2 to 1 nap-not enuf hours in the day - 2nd nap so late it's affecting nights!

[JacobM]

hiya - my LO is one now, and his naps are getting later and later - this means that his bed time is getting later - which means that somehow, his mornings are getting earlier! it's all going to pot!

so, yesterday, he had his first nap at 11.30am (after getting up at 7.30...actually, an excellent wake up time for him!!). and because it was so late i let him sleep until 12.45, thinking it might be his only nap of the day, but then in the car on the way home from my parents, he fell asleep at 4.30pm when i left and woke up at 5.15 when i got home - so he ended up falling asleep at bedtime, at 8.15pm. Sometimes he has his first nap at 10.30, and i let him have half an hour/40 mins, but that still means his second nap is late. how do i get over this problem - there aren't enough hours in the day!!

what do we do in this situation!?!
thanks xxx

[anna*]

You can cut his first nap down even more - to 15-20 mins - and then bring his afternoon nap a bit earlier which should help you preserve bedtime?

[JacobM]

hiya - thanks for reply.
So, even if it's at 11.30am - i let him sleep for 15 mins and then his second nap would be 4 hours later? which would mean it would still be late at 3.45 - and then he would sleep until 5ish anyway? or do i let that one be short too? but then he would definitely get OT?
thanks!
x

[anna*]

No, you wouldn't expect a 4hr A time after a 15 mins nap, because that 15 mins will be barely restorative, just enough to tide him over. So I would do a 15mins nap at 11ish (if he can really go to 11.30 consistently without getting OT, he may be ready for one nap), then about 2hrs A time followed by a long nap.

[JacobM]

ok - great -that makes sense!
i always feel bad waking him after half an hour, but if it will help, i'll keep his first nap much shorter.

it doesn't help that he's started nursery 2 mornings a week until 1pm, so those days are also completely different!

thanks a lot.
x

[JacobM]

hi - so, he has just gone to sleep - at 11.15 - should i leave him for as long as he wants? and risk him not being able to go through from when he wakes up to bedtime and having a late capnap about 4.30ish? or wake him after 20 mins and then let him have a sleep later at 3/3.30ish?

would love some advice this morning.
Thanks so much
xx

[anna*]

How long do you think he would sleep? How much A time can he handle before getting overtired? If he would sleep 2.5-3 hrs then let him sleep. Otherwise wake him at 11.30 and then do another nap at about 1.30pm

[JacobM]

mmm - i actually don't have any idea how long he would sleep for. i'm predicting 2 hours? in which case, should i just wake him up at 11.30? or should i wait and see? he can go for about 4 hours without getting OT.
thanks so much for your on the spot help! i usually feel so on my own during the day!
x

[anna*]

I'd wake him and do a longer nap early afternoon (don't give him 4hrs A after a 15 mins nap!)

What does a 'normal' day look like now? If he would probably sleep 2 hrs and has a 4hr A time, you can see that will leave you short - you'll be working on a 10hr day if you only do 1 nap.  When you make the switch it is common for that nap to extend to 2.5hrs, but he is still very young to be on one nap so I would keep 2 naps for a while longer.