Is this the best way to transition to 1 nap?

[Leosmama]

We're really in the throes of the 2-1 nap transition, and it feels like we're never going to get there!  Anyway, here is my latest plan for a daily routine, although I'm not so sure it's the right one:

-4:45-5:45am wakeup and nurse (this is another whole topic; perhaps you've seen my angst-filled posts on this)
-7:00am breakfast (solids and water)
-anywhere from 9:00-10:00 he'll take a catnap, usually in the stroller and lasting about 30 min.; also, sometimes I still give him a mid-morning nursing along with a little snack (muffin, bagel, etc.)
-11:00am lunch (solids, milk and water)
-2:00ish to about 3:30ish, nap; snack upon waking up from nap
-5:00pm dinner (solids, milk)
-nurse at bedtime, which if he naps till 3 or 3:30, is around 7pm

Basically, we're in that "one nap is not enough, two naps is too much" nightmare.  Because he's waking so early in the morning, there's no way he can make it till after lunch for that one nap of the day.  However, if I let him nap in the morning (either an hour in his crib, or the catnap in the stroller), it's so hard or even impossible for him to take an afternoon nap.  Then, if I persevere and get him down for that p.m. nap, he's not able to fall asleep at bedtime till somewhere between 7 and 8 pm (which I know is too late with such an early morning wakeup).

I've tried putting him down for the p.m. nap earlier, like around 12:00-12:30, but he's so awake and playful that it just doesn't happen.  It seems like even with a quick catnap in the a.m., he's got enough juice to last at least 4 more hours.

Should I try keeping him up till about 10:30-11:00, and let him have a long nap then?  The reason I've been afraid to do this is because that's still too early for him to make it till bedtime, and he absolutely cannot catnap in the late afternoon (it's always a huge disaster, he's super cranky afterwards).

What are your thoughts?  I appreciate any and all suggestions...

[mumofoscar]

Dear Leosmama
I have no advice to offer you except to say I could have written your post myself.  We had a 4.30am wake up this morning and after trying to settle for 1 hour 15 min my DH gave up. I had put him to bed at 6.20 last night to see if the earlier bedtime might help but he just woke up an hour earlier. I have been doing the 6.30 to 7 bed time for a week but it has made no difference to my DS sleeping later, but I have noticed that if he is awake for too long (ie >5 hours) if he has just the one nap he wakes earlier, but the thing is like you sometimes you cannot get him to take another. Yesterday I drove around in the car for an hour but he just wouldnt sleep (and this usually guarantees a nap). Dont have any answers just the same questions as you, and I will be waiting to see what people can suggest. BTW my DH seems to think we just have to wait until my LO can tolerate the longer awake time and things might start to work themselves out. May be something in it?

[Isaac's_mom]

I went through this with Isaac too. First you need to get his wake-up time later. Its so early because he is overtired. I would give him a short (20-30 minutes, defenetly less then 1hr) about 3 hrs after he wakes up, so about 8am. Then wake him up at 830-845am. Take him outside after this and make sure you do a highly active time, then start winding down around 1130 and feed him lunch around noon. Then but him down for a nap at 1pm.

Another thing I would suggest is to give him an earlier bedtime, just until he catches up on his sleep. They you can push it back to 7pm. I would try having him asleep by 630-645pm. This doesn't meen he will wake up earlier, he may even sleep in later for you. But if he doesn't, at least he is getting an eztra half hour of sleep a night, which will help with him being overtired. I would also give this new routine about a week of being totally consistant with it, before you change anything else.

Also, I have found that with my son if I set him to a clock he does much better. He takes a 30min nap at 9am and 2-2.5hrs at 1pm. He is totally y around 9am, but we go to his room and I turn of the lights give him his paci, turn on his sound machine, and lay him down in his crib and he knows its time to nap and goes to sleep. Setting him to a clock seamed to set his internal clock better.

I hope that helps. Post back and let us know if you are having any progress!