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Transitioning from 2 naps to 1 - advice please

2 replies

AngelDog · 06/12/2010 21:06

I think 11 m.o. DS is working on changing from 2 naps to 1 (it's young for that, I know, but he was earlier than many babies to drop his third nap).

His routine was:

6.30 up
9am nap for 30-35 mins
1pm nap for 2 hours
7pm bedtime

Now it's:

6.30 up

9.30/10.00 nap 30-35 mins
14.00 nap for 2+ hours
20.00/20.30 bedtime

He gets tired after a longer period awake, but is wanting to sleep for more than 2 hours at the second nap - up to 3 hours if I let him. However, if he sleeps 2 hours it'll be 4 - 4.5 hours before he'll get sleepy again, and even longer if he's napped longer. That's making bedtime really late.

The late bedtime doesn't result in later waking the next morning, although we've had a few 5am wakings lately.

I'm going to shuffle his first nap a bit later which hopefully should stop the 5am waking, but that will make the second nap even later.

Should I try to shorten his second nap so that I can make bedtime earlier, or try for a single nap starting late morning, and then go for a really early bedtime?

He seems tired in that he's trying to sleep for more than 2 hours for his second nap, and is self-settling between sleep cycles then, which he only does when very tired. But he's not showing signs of overtiredness like being awake for long periods in the night.

OP posts:
lovelymama · 08/12/2010 22:15

Wow, you've really analysed this!! Why don't you try one of your options and see how it goes for a week or so and if it doesn't work try the other option? I'm sure you'll find a way.

DS dropped his morning nap around this age but it was a testing month while he struggled to stay awake until the lunchtime nap. I just let him have a very short nap in the buggy in the morning as he would never nap for long there anyway (less than 30 mins) then he could usually hang on til 12.20 for his lunch time nap. But on the days when he missed the morning nap all together I'd just let him have his long lunchtime nap earlier, say 11.45-2.15.

Don't take it too seriously though. It's just a month or so transition period then he'll be settled in a new routine

AngelDog · 09/12/2010 20:39

Failure to think about things is not one of my weaknesses. Grin

You're right - I'll just give something a whirl.

We did a one-nap day today as we overslept and I think he could really have done with two, so that's been a useful lesson.

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