Is it *finally* time for him to move to one nap?! (16.5 months)

[MummyToBen]

catnapped from 3.45-4.05 - will give him 7pm bedtime and hopefully back to one nap tomorrow. 

xx

[katie80]

I am keep to not keep alternating too much as I do think that if I persevere he will end up with longer naps (ever hopeful  !). 

They will get longer!  It took DD (whose name is also Claire  ) a few weeks to really re-set her body and get used to one nap.  We switched over at about 17 mo and she was doing two short naps with lots of driving beforehand.  But she is now consistently doing around 2 hours.  Since he's done good naps before, he'll definitely get there.  Keep persevering!  And although it doesn't work for everyone, doing 2 nap days here and there is worth a try to keep him from getting quite OT. 

[MummyToBen]

Thanks for the encouragement Katie 

[*Becky*]

Hi Claire,
It is so darn tricky all this isn't it! I am glad that Ben did a CN for you today as hopefully that will get you a reasonable start to the day tomorrow. I too am holding out for the clock change. Was out and about today but will check in tomorrow and see how you are getting on x

[MummyToBen]

Nope - he woke at 6.15!!! (11.25hrs as opposed to this weeks usual 12.25!) I'm not acually surprised - a later bedtime does not necessarily = later wake-up in our house!  So he actually had much less sleep than the days when he's had an early night which now leaves me a bit stuck as to what to do with him today. 

I'm figuring that he'll take an OT nap of 1hr10/1hr20 mins no matter what A time I give him, so I'm thinking of pushing it back later so that I can at least not try to fit in a catnap later on!  Does that sound a bad idea?  So something like

Wake 6.15am
Sleep 11.45-1pm
Bedtime 5.30pm

Our worst night since we've started was last night (in terms of hours, and time of wake up) was last night - the one where he had a later bedtime. 

Thanks for any thoughts xx

[babybarr]

I think that sounds like a good plan.  We don't get later wake up with later bed either and very often it'll cause EWs for us.

Hope you get a good nap, FWIW though we get 1hr10 min naps with UT too, the *only* way we get long naps is by pushing the A time - but, hey you know my mess!!

[*Becky*]

yes we are getting EW's with the later bedtime although 6.50pm is hardly late! I am going for an early bedtime tonight as getting a bit desperate. xxx

[MummyToBen]

Yes, I suppose some lo's are helped by early bedtimes and some it makes it worse!  For Ben they have always really helped, so I suppose I need to use them for our advantage! 

He's just had a 11.45-2pm nap 

He woke at 1hr15 screamed, and went back to sleep.....much better!

xx

[babybarr]

Great nap!!!  Way to go Ben!

You may not need such an early night then!

[*Becky*]

wow - that is really good.

[MummyToBen]

Thanks for being kind.....particularly when you're both having rough weeks yourselves (((((((())))))))

[*Liz*]

Yey Clare 

[MummyToBen]

Can someone help me figure out what A time I shoudl be aiming for please?

Yesterday was

Up 6.15am
Sleep 11.45-2 (but he screamed out at 1hr15mins which would normally suggest he was OT)
6.15pm asleep

Today
Up 6.30am

Should I just go for a 11.45am nap again?  I'm aware that is still a long A time (5.25hrs) for a lo who only a couple of weeks ago was often doing a 3.5 A time before his first nap!!  But since he is catching up at nights, am I best to just keep pushing through so he gets used to it?

Thanks for your help xxx

[KathrynK]

hello you

Alex transitioned very early (13mo firmly on one nap) and I couldn't chop and change from one to two with him, we had to just go for one and it took him a week or so to adjust comfortably. He has always been v low sleep needs.

Sophie sounds more like Ben- she has always been v high sleep needs and wasn't properly on one nap until about 17.5mo. Once she started having 1-nap days, I would do two 1-nap days, and then a 2-nap day to catch up, then two 1-nap days, then a 2-nap day, etc. I found she got used to the longer A times quicker by doing 1 nap two days in a row then catching up sleep on the 3rd day. Constant switching daily from 1 to 2 naps just got her body clock in a mess. After a couple weeks she could handle three 1-nap days, then a 2-nap day, etc and then after a couple weeks of that it was 1-nap all the way.

I would go for 1 nap again today if you think you're not going to have a horrible OT night. I used to stretch Sophie's morning out gently by taking her out in the pushchair for a nice long time- a good hour or more of her sitting while we went round the shops, or to the park to feed the ducks, anything to pass the time so she was awake but not physically active to help her stop getting OT, does that make sense? That definitely helped her get through this stage.

hth, have a good day
K xxxxxxxxx

[MummyToBen]

I would go for 1 nap again today if you think you're not going to have a horrible OT night. I used to stretch Sophie's morning out gently by taking her out in the pushchair for a nice long time- a good hour or more of her sitting while we went round the shops, or to the park to feed the ducks, anything to pass the time so she was awake but not physically active to help her stop getting OT, does that make sense? That definitely helped her get through this stage.

Thanks Kathryn  .  Good plan, took him out for a walk and then put him down at 11.45 so hopefully he'll take a decent nap.  Like you were saying about Sophie, it definately seemed to just mess things up when I did a two nap day when it wasn't properly needed earlier this week.  I think i need to 'save' them for emergencies only!! 

xxx