14 month old on 1 nap day

[patsy32]

Hi Ladies,
Just wanted to get some advice from all the other Mummy's on here. My dd is 14 months old and has been transitioning to a 1 nap day since roughly 9 months old. About 2/3 weeks ago I bit the bullet and went for it. All going okay so far but I am worried that she is having too long of an A time in the am before her nap. She's in creche 5 days a week & I pick her up at 1.30 & it's usually anywhere between 1.45/2.00pm when she falls asleep, mostly in the car! She sometimes cries in car before falling asleep & usually sleeps anywhere between 1-2 hrs but usually it's more likely to be 1.5 hrs. She's in bed for 7.00/7.15pm depending on nap & sleeps 12 hr night. I am just so afraid that she's having a far too long A time in the am leaving her nap short due to OT.

What do you think, is this routine okay for a 14 month old or  will it come back to bite me in the ass if OT sets in!! Please advise

[HenaV]

Hi!

Could you do me a favour and post your Lo's day in EAS format - it's easier to see the day and spot what you could tweak yk?

Thanks

Hena

[patsy32]

Hi Hena,

At the moment her day goes like this

WU - 7.15/7.30 am
Nap - anywhere between 1.45 - 2.00 pm (sleeps between 1 hr to 2 hrs but usually 1.5 hrs
BT - 7.00/7.15pm or 3.5 hrs after nap
Usually sleeps 12 hrs but less if later to bed!

Hope this helps shed more light on her routine. I am just afraid her morning A time is too long but I collect from creche at 1.30 pm & the toddler's only go down for nap at 12.30. This is where I'm getting caught out with her time wise and when I do collect her she can really cry in car before falling asleep or will wake after an hr in bed screaming but usually goes back to sleep if I leave her, however, we have had the odd occasion where she wouldn't go back to sleep so 1 hr nap would be it till BT
Any ideas please?

[HenaV]

Hi again,

Yes that really helps, thanks.

Looking at your day, I'd say you were spot on. - the morning a IMO is too long. Atbthis age I'd be shooting for a 11.45/12noon nap with a 7.15/30 WU. That said, you mention in your last post she SSTN for 12h, so what negative effect do you think the late nap is having.

Hena x

[patsy32]

I just afraid that over time series OT will creep in and start to effect her night sleep. We usually have a few cries around 3 hrs after BT but she goes back to sleep by herself after a few minutes. We can get some EW's also from 6.00/6.30 am but mostly she resettles till 7.00/7.15 am!

She is clearly OT most days when I collect her & cries in the car before falling asleep or wakes up after an hour into nap screaming. Even if she resettles after the 1 hr mark into nap or sleeps straight for 1.5 hrs she's in foul mood for the rest of the evening until BT.

So I'm mostly concerned about OT creeping in and ruining NT sleep and if 1 - 1.5 hrs nap is enough for a 14 month old!

If I could shift her routine to 8.00 am WU that would be perfect but she's a 7.00 am girl and I'm afraid her Mummy is Not...

[HenaV]

It sounds like she already a tad OT hon. I can understand why you're worried. I think you need to move the nap earlier tbh. At this age my dd was napping for 3h in the day BUT she borders on hsn so may not be a good measure for you yk. I've posted a link below which she's typical amounts of sleep at various ages.

Hth

Typical Amounts of Day and Night Sleep

Hena

[patsy32]

Thanks so much Hena for taking the time to help. I really appreciate it.

The only problem with moving her nap earlier is that the toddler's go down at 12.00 ish for their nap & I collect her at 1.30 pm and by the time they all settle down to sleep it's nearly 12.30pm so that's only a 1 hr nap ! I have left it later to collect her to see how that would go but she was waking around 2 pm or when the 1st of the other toddlers wake which left it a very long afternoon for her until BT and cost me extra money that I really can't afford as I only work part time job now!

I really feel that I'm caught from every angle on this one but was hoping in a few months she might be able to cope with the longer morning A time.

Am I only wishfully thinking here!

[HenaV]

I think if you don't have a choice then you are going to have to ride it out, and keep your fingers crossed. If her nap and BT is set the reality is, she will adjust and fit to those times. All LO get OT when your set the nap/BT, so this in effect is no different. Its hard to get her to push the morning out which would help when she OT from her day.

The only other thing I can think you can do it make BT earlier to compensate for the day, or try and get the nursery to put her to bed that bit earlier, or collect her at 2pm so she's at least getting 1.5h?

Not sure what else to suggest my lovely. What do you think?

H

[patsy32]

Thanks again Hena,

Just another question about set nap. If her WU time is 7.15 am and nap at 1.45/2.00pm, what time should I aim for BT to make up for short nap? Would 3 hrs A time in evening be okay? On set times do you stick to the times always or adjust according to length of nap?

Sorry for all the questions but I am a 1st time Mum and none of these answers are in the instructions manual that came with her! (If only babies were that easy) 

I just hope that she adjusts to the set times without much upset! Don't think putting her down earlier would work either as the older toddler's like to chat & have a cot party before falling asleep so I doubt she'd sleep through it and leaving her later didn't work either as she woke as soon as the others woke with some of them near dropping the nap altogether so nap is very short.

I'll stick with the set times I think & hope she adjusts soon. Does it take long for the adjustment do you know?

Thanks again Hena x

[HenaV]

so your LO's current day as posted is:

WU - 7.15/7.30 am
Nap - anywhere between 1.45 - 2.00 pm (sleeps between 1 hr to 2 hrs but usually 1.5 hrs
BT - 7.00/7.15pm or 3.5 hrs after nap
Usually sleeps 12 hrs but less if later to bed!

So I'd shoot for something like this:

WU: 7.15/7.30
nap:1.45/2pm for 1-2h
BT: 6pm (1hour nap)
6.30 (1.5h nap)
7pm (2h nap)

I am only suggesting the above because you say that the nap length is so variable. TBH, if you manage for hr to have one full nap as she needs it, I would try and set nap and BT the same for each day. I know for my DD if I were in your situation, that is what I would have to do. Also, it helps regulate LOs sleep patterns (once they get over the OT). Its a tough one really as setting naps for a 14m old IME is quite unusual.

Hth xx

ps. have a look at this link, I think it might help answer some of your set times questions:

Set naps for toddlers: Why, How and When

H x

[patsy32]

Thanks again Hena for all your help, I really do appreciate it.

Your BT suggestions regarding length of nap is a great help, I never knew what times I should be aiming for. Before I would have let her nap longer at the weekend to help her catch up on lost sleep as I was able to put her down earlier in the day but then would be unsure of BT.

Yesterday was like this

WU - 7.15 am
Nap - 12.50 - 3.30 pm ( had to wake as invited out to dinner)
BT - 7.00 pm (chatted in cot until 7.20 pm)

WU - 7.45 am
Nap - 1.45 pm ( fell asleep in the car on way home )
Think I will wake after 2 hrs if not already awake and set BT for 7.00 pm as you suggested.

So fingers crossed!! Thanks for the link to set naps also,  its great to know that I still have a little bit of flexibility regarding +\- 15 min nap & +\- 30 min BT. Great to  know that until we are fully adjusted to set times.

Thanks again Hena x