anyone want to chat about the 2-1 nap switch?

[Critter]

I am back.  Did ya miss me? 

I thought Luke was ready for 1 nap not too long ago, but I just moved both naps later and he did great.  Now it seems as though maybe we're going to have a few days of 2 naps and a few days of 1.  Yesterday we put him down and he slept for about 45 min before church and then another nap from 2-3:30.  Today, though, he played in his crib from 9:30-10:30 so I just got him up.  He has a cold right now, so I don't know if that is throwing him off or what.  He had lunch and was OUT by 11:30.  I was just reading some of the earlier posts that said 11:30 was too early so maybe tomorrow if he isn't too keen on the morning nap, we'll wait until noon.  I just don't know what to do.  I think I'll follow his lead, though.  As long as he wants the morning nap, he can have it.  If he plays and sings in the crib, then we'll do one nap.  Kinda makes it hard to structure the day, but what's a mama to do?

[lucmom]

Do people fix bedtime according to nap  length on daily basis once they transition to one nap? Like if he wakes at 2 hours from his nap I think he can go to bed at 7 if i want but if he wakes later, i t hink he wont actually go to sleep until 7:30.. Do normal people adjust this daily?

Stacy,
Did you ever get feedback on these questions?  We're in the middle of an all-over-the-place schedule and not sure how to adjust.

And everyone,
Do you all think it works better to try for 2 naps on early waking days or risk the 11:00-11:30 nap that doesn't go long enough to make it to regular bedtime, and then do early bedtime?  Does anyone know if one way tends to be more successful than the other or does it depend on the individual baby?

[rebecaq]

Yesterday, Santiago had a 30 min nap in the am and then a 5 hour nap in the pm. He got up at 6 pm which is dinner time! He was acting sleepy by 8 pm which is regular bedtime, so I put him to bed thinking it would work. WRONG-O!!!! He played in his crib from 1:45 to 2:30 ( happily so I did not go in ) fell back asleep and then again at 5:15, fell asleep and woke up at 6:45, his regular time.  Needless to say he was totally dragging by 10:30 this morning so he had an early lunch and milk and was napping by 11. Let's see what happens today.

[Critter]

Bec, I think it's because he's been sick and he's "off".  Mine had his morning nap an hour early today and he's in his bed now talking to the stuffed animals before nap #2.  I am thinking that he'll probably have 1 or 2 days a week with one nap but the majority of the time still he needs both.

[rebecaq]

Well, the way I measure it he needs waking or not is by opening the blinds and leaving the door open. If he wakes it's b/c he's had anoeugh sleep. If not, then he's out like a light and needs it. He spent 2.5 hours with the blinds and door open. He needed it.

And you're right Amy, he's been sick and just not right lately, so he needed his loooooooong a$$ nap! LOL

[rebecaq]

So yesterday he had a 2 hour nap in the am and a 2.5 hour one in the pm, which I did have to get him up for at 7 pm!!!! He went to bed at 9 and was up and messing around by 5    Please tell me this transition won't be forever! He's driving me mad! 

[**Clare**]

Were still in between! Today he had a very short nap in the morning at nursery and went down again at half 1, so he will be up at 4 as I need to go out and will hopefully be fast asleep again by 8! Fingers crossed!! This is quite normal for him but some days he'll have an hour at nursery and then wont go down for a nap till 2 ish then hes later getting up and later going to bed!! It'll all change next week when Jake goes back to school! He'll have to be up by 3 no matter what so hes ready to go get Jake from school! So.... my plan is to keep the a.m nap short pick him up from nursery at 12.45 put him down for 1 then he can have 2 hours... bet it doesn't work!!!

[rebecaq]

** groan ** I was hoping in my heart of hearts you weren't going to say that. Even though I knew deep down that was probably it. Well I got him up from his am nap, it was 2 hours. Waht do you recommend for the pm nap?

[rebecaq]

Ok, so since his am nap was 2 hours, should I only let him nap 1 hour this afternoon?


Thanks so much for your help 

[rebecaq]

You make complete sense  Thanks Stacy, let's see how he does tomorrow. He talked in his crib for about 40 mins before falling asleep, but when I poked my head to get a sneak peek he was kneeling with his eyes closed and rubbing them.

  Silly boy 

[CaedensMama]

Okay - I don't have time to read this whole thread - so where do I start?

Naps have been really off this week.
USUALLY our am nap is the longer of the two - at least an hour and usually and hour and a half with an occassionally 2+ hours. The pm nap is usually an hour, every now and then 45 minutes or a bit longer then an hour.

This week they have been all over - morning naps ranging from 30-90 minutes and pm naps ranging from 0-60 minutes.
His nighttime sleep is seemingly unaffected at this point  He is sleeping 7-7:30 until about 7 - give or take 20 minutes in the morning.

Do I force a short am nap and try somehow to extend the pm? When I have tried this it has been unsuccessful in the past. Up to this point we are at the best we have had of a consistent hour.

I don't think we are ready to totally drop the am nap yet - most days he can't make it past 9:30 or 10 without needing to sleep.

Any thoughts?

[rebecaq]

Jen,

Hi!

Well, we're going through screwy naps right now too. and what I'm doing (as of today) is letting him nap only 45 mins in the am, at around 10 - 10:30, give him lunch exactly at 12 and I'm planning on putting him down again at 2 - 2:30 and see how it goes.  I think it's easier for them to ahve a longer pm nap becuase in my experience a long afternoon is hard on Santi. He gets cranky and surly by betime.

I'm going to go put him down now and see how it goes, fingers crossed!

[CaedensMama]

Well - he napped 40 minutes this morning - from 10:10 to 10:50 and it's 10 after 2 now and I just put him down - if only he will sleep more then an hour..............

[Messa]

I think we are on our way to this transition.  Not sure exactly how to work it and her feeding schedule though!!!  She is waking at about 7:30-8:00am I am puting her down for nap around 11:30 and she has been sleeping until abut 2-2:30 (2X she has woken up after an hour though so she had 2 naps that day    )  She can stay up for quite a while now she goes is in bed around 7:30!!!  How do I fit her feeds in also?  She takes 3 bottles a day and I am trying to feed her three solid meals a day?  Any suggestions about adjusting her schedule is most welcome!!

[rebecaq]

Well it has been awful today. He has completely refused the pm nap, but is just as cranky and pvertired as they come. But since dinner time is 30 mins away I can't put him down right now. I think it would be cruel to put him down for 30 mins to get him up again.

And since I was up all night with a sick dh you can jsut imagine what my mood is like.

Siiiiigh, hopefully tomorrow it wil be better.