Moving from 2 naps to 1 - roughly when?!

[Incapinka]

The clocks changing has clashed with DS (10 months) working out how to get from his tummy to sitting and now bedtimes/naptimes includes me walking up and down the stairs a lot to check he is either in a sensible position/wrestle him back into his sleeping position/add a blanket.

Anyhow he used to go down for naps and bedtime really easily but am wondering whether he needs to drop a nap and whether that would help. His afternoon sleep - usually from 4 til 5 - isnt really happening but when he does fall asleep i have to wake him. If he doesnt sleep (I can hear him wringling around now!) he is shattered and we bring bedtime forward to between 6.30 & 7 rather than 7.30.

So what would you do - push the morning sleep to a later morning/lunchtime sleep and then an earlier bedtime or carry on working to the usual routine and see whether it is just a developmental phase? When did your LOs drop to 1 nap?

Thanks so much

I would try and push the morning nap later so its over lunchtime then maybe put him to bed earlier.

At that age my DD had about 40 mins at 9am then 2hrs around 1pm, then was in bed by 7pm.

She has been hit and miss with her morning nap from about.12 months old, she is now 14 months and just has the afternoon nap. I have found if she sleeps past 3pm then she doesn't sleep as well in the night.

Hth

I've been wondering for 3 months now and have just done an experimental one nap day and concluded DD (12mo) is not ready. She goes through week-long phases where everything goes up the spout. I am sure things are changing but I don't think we're there yet. Why not try for a few days and see what happens?

Btw I am no expert but the napping pattern you mention does seem a little unusual to me - most of my DDs contemporaries who are stillon 2 naps have one about 9.30am and one about 13.00. Though having said that there are often babies (Inc mine) grabbing a late nap at nursery when I pick her up.

My DS was about 1 when he dropped his morning nap. It just became more and more difficult to get him to settle, and if he was out and about and entertained he seemed to be alright. He naps from 1.30pm until around 4ish, or closer to 5 on a very tired day, and goes to bed around 7.30pm. He occasionally wakes up about an hour into his nap but I just go up and give him a cuddle, tell him it's naptime and he goes back down no bother :) I know he is ready to get up when he wakes up happy and chatty. If he is crying when he wakes he is not ready.

Based only on experience with my DD now 11 mo, would agree that to push the morning sleep back could work, and then the late afternoon one will just drop away. We were keeping her going in the morning until 11.30 ish (drink and biscuit at 10 tended revive an energy dip at that time), letting her nap until lunch at 1 ish (which is ideal as she is then awake and hungry to eat), and then a short nap at 4 ish. Bathed and in bed at 7.30. She's recently dropped the late afternoon one (dancing round the cot instead of going to sleep) and has kept going to bedtime. Nursery have also got her to one longer lunchtime sleep and she's been fine there. Hope this helps.

My DS is just doing this at nearly 15mo. Some days he sleeps 9-10 and 1-2.30 like always, sometimes like today 9-11.30 then nothing. He was so naughty and exhausted this evening, poor thing. He normally goes to sleep at 7 but at 6.30 tonight I popped him in his cot while I went to get his favourite book and when I returned 30s later he was snoring

Anyway - been discussing wih his CM and we're going to gradually push his morning nap later till it's after lunch. I'll keep our bedtime as it's 7 but I guess you could bring yours forwar a bit? CM like 75 above said a snack at 10 to keep him going and doing something exciting, although they go to playgroup every morning at 10 so that's fine.

I will miss his morning nap - that's when I shower!

Am confused Incapinka - are you trying to drop the afternoon nap or the morning nap? He is currently only having 2 naps? If so, what time are these?

For a 10 month old, I wouldn't be attempting only one nap a day, it's not enough sleep. At this age, they are normally on a short 30 min nap around 9.30am (assuming wake up of 7am) and a longer lunchtime nap of 2 hours from around 12.30 - 2.30pm. This is what I'd be doing until the morning nap is then dropped (usually 14ish months) and you end up with the long lunchtime nap right in the middle of the day.

Thanks for replying. I really don't want him to drop either of his naps but he seemed pretty keen. I am hoping that it's mainly down to the clocks changing and not helped by his new trick of sitting up. At the moment (on a 2 nap day) he gets up at about 745 and then has a nap from about 1030-12. His next nap used to then be at about 330 and would be woken by 5 at the latest. He is a funny chap as in he doesn't usually sleep in either the buggy or the car. I managed to get him to sleep twice today which was excellent but did take some cajoling as he kept wanting to show me how clever he was at sitting up. I did think duct tape would be helpful... (obviously a joke!). However yesterday he refused his afternoon nap and so was awake from 12 until 630 which seems crazy. Am hoping he settles back into his 2 sleeps very soon and will persevere. I am going to kick myself for saying this but 99% of the time he sleeps for 12 hours at night.

Typically I spoke too soon! The munchkin has been chatting in his cot on and off for the last hour and a half!

I have just gone through similar with DD now 13 months. Around the 10month mark it got harder and harder to get her down for a nap. So at 11 months we went to two naps and her total sleep went up.

To start with I gave her a big morning tea and put her down at 11.30. Made late afternoon tough, but I moved dinner earlier and put her to bed earlier.

Now she has lunch at 11.30 and is in bed for a nap by 12.30pm at the latest. She will sleep for between 2 and 3 hours.

Sometimes if we are out in the car around 11am she will nod off, so I try and avoid this, or if unavoidable I give her a big morning tea and can transfer her in to bed when we get home.