Where do we go with these naps now??

[~inbalance~]

Hi ladies, I am looking for advice and suggestions about how to get back on track with DS's naps.  In November we made the switch to one nap after doing the 20min am nap for awhile, and things went really really well for about 2 weeks.  We were finally getting up to 2hr naps for the first time since I don't know when.  Then he started teething canines and things went downhill fast.    Everything fell apart, nights, naps, you name it.  Add to that Christmas chaos, mega work around the house, staying elsewhere for a few days, and just this past week a cold, and basically we've had NO routine for over a month now.  Now DH is back at work, holidays are over, and I think we're coming out of the woods with the teething and illness.  Last night he finally STTN for the first time in what seems like forever!

The problem now is I cannot figure out where to go from here.  For the most part we've been doing two naps, but they've both more or less been short.  I feel like what we were doing before the switch may not be appropriate now.  I've been trying the short am nap again, but it's been inconsistent and I can't get the A times or the nap times right, so nothing's really worked.  Yesterday I actually did a long am then he had a CN in the car in the pm, and last night was good, but I don't know if it was nap related or not.

What should I try?  He's done teething, the cold has passed, and I think we're out of the OT hole.  But I don't think he's up to doing 5hrs A again just yet, and he certainly can't have a long A in the afternoon as he gets OT for bed.  Nothing makes sense in my head at the moment.  I don't know whether to jump back to one nap and work through it, or if I do two naps I don't know when they should be.  Someone tell me what to do!!  lol 

[babybarr]

I guess if yesterday worked why not try the longer am nap and catnap.  It doesn't have to be the other way round.  I guess the issue will be if he starts refusing naps - then you may have to go to one and ride it out.

[~inbalance~]

Thanks babybarr!  I think the long am yesterday was a fluke as he was getting caught up from crappy nights.  Also, I put him down after only 2.5hrs yesterday morning, not really an appropriate A time for his age and also why I think he was getting caught up.  Today I tried similar, but with a longer A time and he only slept for an hour.   

I'm having trouble figuring out what he needs at the moment in terms of A times.  He's always been tricky to figure out, but we worked for so long and had a good thing going before the mess started.  Now I feel a little lost.     He'll still take two naps at the moment, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he starts refusing the pm nap again (that happened before).  Finding the right A seems to be the problem at the moment really, he can't do proper A's at the moment coming off of all of our issues, but I stick to shorter ones the naps don't add up.  Not to mention he's always been a terrible napper, so it makes it more frustrating!! 

[scucci1979]

I too would try the long am nap first. I am wondering if you will have to slowly increase his A times again. 
Wish I could help! I can send you lots of HUGS!

[~inbalance~]

Thanks Sabrina.  I was wondering if I'd have to do it that way too.  I guess I'm a little weary because that's how we approached one nap the first time - long am nap and gradually increasing the A time - and it just never worked.  But really, this is a whole new ballgame so I might have to do things differently now!  Afterall, he's 16.5mos now, not 13mos so what we did then might be totally different! 

[LucySol]

hey Martina!!

if it was me id just push thru back to 1 nap.Set nap and bedtime and push thru any OT.He can do a decent nap as he was doing them before.from my experience 2 naps at this point into the switch backfired after a while into EW.

[*Liz*]

I was just going to pop on and say the same as Lucy really. I read the thread last night and was thinking about it. And from reading around on here going back to 2 naps at this sort of age just seesm to backfire - apart from in a few lo's who seem to do better with 2 30 min naps for a short period for whatever reason.

I think you will really struggle to get that pm CN when the OT is reversed without a car ride or something but I know that is not something you can do every day.

Unless you really think he needs a mega low A to cope with the teething issue.

What happened yesterday in the end?

[~inbalance~]

Typing from my phone bc of comp troubles so hope I make sense! Yesterday (monday) he did 1hr from 1045 to 1145, then 45mins from 3 to 345.  Bed at 7, slept through until 620.  I think the teething and therefore the drama has passed, so my gut now is saying go back to one nap and ride it out. 

[babybarr]

That sounds like a good plan. It seems like your LO is now back on track