Time to Shorten PM Nap?

[hatshetsut]

Hi!

Kate has had the same routine for a couple of months now and over the past couple of weeks she has been really fighting going to bed. She just acts like she isn't tired. She will doze off as she finishes her last bottle but within seconds of laying in her cot she flips over and stands at the railing. Generally she yells/cries on and off for a while. I do PU/PD and WI/WO to resettle her but it has been taking upwards of an hour. I'm wondering if we need some more A time before bed. Our routine is below and all suggestions are welcome!

7 wake BF
8 Breakfast
10 - 1030 sleep
12 lunch
130 - 330 sleep
4 snack
530 dinner
7 get ready for bed
in bed by 715-730

[mamatolevi]

Bumping up, I am in the same boat as you!

[hatshetsut]

Misery loves company LOL!

I definitely think we need more A time. Two reasons:
1. Last week when she woke at 3 whilst at the sitters she went down to bed fine.
2. Today we had a goofy day because of preschool. She napped from 1030 -12, then a short cat nap from 315 - 4. She still didn't go down well and I've been playing WI/WO while trying to type this post. :-(

I see our LOs are about the same age. Maybe they are scooting towards the 2-1 transition.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Definitely sounds like the start of the 2-1 to me!  Most people (including us) have the most luck with short AM/long PM as you go through it.  Basically start cutting back that AM nap and then shorten the next A time to PM nap and let them go for as long as they want in the PM.  It can get funny with lunchtimes and sometimes you have to do a big snack before AM nap and the rest of lunch later, etc. 

There are a couple of stickies around about the 2-1 that are pretty good, too. Can't look ATM but if you have trouble finding them, let me know.

I was terrified of the 2-1 but it really wasn't as bad as I'd feared it would be!  Go for it and it'll probably help to straighten things out. 

LMK if I can help more. 

[hatshetsut]

Oh I would love a 1 nap day, my sitter may not LOL! She isn't quite there yet though. I think you need about 5 hrs of A time to manage a 1 nap day. She can do about 4 at the moment but not quite 5, she gets OT. She could do 1 if I did an EASY of

7 wake
1130 sleep
230 or 3 wake
6 bedtime

I've done something close to that once and she had a few NW because of being OT. I think we need to shorten the morning nap to around 20 min, then try 1 pm - 3 for a nap.

I'll give that a go around Friday and try to make it through the week.

Thanks Kate!

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Yeah it definitely sounds like you're on the road to the 2-1 but not there yet.  It is a process for sure!  (But oh so nice when they get there! )

I would start gently by putting her down around the normal time and cutting the AM nap to 1.5h or 1h15, not straight to 20 min.  Then shorten the next A by a bit and put her down for PM nap.  That should help keep her from getting OT.  Do that for a week or 2 and if she starts being wonky again, cut another 15-30 min, etc etc.  What do you think?

[~Karen~]

You've probably seen this but just incase you haven't

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=95670.0

We're going through it as well.  Will be so glad when we're on one nap days!

[hatshetsut]

Hi Karen!

Yes, I've read the sticky and it is very applicable to Kate for sure. Lately she hasn't had EW, mostly just refusing to go to bed. Last night however was really bad. She didn't want to sleep, then woke at 12 and went back, then 130 and didn't sleep until 3! She was super fussy, stuffed up (AGAIN!!), and I think she is working on her front two teeth. Take your pick on the problem there! Kate didn't get my memo that it was my birthday today and I should get to sleep LOL!

I told the child minder to only let her nap until 3 today and hopefully that will help with adding a little A time to her day. My bet is that this will be a 1-2 month transition to a 1 nap day. I am all for that!

Thanks!

Holly

[~Karen~]

We've been playing around with it since about 11 months as well and doing two naps most days but did one today.  I was letting him have a long nap in morning then trying for a short nap later but then he started refusing the pm nap totally.  Have been doing some 30 min am naps and longer pm naps and that does seem to work better.  Can't always manage it though because of school runs etc! 

[hatshetsut]

Well, I kinda decided that naps weren't the whole problem today. Today she napped from 930 - 10, then from 1-230 and I put her to bed at 7. She still did her usual get up and cry at the edge of the crib.
It took quite a bit of put down to get her back to bed. Tonight might have been some OT since last night she went down better..

It is so funny that she will go down nicely for her naps but won't go down for bed time... Ugh! I'm thinking a PU/PD plan is in order...

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

I would stick to the shorter nap for a few days before you call it a bust.  Also, if she was doing 2h before, jumping to a 1/2 hr might have been too drastic and made her a bit OT.  Just some other thoughts!

[hatshetsut]

Hi Kate.

I think yesterday was definitely OT. The child minder kept her naps the same today (945-1015 & 130-330) and I just put her down at 740 instead of 7. She basically fell asleep in my arms. Not ideal I know but better than it has been. I'm also starting to wean her last bottle before bed time so there will be less chance of her falling asleep while finishing it. She is a mystery my beautiful brown eyed girl :-)

I think I'm going to try bumping the PM nap up to 1 or 115 and seeing if she naturally wakes at 3 on her own that way. Hopefully then she will be ready for bed by 7 which I prefer since then I can get DD1 ready for bed easier. I'll give it a go for a week or so and see how it goes. Thanks!!

Holly

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Sounds like a plan.  LMK  how it goes!

[hatshetsut]

Hi again...

Well, it has been a load of ups and downs. Yesterday she was at a different child minders and she only slept an hour all day, so we had loads of NWs because of being OT. Now today, we were home and she took her usual naps well, but tonight I put her to bed at 745 and she is still in there whining, not sleeping and it is now 9:10pm!

I can't figure this kid out! Some days 4 hrs of A time is just right before bed, then there are nights like this that she rolls and crawls about fussing ever 20 - 30 minutes.

When will this get better?!?

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

When will this get better?!?

The 2-1 can be really tricky.   What's her EASY look like at the moment?