2 to 1 nap transition for 13 month old

[kayasmama]

I need some help with the 2 to 1 nap transition for my almost 13 month old. I tried reading the threads but I still feel lost. My lo is in  daycare 5 days a week and will be changing to a toddler class at 15 months where they have 1 nap at 12:00. Currently, she is very happy on her 2 naps in daycare and at home. At daycare, they have gotten a little shorter recently, but at home they are at least 1 1/2 hours. She looooves her morning nap, and could probably go down for it as early as I would let her. I would like her to hold on to 2 naps as long as possible, but when should I start the transition? She does not increase her A time easily, as she has been on her same A time and daily routine since she was 8 months. We are all happy with it, so I haven't tried to change it. It works at daycare and at home. At daycare, they will put her down for naps when I ask them to, but they will not wake her from them. They will also put her down earlier if she is tired. She sleeps 10.5 hrs at night, and still wakes 1-3 times a night just needing a pat. She has only slept through the night a handful of times. Also, she has been waking up earlier in the morning for the past few weeks. She used to sleep until 640 on the weekends, and we would have to wake her at 600 to leave during the week. Now she wakes at 545 or so. Here is her routine...

600 wake and bf ( we are also weaning)
E 730 breakfast
S 9-10:30/1100
E 1030/1100 milk
E 1130 lunch
A 10:30-2
S 2-330 (or 230-400)
E 330 milk
E 400 snack
A 330-730
E 600 dinner
630 bath
700 bf
730 bed

The trouble is if I push back her morning nap, then her afternoon nap is too late for bedtime. I don't want to put her down any later, because she has to be up at 600am. I can't put her down any earlier, because we get home at 600pm. Also they have set meal/snack times at school. (snack 930 which she usually misses, lunch 1130, snack 330)I am having a hard time figuring out how to do this and when to start. I think they transition them a little in regards to naps when they change rooms, but I don't think it's very long. Any help is appreciated!!:)

[becky1969]

HI! It is quite a problem b/c you're limited by your 6 am wake up and your 6 pm getting home from work/daycare.  So that makes the math a little tough!

I think your EWs are because she's starting the 2-1 transition, but is still taking 2 1.5 hour naps.  That's often the first sign that it's time to limit that AM nap a bit.  I also think if we shift her sleep around you may see those NWs disappear.

The way the transition works is we slowly move AM nap later while also shortening it.  First you would shorten to 60 min, then 45, then 30 as she progresses.  It sounds like you have a textbook/angel since she's been on the same routine since 8 months! Those personality types tend to get in ruts where routines are concerned, LOL! I know that it's 'working' now, but it's really not since you're seeing her start to get EWs.  It's OK now since she's waking at 5:45 and you need her up at 6 anyway.  But it won't be so fun when that EW gets to 5:30 or even 5 (or earlier!) so best to nip it in the bud now!

Are you *sure* daycare won't wake her from a nap? That may be a problem as you're trying to work thru this.  I hate to think of her being forced into 1 nap in 3 months without any prep time.  Perhaps you can just work on stretching her As on the weekend.

I'd start by moving Nap 1 to 9:30 and not letting her sleep past 11.  PM nap stays the same.

Once you've been successful there for a week, move Nap 1 to 10 and wake at 11.

Week 3: Nap 1 is at 10:15 and you wake at 11

At this point you may have to slow down your progress.  Just watch her! If she seems able to keep stretchng her As, go for it! But if things fall apart, stay at whatever A works for her for an extra week.

Week 4-5: Nap 1 is at 10:30 and wake at 11  (14 months at this time?)

Week 6-7 Nap 1 is at 10:45 and wake at 11:15

Week 8: Nap 1 is at 11:00, wake at 11:20 or 11:30.  (15 months?)

[PM nap should be fine where it is thru these transitions b/c she's not waking much later than she already is now, and nap 1 is shorter so she'll be tired quicker]

I don't think you can move her  much faster than this.  But this gets her much closer to that noon naptime than she is now!

