Need help to work out what time to do 1 nap

[15milner]

As Angela suspected, i think Andrew is trying to tell me that he wants to move to 1 nap a day (for the past 6 weeks he's been waking somewhere between 5-6am and I'm shattered as it's co-incided with going back to work and andrew starting nursery).  Although, over the past couple of days he's waking now at about 6.15 which is much more reasonable than 5.15 now that an undetected ear infection has resulted in both eardrums perforating and being treated etc(don't know how long that was brewing for )

anyway... I am obsessing over working out when to time this 1 nap and the best approach to transition to it.  Matthew used to wake 7, sleep 11-1, then we'd have lunch and the rest of the day to do things together, it worked REALLY well.

I don't know how to move to 1 nap, if he's waking at 6ish, get a decent nap and bedtime sorted.  today he
woke 6am and fed,
S - 10 - 12.15
missed a feed but immediately to have pizza out with MIL
Fed - 4.30
Tea - 5.15
Asleep - 6.30
I wonder what will happen in the morning?

I have been very reluctant to recognise the 2-1 transition.

* I NEED those 3 morning nap times when Matthew is at preschool to prepare for teaching my Reception class on thursday and friday and in the next 3 weeks I have reports to write on children i've only taught for 10 days.
*  I can't move Andrew sleeping 11-1 or even 10-12 as preschool pickup is 11.30, so I have to leave before that to get there.
* If andrew sleeps 12-2, I am seriously anxious and stressed out when to get my work done and balance playing with the boys and getting house chores done and there are some chores I just don't like doing when they are awake.  (by the time the boys are in bed and dinner's cooked and eaten, I'm in no fit mental state to think about work at 9pm - nor do I really fancy doing the ironing then either, I'd quite like some time for me if at all possible)

Sorry if this has been confusing and if anyone has any suggestions what i can do I would be really really grateful, my mind is constantly working through what if scenarios and I haven't got ANY solutions.

THANK YOU for getting through what has turned into a bit of a mini-rant and pity party.

Love you all
alex

[Colin Macs Mom]

Alex, I'm going to move this to toddler sleep since Andrew is 1 already (what's up with that anyway??).

We had a hard time too with the transition because Colin wasn't really ready yet but that was when he was starting daycare and he HAD to be on one nap at least most days to work with their routine. He was going three days a week so before he started we would do one nap one day a week.... and then when he was ok with that we did two... and when he started daycare he did one nap there those three days and then had two naps the other 4 days. He gradually worked into one nap every day on his own after that.

So I don't know that I have any real advice for you but I totally relate to your stress. 

[15milner]

Thanks Jess - toddler sleep - ALREADY - As you say - when did that happen

[lilmonkey]

Hi Alex,

Hugs.  I can undertand the stress you are feeling.  I was reluctant to accept that ds is on the 2-1 nap transition as well but then I realized that I HAVE to have him on one nap by Sept b/c of dd's school run and his nap HAS to be after 12pm. 

It's suggested that you can shorten the am nap and move the pm nap up till you finally get rid of the am nap altogether.  Or you can just keep the am nap and have the pm nap as a catnap.  Either way it will be a time of wonky and wacky days and nights. 

Hopefully you will get more suggestions as to the best way to do this so you can still get some me time.