17 month old day nap problems after holiday..

[facejacker]

We just got back from holiday about 1 week ago, and since then 17 month old DS is having real trouble napping during the day. He was fine the first 3-4 days after the holiday but since yesterday has been a real nightmare to settle during the day. He cries and cries whenever I put him down in his cot (but happily goes into it at the end of the day)..

Our routine before the holiday was:
6-6.30 Wake
11.30-1.30 Day time nap
7-7.30 Bath and nap.

More or less worked like a dream.

But now everything's gone to pot. I'm thinking I should try putting him down later-about 12.30? The irony is from about 10.30 am he shows all the signs for wanting to sleep (rubbing eyes etc) but gets manic whenever I put him down. I should say he's very calm when I first put him down and leave the room, but starts crying about 5-10 mins after...

Any advice?

It may be he is just unsettled from the change in routine during the holiday - did he sleep in your room with you while you were away? Anything different to at home?

I did find 17-18 months a tricky age though. There is a big wonder week (developmental leap) at 17 months & the 18 month regression soon follows. I also found at around that age that my DS need a slightly later nap, at 16/17 months we fell into the following routine

Up: 7am
Nap: 12.30-2.30
bed: 7.30

As he got to 19/20 months his nap moved again to 1pm.

So if you don't feel the holiday is the issue then it is possible your DS's cries are because he's not tired enough to nap at 11.30 anymore. My DS always cries more at nap/bedtime when hes not tired enough than when he's overtired. Has he always woken at 6-6.30 or is that also a fairly recent thing? When my DS started to wake earlier that was also usually a sign he needed a later nap.

If you try moving the nap later I wouldn't push it all the way to 12.30pm in one go though or he may get overtired. I would do it in 15min increments, every 5-7 days, so it may take 3-4 weeks in total to achieve. IME slowly slowly is always best.

HTH.x

IME this is the time when the nap moves into the afternoon.

I would go with it rather than fighting, it can be a pain in terms of lunch and planned activities for a while but soon it will be the new normality.

Can you get him to sit and have a snack, or maybe 15 mins of TV at the time he used to nap if he seems tired then but won't drop off?