After 2-1 nap transition - naps gone bad, especially at daycare....

[campbellchick]

We have recently undergone the 2-1 nap transition with only having cut out the second nap once and for all about a 6 weeks ago (it felt like it took forever).  21 month old DS has always been an excellent napper since I worked very hard on it when he was 3-5 months old.  He puts himself to sleep usually without any problems and he was always like clockwork with his naps (1 or 2 hours in the morning and 1 or 2 hours in the afternoon), but since the transition he has been all over the place with the length of his naps - which really confuses me.  We are only just creeping towards a naptime of 11.30am as he would be so tired earlier in the morning, it was hard to keep him up later.  Anyway, now he sleeps anywhere from about 1hr to 2hrs. 

My first question is; overall he is still getting around 13.5 hrs of sleep a day - which is right on the guidelines for his age (but he's usually needed more than the guidelines) - as he does about 12.5hrs at night and generally a 1hr nap through the day.  BUT, since mainly his naps are from 11.30am - 12.30pm - I usually put him down by 6pm as he gets so tired by then, does this sound about right?  Should I be concerned that he is only sleeping a 1hr nap during the whole day and then going to bed quite early?  It just doesn't seem like enough daytime sleep, as he used to sleep for 3hrs through the day overall.  He has always done about 12.5hrs at night too - even with napping for 3hours through the day.

My second question and probably biggest problem is; he doesn't sleep very well at daycare anymore.  He used to sleep really well at daycare just like he did at home - He had been at fulltime day care from 7 months old until January this year when I went on maternity leave and he dropped back to twice a week.  Some days at daycare he doesn't sleep at all and he even keeps the other kids up too.  His daycare lady just told me that she has been patting him to sleep - which I don't really have a problem with as he doesn't need that at home and at least he is getting some sleep, but what is going on???  Does anyone have any theories or ideas as to why this is suddenly happening?  I always advise them on the times I am trying to put him down for a nap, so they try to stick to that.  Sometimes he will take up to an hour to go to sleep, othertimes he refuses sleep altogether, othertimes he might not go to sleep at his naptime, but have a late afternoon nap etc.  I just don't get why he is doing this at daycare now 

Any light shed on this would be greatly appreciated as I am a bit confused about the whole daytime napping now and don't know much about toddler sleep habits (have been concentrating mainly on baby sleep habits in the last few months  )

[lyndsy_p]

My LO is not yet the age of yours but I have a few ideas.....

1. His nightsleep is robbing his daysleep for sure. Can you try to push the nap a little later? The early nap is reinforcing the early waking, thus such an early bedtime. If you can get him down around 12 (push slowly over the course of 3 days), you will get a longer nap and a later bedtime.

2. Daycare...He may not be tired enough for the nap (see above) so it's taking him alot longer to fall asleep. Daycare can also be not ideal for naps (noise that he may be more sensitive to now). I know, my LO is in daycare too! She sleeps less there as well. Sometimes she will get in a habit of sleeping less for both places (home and daycare) if she's slept less at daycare because it starts to become a pattern. If that makes any sense at all for you...

HTH
Lyndsy

[Vicku]

Hi Kerry!

We went through a terrible 2-1 switch around 15-18 months old with DD, and I heard from several other BWs that there is often a regression after 6 weeks of being on 1 nap consistently, so it's interesting that you mention the 6 weeks...

It can take 2-3 months for the nap length to settle down to about 2 hrs consistently. We also had a lot of short naps to start with, it's very common. I think it's good that you're allowing an early bedtime to prevent too much OT from the short/early naps, but I would also advice trying to *gently* push the nap a bit later, to about 12 noon. It was first when I did that that her naps started to consistently lengthen and bedtime could be a reasonable time and wake ups too.

Is he happy when he wakes from a nap early or is he grumpy? That would be a good indication of if he's waking because he's OT or UT.

Try to gradually lengthen A time in am by doing low key activities like reading, watching a dvd or giving a little extra snack.

Be patient! It sounds like you're doing great, he's only 6 weeks into his new routine and it does usually take a while for things to settle. Re the day care, they might also have more success if putting him down a little later. Hopefully, if they're consistent too, he'll get into a new routine at daycare too, but as pp said, LOs do tend to sleep less there and it might take him even longer to settle in to 1 nap there.

With regards to hrs of sleep/day, keep track of how much he's getting and watch him closely. If he seems to do alright on less sleep than before all is well, but if you think he's getting accumulated OT keep giving him earlier bedtimes and you can also do an odd 2-nap day (say once a week) if you think he needs to catch up from lost sleep at daycare.

Hope this can help a little at least.

[campbellchick]

Thanks so much for your ideas.  I'm definitely working towards getting him into a later nap, we are just getting there slowly.  I tried the method to start with - moving it by 15mins for 3 days at a time, but in reading his cues, he was getting tired too early and if I waited to put him down any longer he would actually take a much shorter nap.  However, he is seeming to be able to handle more awake time now in the mornings, so I am progressively trying to get him to at least 12pm in the next few days.  I know at daycare he usually doesn't go to sleep until about 12pm either as they have lunch at around 11.30am, so this should hopefully be consistent.  I actually think some of the problem is that when he took earlier naps - most of the other kids wouldn't nap until after lunch, so he was in the room on his own - but now he isn't, so they all talk to each other instead...  When he does get up from his naps, he generally is in a good mood, so I really think his nap seems long enough, but he just gets tired quicker in the afternoon.  I actually try to aim for a 7pm bedtime, but have always been putting him down at 6pm to combat the OT.  I've now changed his bedtime to 6.30pm as his naps are slightly later and this seems to work a bit better for him.  Thanks Vicku, I didn't realise it could take so long for the 1 nap to settle down and also had no idea about the regression at around 6 weeks.  It just feels so disheartening when you had an excellent sleeper to suddenly be all over the place and become so OT and grumpy most of the time!!!  I have also noticed that he can still have 2 sleeps if he is not feeling too well like at the moment he has a cold and is teething, but that is typical for all of us when we aren't well I guess.  Thanks again for your ideas 

[Vicku]

No worries, happy to help!
I'm sure he'll be a good sleeper once again Kerrie. Just do what you're doing and he'll settle into the new routine after a while. Also it can help to remember that once they're on the 1 nap and settled into that routine, they'll keep it that way for a long time usually.
It sounds like you're doing really great, especially with a new baby too!

[campbellchick]

Thanks Vicku, I hope he settles soon and keeps it for a very long time

[skatty]

Could the daycare nap at 12 be pushing him too far so he is too OT to nap by then? My DD also has higher sleep needs than others her age and if I push her A time too far she takes much longer to settle and then has a short nap. Wierdly for us if she starts short napping I reduce her A times and then she takes a longer nap, if he skips anymore naps it is worth a try as that is a very sudden reduction in sleep though as his nights are unaffected he is probably ok. As Vicku said it can take ages before the nap settles, I hope it sorts out quickly for you 

[campbellchick]

Thanks Skatty, I thought the same thing about 12pm being too long of A time in the morning.  He has the same problem as your dd, too much A time and he doesn't settle easy and takes a shorter nap.  However, originally they were putting him down at 11am like I told them too and getting the same thing, so they would get him back up for lunch.  I think this was a bit of a hassle for them, so they just started leaving him up until after lunch.  The other thing I find is I don't give him lunch until after he gets up from his nap as he doesn't seem to want to eat that early at home.  I wonder if this probably doesn't help him to sleep at daycare    Anyway, thank you, I hope it does settle soon