Support Thread for 2-1 Nap Transition cont'd pt 3

[sparrow]

Hi ladies, we were getting 4-5 am wake ups for a good month straight (and no going back to bed) before we finally decided to just bite the bullet and do one nap cold turkey.  This was after months of fumbling with the short nap, long nap situation. The EW's were immediately solved (I think the first morning she cried a bit but then right back down).  I haven't read all these posts thoroughly to know everyone's particular circumstances, but I just wanted to put that out there.

[*Ali*]

That's great that you solved your EWs with moving to one nap Sparrow. How old was your LO when you made the switch?

[sparrow]

She was about 16 months but I think she was ready earlier, hence all the EWs.  It's been a month now and still going well. 

Ali, I like having your ticker around so I can see which type of food my baby is now being compared to!

[sianie]

I did something similar with my DD when we went through 2:1, we went to 1 nap very quickly over a few days & it worked really well. DD was around 16 mths too when we did it & I'm sure that's one of the reasons it worked so well as she was old enough to handle the extra A time.

[*Ali*]

She was about 16 months but I think she was ready earlier, hence all the EWs.  It's been a month now and still going well.  Ali, I like having your ticker around so I can see which type of food my baby is now being compared to!

DS was around 12.5mo when we jumped to 1 nap but he never had EW. I found it hard to know if he was NW due to OT or if it was just habit due to BFing. Once I stopped the NFs a couple months ago it became easier to tell.
BTW, you never did join us on the due date thread. I find it so interesting seeing what everyone else is going through at the same stage. No pressure of course but we are a friendly bunch if you decide you are interested. 

[ccaawc]

yesterday's one nap plan had gone to pot.

dd dozed off in car after playgroup at 4:50-5:10....well, she didn't fight BT at 9 with such a late catnap so I was glad, but she woke at 4ish, 5ish and then up at 7, 10hrs nite with 2 brief NW.

I am wondering if the short A time (4-5hrs) before BT is the culprit of all the NW and EW, because no matter how much nap she had in daytime (1.5 to 2hr10) she still isn't STTN, and the only time she STTN was when she had one nap and had 7hrs last A, 10hrs nite but then this gives us 5am WU....

Can't win!

[sianie]

Could be CC, I've always found that a late CN (no matter how short), generally gave me a short night after....

Quick Q......do any of you find that too short a 1st A time can lead to a shorter night if that makes sense? I'm sure I've read somewhere that it does...

[lulunut]

Thanks for the info Sparrow!  It's great help!

cc-I would be careful on the 7hrs A time it could get you into OT easily.  But, yes, you sometimes can't win!!! HUGS!

At 5am I used to pick him up and hold him until it was time to get up.  Just to keep peace for everyone in the house.  This didn't work for me however!!!  Over the last 3 days I have decided not to PU and hold him but do PD.  It is now day 3 and is clearly NOT working!!!  Today by 6am I figured I would give him his usual 6am bottle and see if he would at least go back down.  He DID!

Now something is obviously triggering him at 5am!  On the dot!  I have now come to believe it's the neighbour leaving for work.

So I will try to go in and give him a bottle and get him back down for the next few days and if that doesn't work then I wonder if WTS will work??

I don't know!  Like cc says, you just can't win!!  You just have to try different methods!!

We did 3 naps yesterday, 1.5 after 4hrs A time(b/c he was up at 5am!) and 2 CN in the car on the way to Granny's and home from Granny's.  SIGH!  Bt was at 7pm last night.

[~Karen~]

Sian - I found that with ds1 but not really with Lewis.  Ethan was always trying to catch up on missed night sleep 

So we had nap from 1145am-130pm yesterday.  He did wake up and cry for a bit after 40 mins but luckily went back to sleep.  Then went straight to sleep at 620pm and woke up at 725am.  We did have a 5am wake up but I don't think it was OT as he's had 10.5 hours sleep by then with no wake ups.  He also didn't want to feed and was really upset so I defiantly think it's that molar breaking through.  After some meds, a cuddle and a feed in the end he went back to sleep till the morning.  He was getting a bit tired this morning but kept him up till after the school run and he was asleep just after 1230pm.  Going to see if I can convince Ethan to go for a nap with me in a bit as well! 

