to one nap and he started sleeping though till 7ish again.

We tried to drop to one nap earlier but he just wasn't ready - falling asleep during lunch etc!

If I were you I would try to keep 2 naps as long as possible, to stave off the general grumpiness and over tiredness that might lead to night waking.

Another poster on here somewhere mentioned that average age to drop to 1 nap is 15 months.

Shenanagins · 16/12/2012 20:29

Ours dropped the second nap around 1 year old and now at 20 months doesn't go for a nap at all - mores the pity!

guess they are all different so go with what your child needs.

PoppyWearer · 16/12/2012 20:41

My DS is 16mo and dropped from two naps to one nap a few weeks ago, if that helps.

FadBook · 16/12/2012 20:52

My dd is 16 months and still has 2 naps, but she'll alternate herself every other day between 1 and 2. So like today, she's had 1 longer nap, tomorrow I can guarantee she'll have a short nap in the morning, and another one in the afternoon. Tuesday, she'll have one big one. I think it is her way of reducing it on her terms and not mine.

Regardless of what she chooses to do, her sleep at night remains the same (bed at around 7.30, sleeps through till around 3.30/4am, quick breastfeed and sleep till 7am )

If you know your ds is sleepy or tired, let them sleep.

MummyDuckAndDuckling · 17/12/2012 01:11

14 month dd has some days where she has 2 naps and others 1. Her typical day is:

7.30/8 wake
11 - 30/40 mins
3.30/4 - 30/40 mins
7.30/8 bed (sleeps through)

Other wise, if we have been busy or out then I would put her to sleep around 1/1.30 and hope she has close to an hour nap.
She can last the day with no nap, but I then find her night sleeping is rubbish as she's really really tired by 7pm.

Think 15 months is about average

Original poster

Madallie · 17/12/2012 15:57

Thanks for advice/ info. Think I might have to try just 1 nap. I am worried about OT but for last few days dd has cried for both am and/ or pm nap. She has eventually gone to sleep but today for example she went down at 10.30 but woke 35mins later.

She hasn't seemed tired really since then, the odd yawn but that's it. She's gone off for pm nap at 3.30. I think 3.30 is late for a nap and if she can go from 11am - 3.30 without seeming tired T'm thinking she could possibly do 1 nap?! Maybe alternate between 1 and 2 nap on consecutive days as you said Fadbook.

She is quite young for 1 nap I guess but maybe it's not worth trying to get her to nap when she's not really ready! I'm confused as a first time mum!

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rrreow · 17/12/2012 16:15

It was around that time that DS dropped from 2 naps to 1 (although he was a very bad sleeper/napper until he went to 1 nap). Around that time he'd still do 2 naps occasionally, but then it was just a natural process down to 1 nap. Now (19m) he fairly reliably naps 2 hours a day, and has around 11 hours a night.

ShowOfHands · 17/12/2012 16:19

At 12 months dd gave up napping entirely. At 15mo, ds sometimes naps once, sometimes twice and sometimes not at all. We just let him decide. If he is happy and well rested then we leave it, if he's tired and cranky he has a nap.

IWillOnlyEatBeans · 17/12/2012 19:53

DS went from two shorter naps to one long one (11am til 1pm) at around 9 months. His nap gruadually got later until he was sleeping 1pm to 3pm at around 16 months.

He dropped his naps entirely at 2.6...I miss them!

BlingLoving · 17/12/2012 20:00

Ds was down to one nap by around 12 months but it was still strangely early - he'd be absolutely knackered by 10:30 and sleep for about 90 minutes. Now and again he'd then pass out for a short nap in car or buggy in afternoon but putting him down was impossible. Then he started going a bit later, say about 11:00 or 11:30 which was tricky as he wouldn't eat lunch before but as he only woke at around 13:30 I felt it was too long without food so he used to have a substantial snack at about 10:00. Now he is 18 months and moving to an afternoon nap from about 13:00-15:00 but its still a little erratic and sometimes he doesn't sleep for as lo g or he falls a sleeps earlier in the car on the way back from an activity.

In a nutshell, I think because 12 months is a bit early, you might not get a very set routine too quickly.

Original poster

Madallie · 17/12/2012 20:25

Thanks Bling. I can see what you mean!

I think why I'm dithering so much about it, is that I know something probably needs to change but not sure how to go about it.

DD does go to sleep in the morning, recently after some protesting but I just get the feeling she's not really tired (hence today she only napped 35mins).

I've heard people say push am nap forward by 15mins a day but not sure how that works as then she definitely wouldn't have a pm nap and that am nap wouldn't be long enough to keep her going til BT!

Not sure whether it wuld be too much for her to keep her going until 11.30am/12noon?!

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CanIHaveAPetGiraffePlease · 17/12/2012 20:34

I'm wondering this at the moment. Our dd goes to bed 6.30 really easily as tired. But is up at 5 or 5.30 :-( very ready for nap at 9.30and sleeps for an hour. If I put her down at 1.30 sleeps another hour but we're often out so she gets cat naps in car instead. Older one finishes pre school at 12.48 so can't have baby sleeping before then!

CheungFun · 17/12/2012 20:39

DS is very nearly 12 months old and sleeps through from 7-7. He has a nap at 9am for about an hour and another hour nap at 3pm.

Some days his naps can be as short as half an hour, and other days like today he slept from 9-11am!

I think it's best to try to follow their lead and be flexible, some days I guess it's normal to be more tired than others.

Original poster

Madallie · 17/12/2012 20:48

Thanks Cheung. Did your ds then have another pm nap?

I think the thing is that my dd needs 3 hours of being awake before her am nap and then at least 3.5hrs after pm nap and seemingly longer sometimes. I guess there's only 24hrs in a day!

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Original poster

Madallie · 17/12/2012 20:49

Also I do find it hard to be flexible as dd will only nap in cot so I have to be home for naps.

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CheungFun · 17/12/2012 20:55

Well today he slept 9-11 and then slept from 2.30-3.00. I know what you mean as DS is happiest sleeping in his cot as well!

I do end up planning my life around his nap times, but on a normal day we would have from 10am - 3pm when he is awake and happy! If he is tired he will sleep in the buggy (if it's constantly moving) or in the sling.

If we've got to go out at 9am though we just do and DS has to lump it, sometimes he does need to fit in with me :o

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