Toddler Support Thread for 2-1 Nap Transition Continued

[nelliestar]

I thought this was a 2-1 issue rather than just an EW issue but if anyone thinks I'm wrong please move me!!

Ds is 16 mths by the way


N xxx

[janecharlotte]

Thanks for that marlowsmum. She has been on 1 sleep (apart from 2 days a week) for 3 weeks and I figured that because she was sleeping 13+ hours a night she was still getting enough sleep. We might try for 2 sleeps today as we had a slightly earlier start.

[annette.xx]

Hi nell

my dd sounds very similar to your ds in how she was with A times - in the end I gave up on 2 naps - it was producing EW and really big headache trying to time it all correctly and I had some brilliant advice from Shiv and that was to set a nap time for 1 nap - I chose 12pm so a 5 hour A time from a 7am wake (im not at 7am yet but had the odd 6.30am!!) and then you set a bedtime so I went for 7pm so 5 hours after the ideal nap length of 2 hours - so no matter what happens you do nap at 12 and bed at 7 - if i get EW then I just keep her calm by BF and cuddling in dark room for as long as possible then still do a 12pm nap - even if its a short OT 1 hr 20 nap then I still plugged away with a 7pm bedtime -

first few days night were a nightmare i wont lie!! but then I started getting 1 hr 45, then 2 hr naps and then 11 hr night and even one 11.5 hr night (still awaiting 12!!) I get the odd dodgy day but the set times keep my mind uncluttered of timings and she seems to catch up!

be warned tho one day she slept just 30 mins for my MIL and then had to go until 7pm for bed! she did a 10.5 hour night so outcome was 11 hrs total sleep in 24 hours - but within 2 days I got a 2 hour nap and then a 11 hour night again so it was ok!

and to make things even trickier dd is now cutting canines at top so extra sleepy but last few days have still been the same bedtime, naps have been shorter (OT 1 hr 20 -1 hr 30 mins) and have got one EW, one 11 hr and then yesterday a 11.5 hour so not too bad!...honestly the best thing I have ever done is finally committing and setting it!! (so far!!)

anyway thought I would share as our LOs are similar ages...

Annette.xx

[nelliestar]

Thanks Annette! Thats really interesting...

What would I do if hes waking really early? I can handle getting him to 12 noon from 7am but from 5.30am we would have a problem I think! Especially as DS goes to the door and signals bed when he is tired - would I ignore this?
 I don't know if I'm brave enough to keep him up for another hour or more when I know he's tired. I have been obsessive about avoiding OT for his whole life!!

He went to bed at 6.45pm tonight and was ready to go and tired...wondering if this will make any difference to wake up time...? If it doesn't and he still wakes 5.30am shall I put him down even earlier tmrw night? Help!

We are very confused...: (

Nell xxx

[Tao]

Sharon--Loved your post! It was so helpful reading that. You are good at finding great resources!

[nelliestar]

Update very quick - Bed 6.50pm 1 NW for 5 mins and I had to wake DS at 6.30am! Wow!

Back later

N xxxxxxxxx

[janecharlotte]

Sounds like progress Nell

We had another 1 hour sleep today
Wake 7.10am
Sleep 11.45-12.45
Then we had dinner with the inlaws and she crashed in the car at 7pm. It's a long time awake but she handled it pretty well. She woke crying from her nap as she has done for the last 2 (counting today 3) days but no amount of AP gets her back to sleep. She is one of those I'm awake now and staying awake LO's. I think there are some teeth moving around but don't know whether to ride this out or try playing with her A times to try and get a longer sleep. Any suggestions?

[annette.xx]

nell -

I too freaked at the idea of stretching dd from 5.30 to 12 - I built in some calm time around 9.30 books and tv time so she had 30 mins of sitting still and I think this helped a little! I will admit I was dubious because the first few days were hell - major OT naps - even a 30 min nap one day!! I thought I had made the wrong choice and then Shiv said that as hard as it is I needed to try and ride it out for at least 7 to 10 days to let her body adjust and sure enough about day 8 it started getting so much easier...

an example is today dd woke at 6am so I had to push her until 12pm so 6 hours A time cos yesterday I took her out for the day and she only had 45 mins sleep all day and still went to bed at 7pm but was rolling around OT for a good 30 mins causing an EW (10.5 hrs sleep) so even tho she had such little sleep total yesterday and EW she still had nap at 12pm (im thinking she will wake at 1 hr 20 tho!!) and then she will still go bed at 7pm and then I reckon I will get a 6am wake again (11 hrs sleep so not actually an EW) then what normally happens now is after a couple of days she catches up sleep so will nap until I wake her (after no more than 2 hrs 15) then bed at 7 again then probably a 11 or 11.5 hr night.... and so on....

anyway just thought id share with you! and what an amazing night sleep! wow that was nearly 12 hrs sleep!!! yay!!

