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What's normal napping at 1?

15 replies

flikka · 15/03/2008 22:39

My DS has just turned one. He's starting to sleep through tho may wake once anytime between midnight and 0530. He's generally awake between 0630 - 0730. Naps 3.5 - 4hrs after he wakes up in the AM, for 1 - 1.5 houra. He generally gets v tired around 4 - 4.30PM and used to sleep always for half an hour to an hour though now not always. We eat around 6.30 - 7 / 30 and he goes to bed around 8/30 (i keep meaning to try to make the whole tea / bedtime routine earlier). Any thoughts about what i should we do about the afternoon nap? Should i abandon it or start putting him in his cot again? I recently stopped putting him in his cot regularly in the PM as despite being tired if i put him in his cot he often won't then fall asleep for up to an hour (but will for example if we're in the car in the PM - and will only sometimes in the buggy). In the AM he will have his nap in the cot / buggy with no problem. Can't say with any conclusiveness whether PM nap affects nighttime sleep for better, worse or even at all.

I feel mean putting him in his cot at 4pm even if he's yawning / rubbing eyes / grumpy because he takes ages to fall asleep in the PM these days (which then delays supper). But if i keep him awake i have a grumpy child to manage (usually on my own) for 4 hours til he goes to bed. Maybe I shouldn't put him in his cot in the PM but let him sleep if we're out in the car? Can anyone tell me what's normal or even if there is a normal at this age?

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ArrietyClock · 15/03/2008 22:57

Not sure there is 'normal'. Dd (13 months) is up at 6.30-7.30 (occasionally 8 ), naps at 11.30/12ish for 45 mins (she's never done longer) and then goes through until bed at 7. I too have found that the afternoon nap just doesn't work any longer so have given up. Bed time is a breeze though (is that courting trouble?) as she is def. ready to sleep by then.

Nemoandthefishes · 15/03/2008 23:02

Dd2 is 14mths and wakes up between 6.30 and 7.30am will nap either in morning or afternoon for an hour then bed at 7pm

trixymalixy · 15/03/2008 23:04

My DS is 13 months. He has a nap of approx 2 hours once a day, generally at about 10.30/11ish. I stopped the afternoon nap when he started to be a nightmare to get to sleep at bedtime.

flikka · 15/03/2008 23:08

How long does he sleep at night Trixy?

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trixymalixy · 15/03/2008 23:40

He's just started sleeping through. Slept 8.15-8.30 night before last! he was up once at 4 last night.

TheAntiFlounce · 15/03/2008 23:43

Shift that morning nap until after lunch. Do this by serving lunch very early (to him) and gradually moving it back and back, until it is mid day. He will have an association of having lunch then having a sleep, and he will have a nice full tum to sleep on. as this nap will be later, he won't need the afternoon one. I did this with both of mine, it works well!

PerkinWarbeck · 16/03/2008 15:06

DD is one, and is cutting down on her sleep. some days (maybe every 3rd day) she can go through to 11, and then have a 2 hour nap. Most days she wants a morning nap though. but I've found that if I let her have a proper nap, she then needs a sleep at 5pm, and wants to be up until 11pm . so if she does want a morning nap, I limit this to 10-15 mins and then wake her. Sounds a bit harsh, but it does seem to work, and means she gets to bed at 7-7.30pm.

MegBusset · 16/03/2008 16:05

I would try shifting the lunchtime nap back til 12ish, then give dinner 5ish and bed for 7/7.30. Whatever works for you though!

flikka · 16/03/2008 19:18

Thanks for all commments. Btw, for those who give tea / dinner around 5 do you give them anything to eat just before sleep or do they go 12 hrs ok without anything?

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Seona1973 · 16/03/2008 19:32

my lo's have dinner at 5pm and then dd (4) has nothing till breakfast but ds (17 months) has a lidded beaker of milk just before he goes upstairs for bedtime stories. DD is in bed for 7.30pm and ds is in bed slightly earlier at 7.15pm. My ds has a nap from 12.15pm (after lunch) for a couple of hours as he cant have it earlier due to the nursery run for dd at 11.30am

MegBusset · 16/03/2008 20:53

DS has a BF before bed (I split this feed before and after bathtime to make sure he gets plenty of milk in him). Then nothing til the morning feed. He does tend to put lots of food away at teatime so it obviously keeps him going all night.

flikka · 19/03/2008 14:47

Thank you i think we are going to move tea back to start with and give milk at bedtime instead then think about moving lunch back and a nap after lunch.

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NellyTheElephant · 19/03/2008 19:49

I think moving the main nap to after lunch is definitely a good plan. DD2 is 13 months and sleeps through 7 - 7 (most of the time - we had a few upsets recently but basically has slept through since a few months old).

I put her back into her cot around 9am - she would sleep for about 1 to 1.5 hrs then but I get her up after about 35 mins as I am a great believer in the lunch time nap and any longer sleep earlier and she won't sleep after lunch. I would expect to drop the morning nap in the next couple of months so she just has one nap after lunch.

She has lunch quite late for a 13 month old as we have to pick DD1 up from nursery, so lunch is around 12.45, then she's into bed at about 1.15 and sleeps for 1.5 to 2 hrs. Tea at 5 / 5.30 then a bottle of milk after her bath (but before teeth cleaning!)

On your routine I would cut that morning nap and move lunch right forward (say to 11.30) then put him straight into bed. Then over a few weeks as he adjusts move lunch back to 12 / 12.30 with nap afterwards. While lunch is early maybe give a banana or raisins or something when he wakes up to get through to tea, and move tea forward to 5 / 5.30 and bed by 7 / 7.30. Soon after a year it is pretty standard (so far as babies are ever standard!) to have one nap of about 1.5 to 2 hours after lunch. Just my thoughts though - feel free to ignore!

flikka · 19/03/2008 23:09

Very helpful thank you. How do you manage teeth cleaning with dd2 btw? I have just started a thread on that.

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pedilia · 19/03/2008 23:12

DD is 14 months she is up around 7:30,lunch at about 11:45, nap at 12:30. I wake her for the school/nusery run.
Then tea at 5pm,playtime,bath then bed

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