17 m/o ready for 2-1 nap switch?

[Shaunie]

DS wakes at 7am, has 1st nap at 11am for an hour or so (longer if been to toddler gym etc) and takes his 2nd nap around 4pm for an hour or so, depending on the days activities.  He went down with ease but since the weekend, he's been fighting it & stands in his cot shouting & playing until he eventually goes to sleep when left long enough.  Could he be ready for the 2-1 nap swich & how do we go about it?

[Layla]

He probably is ready for the 2-1 nap switch. If he fighting the pm nap more than the am?

Couple of ways to do this:
1. cut the morning nap to around 30mins and offer the pm nap 3hrs later... so something like this:

7am - wake
11-11.30 - mornign nap
2.30-4pm - afternoon nap
7.30-8pm - bedtime

2. push the morning nap until its close to 12pm and continue to offer the catnap. If he fights the catnap then put him down for the night earlier to prevent overtiredness. Try adding 10-15mins to his morning A time every couple of days.

3. Make a jump to nap time around 11.30-12pm.

For about a month when my dd was on 1 nap, it would only go for an hour or so. Play it by the ear and if you can squeeze a catnap in before bedtime, then try to do that... or otherwise put him down for the night no later than 6.30-7pm to avoid overtiredness if his nap was only short. Typically around this age, total sleep is aorund 13hrs.. 11at night and 2hrs during the day. The av A times are 5-5.5before nap and 5-5.5 before bedtime.

Good luck!
Layla

[Shaunie]

Thanks for that.  Will have a look & try different ways out I guess until we find something that works.  It would be great if he would eventually just take one long afternoon nap, especially because we have another LO on the way!  He woke at 6am today & then just rambled & sang intermittently until just after 7am so not sure he he nodded off again but he was tired early so he's already napping & not too much of a fight.  I think he fights the pm nap more than the am one.  Also, when he's at nursery (1 day a wk), he naps for 1 hour at 12pm.

Also, we were thinking of trying him in a toddler bed before baby arrives - a little earlier than planned mind you.  He is a big boy, very long so kind of looks out of place in his cot already!  Do you think this would be too early?  I'm a little concerned because he moves around his cot so much.

Thanks, Siobhan

[Layla]

With Isabella, the bed is against the wall on one side and on the other side I put up a rail. So you could try putting up a rail if you're worried about him falling out of bed. It took us about a good month for things to settle... so if you do need the cot in a few months or so.. maybe a good idea to start with naps in the cot and then do nights and see how things go.