2-1 transition - help desperately needed please!

[Keep Smiling!]

Well we had an unusual day yeterday! LO was at nursery in the morning and for the first time had to sleep there. She slept for 1.15hrs and was awake at 12 (she had woken for the day at 7am). She then had a 15m cat nap in the car at around 4pm and went to bed at 7. She did need to be rocked but we didn't have the hours of screaming before bed. She woke once in the night for her dummy (a couple of times before we went to bed which I realise is OT) but I had to wake her at 7 this morning. Think I'll follow her lead a bit over the next few days as I realise when she starts nursery properly next week I may have to see what pattern she falls into!

[*Kara*]

Think I'll follow her lead a bit over the next few days as I realise when she starts nursery properly next week I may have to see what pattern she falls into!

This sounds like a great idea... no sense trying to see what will work just to have her routine upside down with a new environment

[Keep Smiling!]

I know. She starts next week so will see what happens then. If I can just ask one more question! Yesterday I woke her at 7 and pushed her till 10.40 for her first nap when she slept for 2.15m (I had to wake her). She was then awake until 8.40pm. She showed signs of being tired about 4.30 but that's too late for a nap so she stayed awake. I started bedtime routine at 6.30 with bath, bottle at 7 and tried to put her down but she screamed. Fought against it. In the end I sat her on my bed (I won't take her back down and let her play with her toys!) until she fell asleep.

Usually when shes OT she needs rocking but goes asleep quite quickly. It seems UT to me because she fights it's so much but surely she can't be UT after that a time? She slept though till 7.15 this morning with just one wake for dummy. I woke her at 7.15 (is this right? Keep her getting up at same time?) I just really don't understand what is happening so don't know how to deal with it x

[*Kara*]

That was most certainly OT hun.  If you are going to push her to one nap - don't cap it just yet.  Let her sleep... loads of LO's will do a 3 hr nap in the beginning and still do a good 11-12 hr night as well.  I wouldn't cap the nap until she starts to have issues with her night sleep.

I moved DD to one nap at 11 months 1 week and just started to cap her nap in the last month (she will be 19 months tomorrow).

[Keep Smiling!]

Thank you. I think one nap is what we'll have to do as not sure nursery will get her to have 2 naps. If she only has a short nap then I may try for a catnap when i pick her up. What should I be aiming for then? I have pushed her first a time to 3hrs 50m but she seems to like a longer second a time before bed. At the moment she has been going down between 10.30-11am (depending on when she wakes up for the day) and sleeping over 2 hours then awake till bedtime x

[*Kara*]

Ideally on one nap your day will be something like this in the beginning -

Wake up
A time of 4.5 - 5 hrs
Nap 2.5 hrs
A time of 5 - 5.5 hrs
BT

[Keep Smiling!]

Thank you! We had just over 4hrs a time this morning and a 2hr nap so may bring bedtime forward a bit so not too tired. She did a 11.5hr night last night (without waking!) which was great. Last day off with her tomorrow so after that it's up to nursery!

[*Kara*]

Good luck!

Don't be too surprised if she barely naps at nursery for the first week or two - very common!

[Keep Smiling!]

I know, I may need to let her have a little nap around 4pm when I pick her up if she hasn't slept!

[*Kara*]

[Keep Smiling!]

Hi, me again!

Well we've had a week of the new routine and it's awful My LO has started nursery and has been sleeping about 1.15m in nursery. She is usually awake by 12pm and then doesn't have another sleep till bedtime. She is then up and down a lot in the night and then is tired in the morning when I have to wake her to get her ready.

I tried to let her have a longer nap today (not in nursery) and as a result she is still wide awake and it's 8.40pm! I honestly dont know what to do Here is our EASY for the last couple of days:

6.05am WU (on her own)
10.25am - 11.40am nap
7pm asleep

Approx 6 night wakings, 3 before midnight.

7am WU (I had to wake her)
11.05am-12.45pm nap (woke her up)
8.40pm and still awake!

I know she must be tired but she just screams when you take her into the nursery. I sit her on the bed and she eventually falls asleep rolling around an I then put her in her cot. I'm sure people will say she needs to sleep more but she just resists it of I try to put her to bed earlier and I don't know what to do It's so hard because I'm now back at work and I just feel like such a failure. She has always gone down well and then 4 weeks ago it all changed and I don't know why!

[*Kara*]

Huge hugs hun!  This is unfortunately very common when they start nursery... quite often the wakings are OT but more often than not, they wake to see you as well since they don't all day.

As for her still being awake - she is no doubt way OT now... I would rock her to sleep and just stay with her for a while (like a half hour) until she is really in a good sleep... keep your hand on her to see if that helps her settle.

Can they keep her up longer at nursery before letting her nap?  She likely isn't tired enough to get a good nap after a short A time...

[Keep Smiling!]

She is up about 4/4.5 hrs in nursery before nap which is a long time for her, I had started increasing her a time but a couple of weeks ago she was only doing 3.15m a time so it is a big jump for her. She finally went to sleep at 8.50pm do had been awake 8 hrs. She was up a few times before midnight then a long NW when I gave her more medicine for teeth then she slept till 6.45 this morning.

Obviously I'm at home as its the weekend, do I let her sleep longer? I'm worried that will just mean bedtime is even later tonight! I honestly don't know what to do!

[Keep Smiling!]

Well I let her nap for as long as she wanted today and as a result it's nearly 8pm and she's wide awake! She woke at 6.45, slept from 11-1.30 and has been awake since then! I'm at a total loss as to what to do!

[*Kara*]

Hun - there is no way that she isn't tired after that long of an A time... if she gives a 2.5 hr nap after only 4 hrs 15 mins, she should be in bed about 5 hrs after that nap

Even my 19 month old would be knackered with that much A time   That said, I would be surprised if you got tired signs that were reliable at this age - most babies can fake you out by about 6 months.  My DD still doesn't act tired until she is getting a bum change just before her nap and getting out of the bath at night (about 15 mins before bed)...   The wind down is often what reminds them that they need to sleep....