30 month old. Do we need to start the 1-0?

[jenn1975]

So, after a long 3 month phase of weird sleep from 25mos-28mos, we settled into a new routine of

WU 7:30-8am
Nap 1:30-2pm for 1-1.5hrs
BT 9-9:30pm (asleep, lay down around 8:40-8:45pm)

The above schedule was the only way I could get him to not take ages and ages to fall asleep at BT.  Also, pushing his nap later helped him fall asleep faster and have a better nap.

Well now, at 30 mos old, it just doesn't seem to be working.  The last couple of days he's been blabbing and singing and not falling asleep for his nap until 2:30-2:40.  Today, I'm not sure he's even going to take a nap.  He was chatting at first, but then became upset and was crying, so I went in and he told me he wanted to go downstairs to put his toys away.  Ha ha! Clever kid!  He's finally calmed down, 30min later and I think he's going to sleep, but it's already 2:30pm.

Yesterday, his nap was just an hour, ( I woke him because it was 3:40, and last time he slept til 4pm he wouldn't fall asleep until 10pm!), and it took him about 30 mins of laughing and playing before falling asleep.  And his night was shorter.  He didn't fall asleep until 9:40pm, after calling for me and messing around for awhile, and then woke this am at 7:30, so only 10 hours.

Does this sound like we need to start doing some NNDs?  OR cap his nap to 30 mins?  Which is the best way to start?  He seems to be able to handle NNDs pretty well, and goes to sleep earlier and easier at BT, around 7-7:30pm.  We tried 4 NNDs in a row around 27 mos when I thought he was dropping it then.  It coped fine, but his nights got down to just 11 hours, they got shorter each night, so I got scared and started napping him again.

Any advice would be great.

[cath~]

Hi,
Yes it does sound like the start of the 1-0.
It's up to you really whether you go for no nap days or capping nap. You could try both and do whatever suits you and your LO best. Some don't like nap capping. Mine did and I liked the consistency of still having same routine each day so I knew when to do BT.
On other hand, some ppl keep offering nap at same time each day and if LO doesn't nod off by a set time then get them up and at least they've had quiet time and BT is just brought fwd a bit.
As I said, you might have to experiment to find what works best.
Have you read the FAQ on the 1-0? Lots of good advice there too.
The 1-0 transition...Advice and Tips to help you through.

[Mom-of-boys]

We were/are in the exact same boat and our DS1 is 34 months, although our wake up was at 5-6 am and bt 8:30-9:00 pm.  One day when he had a good night's sleep we just went for it and did a nnd.  Bt was back to 7:00 pm and DH and I had our evening together back!  Seeing as you've already had successful nnds with early bt, you know that your lo is capable of handling it.  What we've been doing is offering a 1 hr nap every few days so he doesn't get completely OT.  If he's up before 7 am, I'll also try giving him a nap, but if he refuses it, I just don't push it anymore.  I miss the no napping during the day but it definitely pays off with an earlier bt and later wake up for us. 

[jenn1975]

Thanks ladies. Well his WU this morning was 8am so we decided to do a NND. He was asleep in about 3 mins at 7:45pm! Whoo hooo! He coped well all day and only got a bit hyper toward the end of the day.

I don't know how we will do this, but ill play it by ear and see how it goes. I really like to know ahead of time how to plan for our afternoons, and like the thought of doing a short capped nap each day as well so that sounds good to me. I just hate hate waking him after only 30 min or so.

If you really go cold turkey to no nap, how long do they take to adjust to no more nap? How long before BT doesn't have to be super early?

[pgibb]

Hi,my lo is 31 months and has been dropping the nap for 3 months now,we started with her having one or two days a week she didn't nap + now she has 2 no nap days then a nap day. She's asleep around 6.15pm on a nnd + sleeps 12-12.5 hours so the next day because she's had a good sleep started refusing a nap so that's why we went to 2 nnd's but by the 2nd evening she's more tired. On the nap day I let her have 1-1hr20mins around 1.30pm + bed 7.30pm ish. When she was napping every day I couldn't really get her asleep before 2.30pm but now I get get her to nap earlier on a nap day.x

[cath~]

If you really go cold turkey to no nap, how long do they take to adjust to no more nap? How long before BT doesn't have to be super early?

This varies a lot from lo to lo, and prob depends on when you go cold turkey too.

Most ppl take a more gradual approach starting with a NND every few days (eg 2 or 3 times per week) and gradually increasing their frequency.  Lots of ppl also find their LOs need a max 11hr day after a NND at first, to prevent OT building up, but of course this will depend on your lo.  Really, there seem to be lots of different routes through the 1-0 transition.

The 1-0 support thread at the top of this board is really chatty and supportive.  If you ask there I'm sure ppl would be happy to share their experiences with you

[cath~]

I really like to know ahead of time how to plan for our afternoons, and like the thought of doing a short capped nap each day as well so that sounds good to me. I just hate hate waking him after only 30 min or so.

Some ppl do planned nap/no nap days which helps with planning (rather than the "offer a nap at set time and see if lo falls asleep" approach I mentioned above). Although you'd still have to be a bit flexible if lo really needed a nap on a planned NND.  Sometimes though lo might nod off for a late pm CN, eg in car/buggy if you're out and about, which can be just enough to get them through til bedtime.

HTH

[jenn1975]

Thank you for all of the replies. So he had a 12 hour night after his NND! Whoo hooo! For the past few days he's gone down fine for a nap and its been about an hour. I think we will try one NND a week for now and increase them as needed.
Until things get weird again I guess.

[cath~]

Sounds like a great start and a good plan