ready to change the naps? HELP!

[emily3434]

Hi - I need help!!!!  I feel like SUDDENLY - literally, over the past 4 days, our perfect routine has gone out the window - with no notice!

my LO has just turned 15 months (interestingly 6 days ago) he has been on the following routine since about 10 months:

wake 7-7:30
nap 10:30 (from 40 min-1 hr -- I have been waking at 11:30)
nap 2:30-3 ish for 1-1.5 hours
bed 7:30-8

he was such a stinker about naps as an infant and frequently got OT - like, MAJOR OT drama in our house

at the beginning of the week he wasn't falling asleep until 3:15 or 3:30 - then I would wake at 4:30 to preserve bedtime -- yesterday we got a 20 min. afternoon nap, and today, he may have been asleep a grand total of 10 minutes (he did sleep 1 hr this morning, waking at 11:30)

with all that, he has come down with a cold and has a runny nose - and I imagine we have some teeth coming in (he just popped out his 5th, 6th and 7th teeth in the past 2 weeks.

I am hesitant to change anything with the sickness/teeth, BUT he has been waking several times at night (generally the beginning of the night until around 11 - always puts himself back to sleep), and early in the morning around 6 and falling in/out of sleep until we get him at 7:30.  We have a video monitor - and at bedtime - he lies his head down after 10 or so minutes - then cries out every so often - as if he's trying really hard to fall alseep but can't - I feel like its OT.

Long.....sorry -- but my question - what to do???  My inital resonse to myself, would be to cap the am nap at 20 min. and try for a better/slightly earlier pm nap.    I guess I'm afraid to drop down to 1 nap right away since he always seems to want more sleep when he is teething - and we have several more teeth to come - with the 2 naps still, I have some flexability in letting the am go longer if he needs it.

ug.  but today, really, only 10 min??  so he was awake at 11:30 -- what time for bed?  I am thinking 6:30!!!

[~Karen~]

My inital resonse to myself, would be to cap the am nap at 20 min. and try for a better/slightly earlier pm nap.

That sounds like a good idea.  He's heading towards the 2-1 but you should be able to keep him on two naps for a little while yet.

[emily3434]

thanks for the quick response!  I feel that is the best for now -- so, if I limit the am to 20 min, what would you estimate for the A time before a pm nap?

[~Karen~]

What time will he go back down to you think?  I'd be inclined to have it around 2/230pm and wake by 4pm which should preserve your bedtime of 730/8.  He is on pretty low A times for his age though so you might start finding some nap refusal in the future!

[emily3434]

Last night I put him to bed at 6:45 - didn't hear a peep all night.  he woke between 7-7:30 (he is so content in his crib I'm never sure exactly when he wakes).  I plan on waking him at 11:15 from the am nap, and try for a 2:30 nap -- there are days when he has to be woken by 11 or 11:15 - and he is able to last until 3 -- he has never really shown signs of being tired - not too grumpy unless he is OT from a few days earlier.

I know we are very close to the 1 nap transition - he is asking for a nap by 10:45 - but if we're out and about he is fine until 11:30.  so confusing.  just trying to get something routine -- baby #2 is due january 15th and I'd like to have DS1 all squared away!