[inoella]

We're still struggling with EWs too -- even after what I thot was a nearly perfect day yesterday:
6 A
11:40-1:35 S
6:50 S
She cried out at 10:30 but back to sleep on her own. Up at 5:30 today crying/fussing. Guzzled 8 oz of milk and now she's drooling like crazy so maybe the incisors are coming in. Ugh... She almost fell asleep at 10 a.m. on the way to the library but I've given up on 2 naps in a day. Even when she takes a 20-30 min. cat nap in the a.m. on the way to somewhere I can't get her down for the p.m. nap. This girl just doesn't want to miss out on anything I guess.

Can't remember who had a 7 hr A time - but we've had a few of those due to short naps and second nap refusal. Amazingly she seems to sleep even better those nights. Silly girl. 

[*Ali*]

Quick Q......do any of you find that too short a 1st A time can lead to a shorter night if that makes sense? I'm sure I've read somewhere that it does...

Yes that is certainly one theory. By coincidence I was just reading this

8. First nap of the day is too earlyEarly waking can be due to the first nap of the day being too early. The final part of the night time sleep cycle can become separated, appearing as an early morning nap. (Hames 2002) (Ferber 1986)This can be resolved by gradually pushing the first nap of the day further forward very slowly, over several days.

Lulunut - if he wakes the same time every day w2s could work well. Even if it is the neighbour waking him w2s could still work by making it so that he is in a deeper sleep at that stage and less disturbed by external noise. Worth a try I think.

[ccaawc]

our nite following the one nap isn't to bad.

dd was rubbing her face at 5.5A but I kept her up till 6hrs15 A and she did STTN 9hrs, woke briefly for a feed at 5:30 and went back down and now it is 9, and still asleep. I think she must be really tired from yesterday's one nap. I am not waking her as I fear she might get OT and if she can catch up with longer nite sleep, that's good. and I can try another one nap day today without stretching her last A too much.

I have read that Ferber book as well, regarding that short 1st A. I think it is a good read even if u are against his control crying sleep training method.

lulu- I think u might be right about why our los wake at 5. I am thinking I might be the one waking my lo, cos I find that on nite when I sleep better, she sleeps better and she almost always moan and wake when I turn or move in my bed in the morning. It is fine during the nite cos she'll just turn and go back to sleep but at 5, they almost have all their sleep so it is a delicate time and a little disturbance can wake them. we are in the same room, but she is in her own cot. I'll need to move her to her own room soon. mayb u can use white noise to mask the neighbor's noise?

[lulunut]

Karen-it's nice when you can get both to sleep at the same time!!!  I love it even if I have to sleep with one of them!

Cadie's Mum-I had him on 5A time and 1 nap since this new method of not picking him up he is obviously tired and wants to sleep by 9am.  I don't like 2 naps so I am onto the next idea!!!!  I still got 5am's before so I don't know???  W2S I will try before the bottle and pick up or should I try W2S first?  Uhhh!  I don't know!

cc-YAY!  one nap is good news!  I have white noise going so again I don't know!!! Thanks though! (smile)
I think he triggered by something, either his tummy or a noise outside and since I have been picking him up and holding him after that trigger he has come to expect it. 

Today was wake at 5am, crying in and out for an hour so I decided to give him a bottle and he went back down until 7am.  Nap at 10:30-11:40 on the way to Granny's at at Granny's.  Granny decided to take him to the mall hoping that he would fall asleep on the way there and stay asleep, no such chance!!!  My LO doesn't want to miss anything thing either!!  CN on the way home from Granny's at 5pm and cranky until BT at 6:30.  OT!!! 

[kimmbba]

lulunut, Ethan wakes nearly everyday of his life at 5am.  I've been up trying to figure out if he's hearing something outside, etc. but there's nothing.  It's like some internal alarm clock!!  He will also go straight back to sleep if I feed him at this time, usually until 7am.  From what I remember reading on here, I feel like this is "normal" or common.

[*Ali*]

W2S I will try before the bottle and pick up or should I try W2S first?  Uhhh!  I don't know!

I would try w2s  first as if this solves the EW it will be gone. The bottle will just make it into a NW, which while preferable to an EW (to me anyway) is not as good as sleeping until the start of the day. JMO.