2 NNDs this weekend - where to go from here?

[oliversmommy]

So DS is 2 wks shy of his 3rd Bday.  A typical day for him is:

weekdays:
wu 6:50-7:10 (I wake him by 7:10 b/c I work; he goes to daycare)
nap at daycare 1-2/3 (capped at 2 hrs if needed)
BT 8:15, asleep by 8:30 usually

weekends:
wu 7:30-7:45 (I wake him by 7:45)
nap 1:30-2:30/3:30 (capped at 2 hrs if needed)
BT 8:15-8:30 (asleep by 8:30ish)

Saturday he seemed sleepy after nap and at BT (which is unusual for him - OT for him is being wired), so Sunday morning I let him sleep in until 8:00 (11hr 45min ONS).  Well apparently he was a little TOO rested b/c he didn't nap.  So I did BT at 7:30, he slept until 7:40 this morning, and then didn't nap again today.  (He has never had a NND before.)  Doing BT at 7:30 again tonight, and I will have to wake him tomorrow by 7:10 for daycare. 

So my question is, assuming his night is short enough that he naps at daycare tomorrow (and the rest of this week), what should I do next weekend - let him sleep in and possibly not nap, or wake him at his usual weekday time so hopefully he will nap?  He hasn't seemed tired w/o the nap the past two days, however I'm not ready to give up the Y time during his naps!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!  TIA! 

[Buttonbobs]

Hiya, I found that during the nap dropping phase with DD I was more worried about losing the Y time than has actually turned out to be a problem. I have regained my evenings since she dropped her nap and those shorter, less restorative nights were making her more grumpy generally.

It does sound like he is ready to change something, although there is potentials or birthday developments stuff to be playing a part too.

If you're not quite ready to change things yet why not go with the flow a bit (if you can) and do NNDs if he wakes later (as you have already done) but offer a nap/quiet time if he wakes earlier and see what happens.

Have you read this link, I have found it very helpful:

The 1-0 transition...Advice and Tips to help you through.

[oliversmommy]

Naomi,
Thanks so much for your response!  That is a good point about the Y time not getting lost, just moving from afternoons to evenings, when the nap gets dropped. 

DS has been napping at daycare this week, so I think your advice of going w/ the flow for a while is best.  If this isn't developmental and we are truly in the nap dropping phase, then I was thinking I could let him sleep in on days when it would be inconvenient for him to nap (like if we wanted to plan a day out).  I have to admit that it would be nice to not have to plan our activities around his naptime!  And then on days when we would be out a bit later and his BT would be later, I could wake him that morning at his usual time and hopefully(!) he would nap.  (I know, I know, it of course will not go this smoothly! )

If he does skip his nap and we are out driving around somewhere and he falls asleep in the car, how short of a CN should I allow him?  (say he falls asleep at 4 pm, for example) 

I do think I should keep offering a nap/quiet time for awhile and see how things go.  I have read the 1-0 transition link but it was a while ago - I will definitely be reading it again!

Thanks again for your help!

[Buttonbobs]

No problem at all

I found that if we were out and E fell asleep in the car at say 4 sometimes it was possible for her to have a short 20 min CN and she'd still go to bed at the earlier time - 7/7.30. I think this was because the CN wasn't really log enough to take away her tiredness. Other times she'd be awake for a while after that sort of a CN. There wasn't really a rule to it that I could work out, but I learnt to not worry too much about it and try to let her catch up the next day if she was short on sleep that night.

She did get OT sometimes as a result but she became more resilient to it at this age in a way. It was me that would struggle more if she then wouldn't sleep a bit later. I certainly found a short CN was better than a longer nap - then BT would be super late.

I'm sorry that's not much of an answer really, but it worked for us, I hope it does for you too.

[oliversmommy]

Thanks Naomi that definitely helps! 

Yesterday DS only woke up about 20 min later than usual, but took 50 min to fall asleep at naptime.  He napped for 1 hr 20, spent the night at grandma's last night, and didn't fall asleep until 10!  So I definitely think the 1-0 is upon us.

Plan to head over to the 1-0 transition support thread. . .

Thanks again for all of your help! 

[Buttonbobs]

Oh that sounds familiar. We too had days like that when naps happened. I think it is definitely time, good luck xx