I just feel so on top of the world not worrying about A times - and you know what i even am not worried about EW cos it makes no difference cos she will still be having nap at 12pm - at least I know what to expect!!

I really hope you have another great night of sleep - you and ds!!

Annette.xx

[alethiaperry]

nell-  I'm with Annette.  We set a bedtime and within a few weeks (of hell, mind you), we were on track for 1 long nap at noon.  It's been over a month now, and things couldn't be better.  He's even sleeping in later in the morning now.  He's getting more sleep in a 24hr period now, than he was back when he was on 2 naps near the end there.  Finding that "perfect transition" wasn't really working for us.  I'm glad we we just decided to "go for it" with the one nap.  The thing is, I really questioned myself, as he was still going down easily in the am... but his pm naps were getting later and LONGER... pushing his bedtime later and then creating these early mornings.  I caught on quick though and made the plunge!  It's not easy.... but he adapted... eventually!  Good luck!

[marlowsmom]

Hi Ladies,
I've been keeping up with everyone's posts but I haven't been posting much.     Marlow has decided that she can handle more A time so I've been trying to figure it out.  I went back to a thread I posted but we can't seem to crack it.     I know she can handle more than 4 hours A now.   
Today she woke at 545am and I tried to put her down at 945 and she pitched a fit for an hour.    That is so not like her.    I'm debating whether or not I let her sleep long now.      Usually she takes a 20 min AM nap then about 3.5 hour A then a long PM nap.      Now that she fell asleep at 1045ish I don't know if I should let her take a long nap or not.    If I do then it will be really difficult to get her to take a CN later.     GRRRR.    This is so frustrating.    She can't handle 5 hour A yet. 

[marlowsmom]

I figured it out.
Ok She STTN last night.    The difference in her schedule yesterday was that she short napped for her PM nap.   She woke at 245pm and stayed up until 715pm.    She went to bed after 4.5 hrs of A time.     She needs a minimum of 4.5 hours A before bedtime.   

Her schedule should now be:
Awake 545am
AM nap 930am to 10am (nap length 15min and awake no later than)
PM nap 130pm to 3pm (sleeps no later than 3)
bedtime 730pm

BAM!!   

[nelliestar]

Brilliant Marlows Mum! Well done!! You are very brave....

The good update was a one off here : p. We wake up 5.45am every day now!

DS did STTN last night (until 5.45) : ) He has 2 hrs daytime sleep approx usually bit less at Nursery and he is having 11 hrs at night or thereabouts - its just a bit earlier than we would like......

 I feel like we are just accepting things as they are as we (me) are not brave enough to shorten the short nap any more as DS is so angry when we wake him after 45! Also not brave enough to stretch the A time significantly as we have only just got to 4 hours. : /

Sigh...just a bit stuck with things.

Nell xxx

[marlowsmom]

Marlow's new schedule seems to be doing the trick.    Her shorter AM nap caused a longer PM nap yesterday.   I had to wake her after 1.45hr nap.     Can I say that I believe one thing I would not change is her bedtime.    I believe that pushing her bedtime to a later time is always going to cause an EW.    I think that if you are adjusting your LOs schedule then keep the bedtime the same and make sure you have her maximum amount of A before bedtime.     For Marlow, a CN in the PM doesn't work for her so that isn't ever going to be an option for her.      If you've pushed your LO bedtime out and  you're having EW then take this into consideration.

[nelliestar]

Thanks for your input and advice Marlowsmom!

 We haven't touched bedtime apart from doing it earlier when he wakes super early.
Last night we had a Nw at 4.15 and DS's room was cold so I put the heating on and he slept til my DH woke him at 7...
So todays naps have been 1hr 20 mins at 11am then we just put him down for a short nap at 4.15 til 5 and he will go to bed at 7.15pm. Late nap! we are not used to him sleeping past 6 and had forgotten how the day is pushed late when he wakes at a "normal" time.
Regarding A time from 2nd nap to bed that has never really been constant and had never been an issue before but
maybe it is now?
We began doing long am short pm as Nursery were struggling getting DS to have a long pm nap and he seems to sleep better there in the am.
At party yesterday and alll friends little ones around same age as ours were on 1 nap but got up at a decent time. In fact our friend were late as their DD had slept for 3 hours over lunchtime!!

I think if we had later wakeups we would go for it with 1 nap but from a 5.30/5.45am wakeup 12 noon is an awfully long time...

Just don't know...don't feel brave at the moment just VERY tired....: /

Nell xxxx

[nelliestar]

Last night our DS woke once with red hot cheeks at 5ish and had calpol then slept til 6.30am - pleased with that.
I really thought the teething was on the back burner but it is still waking him it seems! Ooh those pesky teeth!
So maybe our issues are partly 2-1 with a sprinkling of teething? I'm guessing as usual....

Lotsa love,

Nell xxx