I just can't get the hang of going from 2 naps to 1 - how do you do it?

[Weegle]

DS is 14months. Some days he needs 2 naps and goes down for them no problem but some days (like today) it starts like any other day and then when I come to put him down for his morning nap he SCREAMS. So I've got him up, he's now playing happily but will need to only have one nap today else it'll be so late by the time he goes to bed, but he'll be too tired later on with only one! And I have to get him through lunch when he'll be grumpy because he's tired. I just can't seem to decide if a) he's trying to drop a nap and b) how the heck to go about it smoothly?? I didn't have this much trouble dropping the 3rd nap, it just happened of it's own accord. How did you do it? How long did it take? What time does your LO wake and what time do they have their nap and for how long?

What is he usual routine - what times are his naps, when is lunch, when is tea, when is bedtime ?

His first nap is approx 3 hours after he wakes (9.30/10am). Sleeps approx 30min-1hour. Lunch at Noon. Second nap approx 3.5 hours after waking from first so approx 1 or 2pm, sleeps for about 1-1.5 hours. Tea at 5pm. Bed about 7pm. Timings are rough as I like to go by when he is actually tired etc than the clock but that's about how it works each day.

Feed him little and often in the morning, or try him with a light lunch/small portion at 11/1130am.

Put him down for a nap as soon after that as he's tired (1130/12 maybe?) - don't worry if he skips lunch and wakes up ravenous. He can have a big meal then, or a snack before tea, depending on what he had earlier.

It's an awkward stage when they want to sleep through lunchtime.

Does that sound workable?

Yes I'll give that a go thank you. Is it normal for them to need 2 some days and only one another? How do you tell what sort of day it is? And how long does this stage last before they are consistently just having the one nap?

I think the sign for my DS (12mo) was that he kept screaming when I tried to put him down! It was when he was about 10 1/2 months, I think. I think a few days I just hadn't got the patience to persevere through the screams so gave up and discovered he was fine. Slept a little earlier after lunch and for a little longer but didn't seem to flag in the morning and was fine in the evening too.

He was doing similar to yours and now sleeps for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours at some point after lunch usually starting about 12.30 but depending on whether it's a nursery morning and how early he's woken (we don't go by the clock either)

oh crumbs! i recently started a thread cos ds 11mths always creates when he goes down for his morning nap. I wonder if he doesn't need it? His usual routine is wake
6.30/7am
nap 3hrs later (ish) for 1.5hrs
wake, have lunch
nap around 3 hrs later for 1hr
bed around 4 hrs after that
The fact that he naps for 1.5hrs after his scream/rant/shout makes me think he still needs the sleep but is just objecting? but i do wonder if he actually is growing out of it?
Also like Weegle, I don't know how I would stretch him to last until post lunchtime for a nap and then if he sleeps too early after lunch then he won't make it to 8pm bedtime. (If he goes to bed any earlier then he wakes around 5:30 ). Bloody minefield this mothering innit?! Can't believe i survived the first time round with dd

My DD is 11 months (Cruise, they'll soon be 1!!! how did that happen?)

Anyway, she's recently started to take longer to settle also and think she's probably dropping her morning nap but like you guys there is no way she'd be able to go until after lunch and given that we've only just got into a routine I don't want to give it up. I love my morning coffee and mumsnet time. So is the general advice an early lunch and a lunchtime nap?

Does anyone know when too much day time sleep starts to impact on night time? Recently she's been really hard to settle in the evening and not going down until about 8-8.30 (I wish that meant she slept until 6.30 too Cruise) seems this baby has an aversion to too much sleep.

Just drop the earlier one and put down for second nap earlier if he seems to be flagging.