[kayasmama]

Sorry it's been a while since I replied but we have been trying the advice you gave. I love the plan. It makes so much sense and I love having a guideline to follow. It's going so-so, but we've stalled on it. We have her napping at 930 now on the weekends, but she is still taking 2 1-1/2 hr naps (930 and 2 or 230). When she turns 15 months, naptime is for 3 hrs from 12-3, so the amount of sleep is OK. Or maybe not....she's now waking at 530
Cutting down her morning nap on the weekend made her crabby. Daycare pushed her to 1000, and she slept until 1130, and then took a short pm nap (45 min). She was fine with that-just had to rush her to bed when we got home because she was crabby at night. Other days, she will still take a 1-1/2 hr nap in the pm. Most days it is 2 1-1/2 hr naps.  Daycare puts her down when she is tired even though they are trying to work with me on the nap transition. They will not wake her for a nap. I was ok with pushing her nap back and still letting her take a long nap in the am as long as her pm nap isn't long, but again, daycare won't wake her. I have been hesitant to keep pushing her back because she still has a little less than 2 months before she transitions classrooms.

I either need a push to go for the one nap or advice on how I can tweak our strategy. I guess I am hesitant because she seems so little to me to go to one nap, but I am open if she needs to!
 

[kayasmama]

Oh yeah, and we are done with breastfeeding, so now she can sleep until 630 in the morning if we can get her to sleep that long.

[becky1969]

If she's happily taking two 1.5 hour naps, then I doubt she's ready for 1 nap!

I'm concerned about that 5:30 waking.  That may be part of the reason she's sleeping so long in the morning.  What time is she going to bed right now?

[kayasmama]

She's asleep by 730. I agree that she's not ready for 1 nap. I'll try to push off the transition as long as possible. Should she be going to bed later, even though she wakes up so early?

[becky1969]

No.  The solution to EWs is earlier bedtimes.

[kayasmama]

So unfortunately, my lo is getting transitioned to the toddler class (ages 15-23 months) this week because she has developmentally outgrown the class she's in. She is a super active girl who is very verbal, and some of the babies in her class were only 10 months old. Great for her socially, bad for her sleep. They put her to one nap this week in preparation for the transition today. This poor girl is sooo OT. She has been taking the one nap for 1 1/2- 1hr 45 min each day and sleeping on the way home. We have been rushing her into bed at 700, and she wakes between 545-600. She doesn't have to wake up until 630 now for us to leave in the morning. She has had lots of NW too, but she also has a little cold, so I am not sure if that's contributing. She usually doesn't wake this much even when she is sick. This weekend and on our day off during the week, she slept 2 2hr naps and was in bed by 630, sleeping until 630am. She was cranky and fussy all weekend, which is so not like her. She is the happiest girl I know usually.
I feel so bad for her and am guilt ridden having to take her to daycare and subject her to one nap. I know there is nothing I can do about the one nap, but can I hope that she will adjust soon, take a longer nap, and not be so OT? Will her EW and NW even out soon? She is only 14 months today and I think she would have taken 2 naps for a long time.

[becky1969]

I think I would really really ask them to keep her in the baby room a couple more months.  I mean honestly, it's not like she's in school! LOL! We don't need to worry about her intellectual stimulation!    It's MUCH more important that she get the naps she needs so that she's well rested and developing properly.  a couple of months will probably do the trick, and then she'll be primed and ready for the next step! 

[londonmama]

Hi kayasmama, we had the exact same scenario.  My son is now nearly 15 months and he is much better already on this schedule.  We have battled through a lot of OT, and still do (it builds by the end of the week and then he catches up Fri-Sun at home), but he is coping much better.  He still won't sleep longer than 1.5 hours at nursery though!

The catnap on the way home worked for a while, but after a few weeks he stopped falling asleep at this time, even if I walked with the buggy for an extra 20-30 mins.  So we have had to go to early bedtime.  I have rearranged my work schedule a bit so that I get in very early and leave early enough to have him in bed by 6:15/6:30.  We skip bath if necessary.

We keep up with two naps on his days at home and he catches up.

Try not to feel guilty!  LOs are so adaptable, and she will get used to it and/or grow into it within a matter of weeks.  You could try, as PP said, to put her back into the baby room but I know that sometimes you don't have this kind of flexibility with daycare.