Fitting in 2 naps a day for 9-10 month old ds2

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I recently asked if naps were always important for nighttime sleep and got a few replies all saying essentially yes. There were raised eyebrows at the thought that my ds2 might be only getting one nap a day.

Well I do try to get him down in the morning as well as the afternoon but I have to get ds1 to school for 9 (dh around to help but not always), fit in ds2's lunch and any morning activities before that. He won't generally sleep for more than 20-30 mins in his pushchair.

Afternoon nap has to be done by 3 in order to pick up ds1 by 3.30. Although a generally contented baby, ds2 is very easily woken so has to be put down in darkened quiet room to sleep so has to have his nap at home.

How am I supposed to fit in 2 naps a day?

IMO you shouldn't try and fit in 2 naps just because others say so. You have to try and find something that works for your baby and just as importantly for your family.

I didn't read your other thread so not sure what the issue is. How does he sleep at night?

My DS (now 19mo) was having 2 naps until 12 months - because that suited him. one around 10.00-11 and another around 2-3. Since 12 Months he has has napped for around 2 hours after lunch, and sleeps 11.5hrs at night.

Can youngest sleep on the school run in pushchair - 30 mins and then a lunchtime nap from around 1-3pm?

Doubt there's a 'rule' as such - no raised eyebrows from me - but my 9mth DS has around 3hrs per day and sleeps from 7pm-6am (most nights). Like yours, DS has better sleeps at home in cot but if we're put & about he'll have as little as 1.5 hrs (in 30min slots in pushchair/car) and be fine.

I find DS can't manage longer than 4-5 hours during the day without a nap - without melting down.

9 months is very young to drop to just 1 nap (majority of babies do it from 15-18 months) but of course some will do it earlier. And that doesn't mean to say you can't do it at 9 months if its what your LO wants to do! My DS started having 1 nap days at 12 months but he did get very overtired & wasn't able to do it every single day until he was 15 months old. So you may find you are in a transitional period where some days he has just 1, other days he has 2. It must be tough to try & fit it all in around a school run, so I see the benefit of just doing 1.

Short of forcing him down into his cot to sleep in the morning, I don't know how else to get him to have 2 naps. It's not a case of me dropping one of his naps, it's more him deciding when he wants to sleep, in most cases 20-30 mins.

Afternoon naps come and go as well. I normally try to get him ready for sleep by 1 so that he can be woken at 3. Some days he sleeps well. Others, he's awake after 40 mins.

if he isn't having his morning nap anymore, I would definitely encourage you to bring the afternoon nap earlier. It may be he is overtired by 1pm & hence why some days you are getting a short nap. When we first started having 1 nap days at 12 months DS would nap at 11/11.30am for a couple of hours & he would then go to bed early at 6ish & sleep through til between 6-7am. Once he's used to the new routine then you can gradually shift the nap later until its after lunch.

HTH.x

I'd say just let him sleep when he wants to - whether that's no naps a day, or several naps a day. He'll decide himself how tired he is, and will need fewer and fewer naps as he gets older. I just wouldn't let him nap too near bed time!

Agree with omama about bringing afternoon nap forward to transition to one nap. When we first mved down to one nap we moved lunch early or occasionally had it post nap so say lunch around 11:45 and nap around 12:15 ish
You can't force him to have 2 naps. Moght be worth changing his nap ( either morning or afternoon) by 15 mins or so every few days til you are meeting in thhe middle timewise.
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Not sure if this has helped, but good luck

raised eyebrows at your comment. You asked for opinions and don't seem to like them. Do what you want about naps.

Think op is the one needing sleep :)