DD used to have one nap at 11ish and one at 3ish. We then joined a toddler group that went on til 11.30 three days a week so she started having her morning nap later and having lunch a bit later when she got up (she was way too tired to have it before nap in the beginning). She then didnt seem to want the afternoon nap most days so i'd put her in cot and leave her for 30 mins, if she slept then fine, if not just got her up again (used to put a book in there with her and put relaxing music on so she didnt mind being in there even if not sleepy). Then as she got more used to going down later i started giving her lunch before her nap (unless she is really tired in which case she still has sleep then lunch) and she dropped the afternoon one completely. hth

hi ginger . you still suffering with sleepless dd? I do really hope it is getting better/has got better for you . Yeah, the nap thing - wonderous isn't it . I love the baby free time and it is much needed as he is in to everything. Almost walking and a real lively little boy! One next month . I just cannot believe it!!!! It really has gone so quickly - even the bad bits make me feel nostalgic!
I think I will keep to the two naps for now. He does sleep for 1.5hrs once he has stopped moaning about it so he does need it I guess. The switch from two to one nap was a p.i.t.a from my recollection fo that time with dd. I was afraid to go out at certain times in case she nodded off too early/too late etc. Aaaaagh! Wil brace myself over the next couple of months and monitor his level of resistance . Oh and well done on the napping thing. I seem to recall we both had horrendous power nappers many moons ago

Ok I have decided to bite the bullet and go for it! I was in the car today at both usual times for nap on long journies - and both times it took 45 min beyond when I would expect for DS to sleep so I figure he just doesn't need the two as the car is a sure fire way of getting him to sleep! So tomorrow I will attempt to get him through the morning to an early lunch and then just one nap. I SOOOOOO hope it works as I'm seeing a friend for the morning and don't much fancy having a tantrum to deal with! Thanks for all your advice everyone.

weegle - how was your day?

I think I may have messed it up already! He woke really early so I thought, no way is he going to cope on one nap so persevered through him complaining and got him to sleep 9.30-10.30 but now he won't go to sleep this afternoon! So I've got to get him from 10.30 to bed time! aarrghhhhh! So tomorrow I will be stronger and aim for a nap around 11/11.30 and a late lunch. Can't believe how hard I'm finding this transition when dropping three to two was such a doddle!

Dd (17mo) just started going longer before needing her morning nap. She wakes around 7am and used to start flagging by 10am but now she goes until 11.30 at least. She then sleeps until around 1-1.30 and has lunch when she wakes up. I give her a snack at around 10 to keep her going and she has milk just before her nap.
Sometimes she needs to go down earlier than this, if she had a disturbed night or a busy day the day before, and on those days she still has 2 naps - but they are getting rarer and rarer.

weegle - better luck today !
Tigerschick - well done for lasting until 16mths. I hope ds does the same . What do you do about bedtime once they drop to one nap? my ds currently goes from 8pm - 7/7.30am but there is no way he could manage from waking after one nap around 1pm to bedtime. I don;t want to jeopardise his wonderous waking up time by putting him to bed too early. Mind you, judging by his sleep patterns currently, I will not be doing this in the immediate future {{hopeful emoticon}}.

The transition took quite a while for us too. I kind of made a rule that if he hadn't gone to sleep by 9.30, morning nap was abandoned (otherwise whole day would be bggred) and he had to stay up til 11./11.30 Then he'd sleep then & either go to bed 6-6.30 (since he already gets up at 5-5.30!), or have a catnap about 4 and bed at 7. EVen now he has real problems getting through the day especially since he makes it a 14 hour one with the early wakeup... and sometimes I just have to let him doze for 10 mins (no longer!) in the morning to take the edge off.

well yesterday actually worked out ok in the end. he made it all the way to 7pm from waking at 10.30am!!!! I was amazed. He was out like a light and we had the best night out of him we've had in ages - woke at 7.30 this morning, I was so pleased. So today he went down at 11.30 - I think he could have gone longer but we were going out at 1pm and I wanted him to have a decent one. So I think he was definitely ready I just needed to bite the bullet. Still wish he needed two for my time outs though, but never mind!

weegle - well done to your lo . Yes, you may now mourn the loss of your brief daily respite! Still, make the most of the one remaining nap while it lasts