What happens if you can’t stay in the same place for the one nap a day?

[BluebelIe]

DS is 13.5 months. He’s usually on 2 naps a day but occasionally will have 1. Today is clearly one of those days. I’ve been trying to get him down since 10:15 but absolutely no joy (despite him being so close to nodding off a couple of times, some crying and rubbing of eyes etc).

OK so fine it’s a one nap day now.

But the thing is that I really need to go out to the supermarket. I can’t stay at home for 1.5 hours now, I need to go out.

This means at best, say DS falls asleep in the car, he’ll have a 15 sleep at best as it’s only a short journey. If he falls asleep in the supermarket then again it’ll only be say 20-30 minutes.

Do one nap days necessarily mean that you just have to accept a really short nap sometimes if you’re out and about?

Honestly I just rolled with it.

Pram was a good place to nap if I could walk to where ever. Otherwise take pram or sling and transfer from car, it’s 50/50 if they stay asleep

If they don’t I would often sit in car a bit also to extend nap. Ie if only 20 min drive and he falls asleep, just park up at supermarket and read yourself for 10/15 extra minutes before going in. Same on return home trips

I found that transfers didn’t work that well for mine, and I wouldn’t risk a short nap on a 1 nap day as I’d pay for it later so I’d typically put mine down in the pram for their nap then go out on foot and they’d have a full nap that way. So in your case I personally wouldn’t drive to the big supermarket over nap time and would instead go where I could reach on foot, order a delivery and/or go out later after nap time.

Can you walk there and he stays asleep in the buggy? Or just go later?

I never stayed in for nap times, mine just slept whenever and wherever, it never did them any harm. On a trip to the supermarket I’d just stay in the car a bit longer as falling asleep in the trolley isn’t very practical.

Unfortunately he wakes on all transfers, and when the engine is turned off!

I guess I will just have to roll with it even if it means him only having a single nap of 20 mins on some days. It can’t be good for him but what can I do?

This morning I’ve been trying to get him down for the past 1.5 hours but with no joy. He’s been awake for over five hours now and is shattered.

But I need to go out so will just have to go out and see what happens.

He also wakes when the pram becomes stationary. He’s always been the same. In those early mat leave days I’d be the only one with an awake baby, trying to eat my brunch with one hand, while everyone else’s babies were sound asleep in their prams! Even the Rockit didn’t work. He’d nod off as I walked to the cafe then wake within five minutes of us getting there.

Will he nap in pram walking? If so I would on days like today just take him for a walk when nap due, or a bit earlier if you need to go out. So a 10am walk, take coffee for you in reusable lidded cup, and just walk an hour or so. Mine also woke up often in still pram, so I walked miles with sling or pram. Good exercise

I walked, a LOT with DTs. I didn’t stop to talk to anyone which probably seemed rude but I had to keep going at the same pace or they’d wake up. When it was really cold a drive around the south circular with the heat on worked. They finally slept in their cots around 15 months.

I would have accepted the not napping this morning, much quicker and gone to the supermarket then so I could be home in time for the later nap.

It's the morning nap that will drop now he's over a year old. Hold that one lightly... sometimes he won't sleep and that's fine, sometimes he'll have 20 minutes in the car/buggy and that's fine. Prioritise a nice long cot sleep in the middle of the day. Better for him and definitely better for you because he won't be miserable all afternoon!

It's really up to you OP. It's normal for him to move to one nap at around this age, so you need to think about how you're going to fit that in. Whether you decide to prioritise staying at home around nap time or just let him have a short nap some days depends on which approach you prefer - and things like how good he is at sleeping in the pram / how tricky he is if he's only had a short nap etc.

I agree with this, I'd try and nudge things further towards 1 nap a day being the norm. Out and about in the morning, then home for earlyish lunch and then focus your efforts on a decent cot nap straight after lunch.

You might even find he starts to sleep more deeply on a single nap having been awake all morning, so may be less likely to wake when you turn the car engine off etc.

Agree he sounds like he is ready for one nap, but with the one nap i would treat is as golden and wouldnt risk transfers that you know wont work! Its such a long way to bed time which in turn i found more difficult with an over tired toddler and poorer quality of night time sleep.

Its seems drastic to block potentially 2 hours of every day out for a nap but its not forever. We often had them out and about but would make sure they could have a full decent nap in a pram / carrier. My kids did not do well with lack of sleep though.

Get a book, iPad, takeaway coffee etc and embrace driveway naps!! Otherwise you'll pay for it later when he's super tired, won't eat, be over tired and make bedtime difficult! It's important he still gets his full hours most days, an odd day missed here and there won't be the end of the world x