Bedtime Routine

[jenjehu]

My 11 month old has been taking great naps, two hours, twice a day. He doesn't fight naps at all, but I think he needs the late afternoon catnap and I can't get him to take it. Then I try an early bedtime and he really fights it. He doesn't fight his morning and afternoon naps, and I do the same pre-sleep routine for all sleep. I figure he's overtired by bedtime because he doesn't get that catnap in. Should I do PU/PD for a catnap? I feel like it takes 30-60 minutes for him to give in that way, which misses the window for the catnap.

[Layla]

Hi there and welcome

usually by 11 months they are well and truly done with the catnap so not sure whether he really needs it. could you post your EAS please? Might be an OT or UT issue but hard to tell without looking at the whole routine :-)

[jenjehu]

Thanks for the welcome and the quick response! My baby has been shifting his wake time earlier over the last week or so. This is where we've been at for a few days now:

E 5:30-6 Nurse
A Play in room for a bit while I start breakfast
E 6:30-7 Breakfast
A Play on own while mom does chores
S 8/8:30-10
E Nurse
A  10-11Play with mom/walk or play outside
E 11:00 snack
A 11-12 Playdate
E 11:30/12:00 Lunch
S 12:30/1:00-2:30/3:00
E Nurse
A Play with dad/mom or run errands

4/4:30 This is when he starts to yawn and get a little fussy, but won't take the catnap. Sometimes I just nurse him or give him a snack and let him go back to playing.
E 5-6 Dinner
A 6:00 Bath, Get ready for bed
   6:30-7 Play quietly in room with mom, read book (if I can get him to hold still for a page or two)
S Usually in bed around 7 but fights it till closer to 8:00.
   

[jenjehu]

Forgot to mention that with PU/PD he finally started sleeping through the night, but has recently started waking around 2:30-3 and puts up a fairly good fight during PU/PD...

[goldmom]

If you're starting to get early wake ups, then you should start to increase the first A. Both your A times should be pushed to a minimum of 3 hours if not more at this age.

Definetely don't go with a CN at this age. (usually impossible to implement anyways for older babies). If he woke from his 2 hour nap at 2:30/3, it's very doubtful he's tired at 4/4:30 - more likely bored and needs a change of activity.

Your sleep may be going wonky since you're starting to hit the 2-1 transition, at this age many LO's are already taking only 1 long nap and a short CN in the morning or afternoon (not 2 full naps). Long night wakings are generally a sign of UT and you need a routine change before PU/PD will work.

[brummum]

I agree, no amount of PUPD will work if little one just isn't tired enough to go to sleep. I don't know of any babies this age who need the cat nap, even high sleep needs ones, most babies transition to the 2 naps around 6 months as a guide. I would try redistributing the naps by doing a longer first and second a time that way there won't be such a long stretch to bedtime making you feel that you need to fit a cat nap in. If this doesn't improve the bedtime resistance and night wakings then it may even be necessary to shorten one of his naps. Have a look at the link below if you haven't already re: 2-1.

10/11 month old sleep gone wonky? Read this first!

[jenjehu]

Thanks so much! I was thinking last week that he was ready to transition to one nap, but wasn't really sure how to support that. I will work on this. Thanks for the help!