Help tweaking routine for 11 month old going through 2-1 transition

[lilysmommie]

Just looking for some advice in tweaking my LO's routine. She is 11.5 months old and I think she is going through the 2-1 nap transition. I've read through the FAQ's and a lot of posts but I think I still need more advice!

For about a month or so, she has been sleeping like a dream for her am nap and not wanting her pm nap. Also, the last few weeks she has been sporadically waking at 5:30am.  I've been trying the reco's of shortening am nap but it doesn't seem to be working.

Here is what her day looked like yesterday:

5:30 am wake, 6 oz bottle
7:00 breakfast
9:15 am nap (I asked hubby to put her down at 9:00am but he was late), we woke her at 10:30am
11:15 milk, snack
12:30 lunch
1:30pm nap but fussed until around 2:30pm, slept until 3:30pm, woke up GROUCHY!
4:00 milk, snack
5:30 supper but didn't want much of it (I think because she was tired)
6:30 started bath etc. in bed by 7:00pm, was out like a light.

She seems to be grouchy most of the time now. Especially after the pm nap. Afternoons are just horrible around here. Supper time is terrible, she never wants her supper.

And today seems to be starting out in a similar fashion as she woke again at 5:30am.This morning she didn't want her breakfast even.,....just stared at me with blank tired-baby eyes!! So, now it's 8:15 and I'm not sure when the heck to put her down for a nap!

She has never been one for long A times. It is usually 3 - 3.5 hours.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!!!  I'm going back to work in 2 weeks and I'm afraid to pass her over to the daycare provider without a nap plan!

Thanks,
lilysmommie

[lilac83]

Hi lilysmommie!

What I would do is pick one nap and let her sleep as long as she'd like. With you waking her from both her naps, she's really not having much of a chance to catch up on sleep. This could be what's making her OT and causing the EW. How many hours of night sleep does she generally need?

Also, if she's only able to handle 3-3.5 hours of A time, this probably isn't the 2-1 switch yet. That is the A time my DD has currently and she takes 2 X 1.5 hour naps and sleeps 11/11.5 hours at night. So, if you really think she needs less day sleep, increasing A times is probably going to be your best bet. And it's very possible she's ready for less day sleep as this may also be the reason for EW, day sleep cutting into night sleep.

Perhaps something like this would work?:
6:00 - wake and bottle (just an example, no clue what usual wake time is)
7:00 - breakfast
9:00 - snack
9:45 - nap 1 for 1.5-2 hours

For the rest of the day then, keep her usual A times so she doesn't end up OT. After a few days with the slightly longer AM A time you can then either increase it some more if you feel you need to or leave it where it is for awhile until she shows signs of needing it increased again.

HTH!

[lilysmommie]

Thanks for the reply!

Just a couple of questions etc...I actually don't  wake her for the afternoon nap. I let her sleep as long as she wants to. It was just that yesterday she woke up herself after an hour and woke up very grouchy.

Perhaps something like this would work?:
6:00 - wake and bottle (just an example, no clue what usual wake time is)
7:00 - breakfast
9:00 - snack
9:45 - nap 1 for 1.5-2 hours

If she went down for her nap at 9:45am and slept for 1.5 -2 hours...she would be waking 11:30 - 11:45. So, what time should I put her down for an afternoon nap? If I put her down at 3. 5 hours A time, that would be around 3:00pm. Wouldn't that cut into her bedtime?

She actually used to do (a few weeks ago) exactly what you are suggesting.....except she never seemed to want to go down for her afternoon nap. She would fuss and carry on and then get no sleep at all. That's when I started shortening her am nap to 1 hour max and putting her down after 3 hours A time for her pm nap. Although, I do think that 3 hours A time in the pm, isn't long enough, she fussed today for around 45 minutes before she fell asleep.

Sorry, I'm so confused!!

So, you think I should try to increase her am A time to 3 h 45 min? Should I do this and then wake her up after an hour so she will still get a good pm nap?

She used to sleep around 12 hours at night (up until a month ago). She is now sleeping about 11 - 11.5 hours.

Here is what she did today (if it helps):

5:30 wake
6:00 bottle
7:30 breakfast
9:00 nap (was totally exhausted), woke her up at 10am
10:30 milk, snack, errands
12:30 lunch
1:30 nap (fussed until 2:20 or so) slept until 3:45pm, was in a GREAT mood, this is the longest pm nap she has had in a long time
4:00 milk
5:30 supper
6:20 bedtime routine, in bed lights out at 6:40pm, was very tired

Maybe she can go longer between naps....honestly, I've never tried! She just always went down for her naps well so I didn't question it. 

Thanks for your help!

lilysmommie

[lilac83]

Sorry, I misread what you wrote above and thought you woke her from both naps. If it's easier for you to give her an unlimited nap in the PM, that's perfectly fine. I think what you could try doing is leave her morning A time where it is for now but limit that AM nap to 45 minutes. Then give her a 3 hour A time and hopefully she'll be easier to settle for that PM nap. So if she wakes at 5:30am again tomorrow, has first nap from 9:00am until 9:45am, then her PM nap should start at 12:45pm which will leave plenty of time for a nice long nap if she wants it. The only problem here is that with her early waking, you're looking at an early nap and then an early bedtime. Do you think she would possibly take a 2 hour nap? With that long of a nap she should be able to make it to bedtime and maybe go back to 12 hour nights.

[lilysmommie]

Hi lilac83!

This morning she woke at 6:30am so I'll put her down around 10am. She actually slept in!

I'll give this routine a go  for a few days and she how she does.

I screwed up my first daughter's 2-1 transition so badly...she was waking up at 5:30 am for over a year and was cranky most of the time (or so it seemed   ). So, I want to do a better job with my second daughter!

Thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it!

lilysmommie

[lilac83]

That's great that she slept in, perhaps she'll make a habit of it! Have you checked out the 2-1 support thread up in the stickies? That's a great place to find out how other mom's are handling the transition. Good luck and if you have any more questions just check back in!