NWs & shorter naps in 1 year old - how to address?

[UlrikaandOlle]

My boy used to sleep from 7-7 (or even 7.30am), but for the last couple of weeks he has woken up 6.15/6.30am. His morning nap has also shortened, it was usually 1.5-2 hours and is now down to 35 minutes or max 1 hour. And sometimes he refuses his afternoon nap
Here's his routine - what shall I do??

6.15/6.30am wake up, leave him till 6.45 then bottle
10/10.30am sleep for 35-75  minutes
12 lunch solids (he eats extremely well and does not wake up from hunger)
3 pm bottle
3.30/4pm sleep for 30 mins (sometimes he refuses...)
5.30pm dinner solids
6.45 bottle
7 sleep (takes close to 20 minutes of talking, instead of the usual max 5 mins...)

He is not ill and teething doesn't really bothering him. He has taken a few steps, so I guess it could be developmental, but I think it is a more a tweaking the routine thing, or??

So my questions are:
Why does he wake up earlier than ever before?
Why does he sleep so short for his morning nap?
Why does he figth his afternoon nap?
Why does it take longer for him to settle in the night?

Please help! Thanks a million / Ulrika

[*Natasha*]

All those signs point to getting ready for 1 nap rather than 2 naps.
Have you tried offering morning nap closer to lunchtime and seeing how that goes?

[UlrikaandOlle]

I have thought about it, but as he wakes earlier in the morning he is ready for his morning nap around 10 - when I put him down later he only sleeps for 35 minutes. I tried wake to sleep this morning at 5.20 as he has been waking up 6.20am for a couple of weeks now, but even though he stirred and started to talk a bit when I semi-waked him at 5.20 he still woke up 6.20. Where should I start?

[Colin Macs Mom]

 bumping up for you

[deckchariot]

those EWs are also a sign of the 2 to 1 switch.  There are basically 2 approaches to the switch:
1) keep 1st nap at the same A time every day, but gradually shorten the length of it; at the same time, move pm nap earlier (by the same amount you shorten nap 1).  When nap 1 is <30 min, attempt to cut it out and just have 1 nap.
2) push morning A time later, allow your bub to sleep as long as they want in the am, then do a late pm catnap (can be a shorter A time than in the am, as you don't want them to take a full nap); eventually cut out pm catnap.

If he needs a longer A time before bed, then option #1 is generally better.  If he doesn't and HATES being woken from the am nap, option #2 may be better.  In both cases, you can offer an early bedtime if one/both of the naps is bad.

Whichever approach you choose - it's best to go gradually - so either cut 15 min off the am nap every 3-5 days or lengthen the am A time by 15 min every 3-5 days.  It also is helpful to know about how much day sleep is "optimal" for your ds and how much A time he needs (minimum) between his last nap and bedtime - that can help you plan out the day.

hth
michelle

[UlrikaandOlle]

Thanks Michelle. I don't want to shorten the am nap, since that nap is the only one that has always been long and in the cot. So I will try to push it later and offer him the afternoon nap (which he fights, and it has always been a catnap anyway), and early bedtime if no pm nap.

Should I just be flexible on when to put him to bed for his morning nap. When he wakes around 7am, I normally put him down at 10.30am. But now when he wakes between 6-6.30, he is ready to sleep around 10am. Shoul I just put him down after 3,5 hours no matter when he wakes, and then extend by 15 mins every three days? What is the goal? A 12-2pm nap?

[deckchariot]

If he's waking at 6/6:30 and ready to go down at 10, I'd start with maybe 4 hrs of A time and work from there.  So if he's up at 6:30, try to put him down at 10:30 (if he's done at 10, then start with 3.5 hrs of A time and work from there) for 3-5 days, then 10:45 (or 4 hr 15 min).  yep, the general plan is lunch, then nap, so depending on what time he wakes and lunches, then your nap will fall after that.  Most mums find 5.5 hrs or so to be the "magic" A time.  For Abby, it's usually 5 hrs of A time in the am, and 4 in the pm (but she's always been on the high end of sleep needs).

If he fights the pm nap and its generally no more than a catnap, the long am nap (by extending A time) is definitely the way to go!  Let me know how you get on!