2-1 denial!

[scruffymax]

So I think I'm in 2-1 denial.  Over the last few weeks my "perfect" sleeper has been refusing more and more of her pm naps - just plays in the cot and then eventually cries to get up (30mins to 1.5hr later).  I've tried moving both sleep times later and capping both, but she still refused the pm nap sometimes.  So then I thought I'd try the short am, long pm nap.  Actually I haven't really tried that TBH, I just put her down for her morning nap earlier and she did an UT nap of 1:10ish, and a similar time for the pm nap (previously I usually had to wake her from am nap at 1.5hr and sometimes from pm nap).

She is a completely independent sleeper, to the point I have no idea what to do if she doesn't just go to sleep when I put her down!  So last night she started crying around 20-30 mins after I put her to bed.  I tried a few things but eventually after walking up and down the street she started yawning and resting her head on me so I put her back to bed and she went to sleep, but that was 1.5hr after I first put her to bed.  Then she woke at 3:15am and after again trying various things, resorted to walking up and down the street, same as before, she got drowsy, and I put her back to bed successfully at 4:30am.

Now you might wonder why I would walk outside but it's been really hot here and it was cooler outside than it was in the house.  Today we've had the air con on all day so the house isn't really hot, but the bedtime antics were repeated.  After trying to settle her in the cot (which only resulted in screaming and a very distressed baby) I got her up and after snuggling on the couch for a bit she was full of beans and played for a while before coming up to me for cuddles and starting to yawn so I took it that she was finally tired and put her to bed (successfully... I think).

I've been reading up about 2-1 and I really wanted to keep her on 2 naps as long as possible but that was for my own selfish means (so I get 2 breaks in the day!)  But I think I'm going to go cold turkey.  Set naps have worked extremely well for her for the last 6-odd months so I think I'll pick a time and stick to it.   Hold my hand please...

Oh, and today is her birthday    My beautiful amazing girl is 1!  We are so lucky to have her in our lives 

[mycatmonet]

happy bday to your lo scruffymax! Holding your hand... 1 nap isn't too bad (though i know about lamenting the loss of 2 breaks a day!). Fx your DD transitions easily xx

[jessmum46]

Hand holding too....but just take care with the cold turkey.  It's a big leap from two 1h10-15 naps to one nap..... Why not try capped am nap of 30 mins first then pm nap uncapped 2.5-3h later?

Although should add another poster here did just this - set nap at 11am, BT at 7pm (used EBT if short napped) and rode out the OT for a couple of weeks and was sorted quickly

[anna*]

Agree with Katherine, it's a pretty good recipe for OT to go cold turkey to one nap. Oh, and happy birthday!!

[scruffymax]

She normally sleeps 7pm - 6/6:30am but is happy in cot until close to 7am.  So 2 nights now it's been about 8:30pm that I've finally got her to bed.  Yesterday she had the NW 3:15-4:30am and then woke around 7:30am.  I was at work but I think she had around 2.5hr day sleep over 2 naps, last one finishing around 3:20pm.  After 8:30pm BT last night she slept through but woke crying at 5:45am - she never wakes crying unless something is wrong.  I brought her into bed with us and I think she did what she normally does when she plays in the cot before I get her up - some lying there playing with her dummies, a bit of scooting around, a bit of chatting... and I cannot believe it but she has actually fallen asleep, probably around 6:45am.  She has never fallen asleep in bed with us - I've only tried on the odd occasion when she's had a NW or EW but I have never left it a whole hour!  Unfortunately I had to get up to let the dogs out.

I have thought pretty hard about how to approach the 2-1 and one of the things I have to consider is when she is with family the 2 days each week I work.  My sister has her one day and has school pickup/dropoff and a short am/long pm nap just wouldn't work as she'd have to wake her about an hour into the pm nap to leave for school.  My MIL has her the other day and technically could do the short am/long pm, but I really don't think she'd be able to get her head around waking her after only a very short nap in the morning, KWIM?  And then, she's booked in for swimming lessons on Saturdays which are at 10am, her usual morning nap time - so would have to do super early am nap (if she would even take it).

So, I'm going to press ahead with the plan of one nap + EBT as needed.  I think I'll also try some pain meds in case it's teeth bothering her.

And I can hear she has just woken - that would be around 40mins in bed with daddy.  So I'll try to push through til 11am which hopefully shouldn't be too bad from 7:30am, even with the short night.

[anna*]

She could do two naps on the days she's with you and one nap when she's with your sister or MIL?

[mycatmonet]

short am, long pm didn't work for us (however DD was never a 'perfect' sleeper by any means and pm nap refusal happened well before DD was 1 for us. Started to implment a set 11am nap around new years... an 11am nap worked to increase our am A which was quite short and 7pm bt has been ok, though we now have ditched the 11am 'set nap' part and have an am A of 5-5.5hrs and whatever A to bed (depending on nap length which varies in the last few weeks from 1h20min to a 2h40min whopper for DD)...
You might find she's fine on a lunchtime-ish nap, since she's a good sleeper? Might need ebt for a bit though!

[scruffymax]

I decided to go completely nuts and have a midday nap!  Following the school of thought that whenever you make major changes to their routine they're inevitably OT, so better to do it in one hit than prolong the misery by changing them gradually.  We were out and about so it was fine to keep LO up.  She slept 12-3pm!  I wasn't sure whether to cap it but thought I'd let her sleep to catch up.  Might come back to bite me when I put her to bed as she doesn't look tired at all but I'm still aiming for 7pm-ish bedtime!  If it doesn't work, I'll know to cap her nap tomorrow if needed - not sure how long to cap it at though?  I was thinking 2.5hrs.

[anna*]

I definitely wouldn't cap at all UNLESS you start to get BT resistance.

[mycatmonet]

woo hoo! 3hr nap, i agree, don't cap unless you need to.  But if you were to cap, i think 2.5hrs sounds good! Esp if your LO does a good night too

[jessmum46]

Just be aware it's very common for the first few days to be rosy when you jump cold turkey to one nap, then OT can really bite.  I wouldn't cap either

[scruffymax]

Yawn... 7pm BT did not work; have just put her down again at 8:40pm and so far so good.  4hr A time after a 3hr nap was obviously just not enough.

I tried shusshing and reassuring her from the doorway when she didn't settle when I first put her down.  It calmed her down for a few minutes at a time but not enough to go to sleep.  After 45 mins I gave up and got her up.  She practically NEVER cries when going down for a sleep, and if she does, it's just a momentary whinge.  So for her to be crying something is wrong.  She was then super happy, played and chased the dogs around the living room like a mad woman for over half an hour before I'd had enough and decided it was bedtime again.  I don't think it was in a manic OT way though - DH gave her a biscuit (I have no idea why!) and she was having great fun teasing the dogs with it.  She loves the dogs but they don't often really interact with her so she was getting so much enjoyment from them actually coming over to her!  I tried to just enjoy the cute interaction and extra happy time with my LO instead of being annoyed that she wasn't asleep :-)

[jessmum46]

I'm guessing WU was 7am?  She may have needed a longer day than 12h with that long nap.  I still wouldn't cap though - go for a slightly later BT should it happen again. 

[scruffymax]

It was a wierd day with WU 5:45am and then slept 6:45-7:30am.  So no idea if you count that as a NW or an early nap!  6am now and she hasn't woken overnight, phew.  If she's still asleep I'll have to get her up before 6:45am as I'm minding my nephews today and have to leave to pick them up.

[jessmum46]

I'd do two naps today then - that's a pretty short night for a one nap day