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Moving to one nap - not sure if it's the right thing

5 replies

user1474565301 · 30/04/2017 19:22

My daughter is 14 1/2 months old and is very alert, so finds it difficult to wind down. She had settled into a reasonable 2-nap routine for a good while, but for the last few months, these naps have been erratic, with some becoming short occasionally and the afternoon one becoming increasingly difficult to achieve, often not happening at all, as I tried for so long that it got too late in the day. The morning nap has gradually become later too.
This has progressed so that for the last 4 days, she has been refusing her morning nap completely (as soon as we go upstairs and draw the curtains, she cries, pushes away from me and I can't even get her into her sleeping bag). She just became hugely distressed, had maybe 30 mins sleep all day and then been overtired and virtually passed out at bedtime.
So today, I tried at the usual time of 9.30am, she refused, the same happened at 10am and 10.30am. But at 11.30am, she went to sleep with no fuss at all and slept for 1 1/2 hrs, grumpy and seeming still tired.
For an hour or so before the nap and before bedtime, she seemed irritable and hyperactive. Is it usually like this while they get used to the change or have I done the wrong thing and just need to find other ways to get her down for two naps?

OP posts:
Pebbles17 · 30/04/2017 19:36

We have just moved to 1 nap a day after 14 month old LO started to REALLY refuse the morning nap and then I had no chance of getting her back down for an afternoon

She gets the same as yours, really irritable a while before she would nap. My LO is also very alert and active so I have found I need to help her have a little 10/15 min sit down by giving her the comforter and dummy and we cuddle on the sofa whilst watching nursery rhymes on the TV. This is the only way I can get her to actually sit still and it really helps. She then pushes through to around 5 hours after waking and manages the rest of the afternoon after a 2 hour nap without getting to be a complete grotbag :)

dementedpixie · 30/04/2017 19:40

Mine dropped to 1 nap at 11 months

user1474565301 · 04/05/2017 09:25

Thanks for your replies.

We have done 4 days of one nap so far at 11.30am. I know it's best to change over gradually, but LO will not give in to sleep any earlier, whatever I do. She is napping at 11.30am for 60-90 mins and she wakes up grumpy. It is clearly not enough for her, but I can't resettle her. I have tried lots.
She is also waking during the night, so it seems she is overtired and this is why these things are happening.
What can I do? In people's experience, might she adjust and eventually take a longer nap? I've been putting her to bed earlier at 6.30pm to try to let her catch up a bit.

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FATEdestiny · 04/05/2017 10:06

she wakes up grumpy

Does she stay grumpy? Some people/babies just need time to come around properly when waking up.

she has been refusing her morning nap completely (as soon as we go upstairs and draw the curtains, she cries, pushes away from me and I can't even get her into her sleeping bag).

This does not sound to me like a toddler not needing a nap. It sounds like an over-tired toddler who is developing poor behaviour around going to sleep.

In my experience the signs for baby being ready for dropping the nap is that baby is happy/non-grumpy/non-tired for longer between sleeps. No cajoling needed or battles at sleep time.

Has the cot / sleeping bag become a battle ground with negativity attached? It shouldn't be, the cot/bedding should be a comforting thing, a nice place.

I would probably take sleep out of the cot for a while, to establish positivity around nap time. Or make yourself a bed next to the cot and sleep with her throughout her daytime naps. Make it a nice, lovely, cuddly mummy-time.

user1474565301 · 04/05/2017 19:16

Thank you FATEDestiny. I hadn't thought of this, but it does make sense. My health visitor suggested the same thing today. It seems that by trying too hard, I may have created problems which weren't there before.
I have been struggling with pnd and have realised that I need to stop trying to 'fix' my little girl and fix myself instead!
Thanks again for the honest opinion.

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