12 month old - 2-1 starting - how to preserve 2 naps as long as possible

[TracyP21]

We are definitely starting 2-1 transition:  lots of long AM naps (1.5-2hr) and refusal of PM nap or 35/40 min nap (waking up unhappy and crying).

EASY usually:

WU:  6:30
Nap 1:  just moved to 10:30 (this nap has started to only be 1 hr in length)
Nap 2:  time between 3-4:  its it been a full nap around 3:30
BT:  6:30/7

Teeth are in the mix but medicating when they start to interfere with sleep.  Independent sleeper unless its hot/sick then will just give him a cuddle and he will put himself to sleep.  STTN.  No props except a lovey.  Just taken out of safe-t-sleep so now getting into all sorts of weird and wonderful positions at night. 

Questions:

How much day sleep does he need at 12 months with an 11-11.5 hrs night? (he can go as long as 1hr 25 mins up to 2hr 25 a day)
If the nap is around 2hrs should I just do an EBT that day rather than 2nd nap (which seems to take so long to get and then its so short).
Now with these 1 hour naps creeping in not sure about what time the 2nd nap needs to be - can most do a full AT or should I shorten it by 30 mins? 

He is average sleep needs I think - we struggled with naps until 10 months (when he started crawling) and had a blissful two months but now its wonky again.

[anna*]

You could consider if you'd like to do a morning catnap and then a longer pm nap. That's what I did with my two because like your guy after a long morning nap they would just resist a pm nap and I'd have to be putting them to bed at 4.30-5pm or something silly. So we did 20-30 mins at 10.30am, and then a long nap at 1.30-2pm. Then from there went to one nap at 11.30. I think that from a 6.30am start, a two hour nap at 10.30am will leave him massively overtired by bedtime, unless you are happy to put him down at like 5pm. I think you need to be able to get a slightly longer morning A time and a reliably long nap before consistently going to one nap.

[TracyP21]

Great - that was what I was thinking as well, def don't want too EBT as he doesn't seem to tack on at night.  How grumpy did yours get being woken up after a short morning nap.  I have been a bit scared to try this as worried he would refuse the PM nap or short nap.
With the morning nap do you just keep pushing it out until you reach 11:30am and then what happens with the PM nap - do you bring that forward or back or does the 11:30am turn into the long nap and then  use EBT?  If he slept from 11:30-1 or 2 is that enough sleep for day with EBT of 6/6:30?

[anna*]

My oldest used to be a bit grumpy, but I would distract him with a snack and he'd be fine. If he was really miserable we would just cut that middle A time back even more, or do something low-key like go for a little walk in the buggy.

I didn't do incremental pushes of the nap. I kept it at 20-30 mins at 10.30am and then a long pm nap until he hit 15 months, and then made the change cold turkey. My daughter made the change (same nap pattern) at 13 months but she copes with OT better, and also tends to like to sleep loooong nights so an early bedtime works great with her.

[momma.bear]

There was a time when I thought my DD was ready for 1 nap but it ended up just being teething. I think that was around 15-16 months. However, she is now 21 months and I am just transitioning her to 1 nap a day. But she has always been high sleep needs. I just rode it out, and she ended up doing 1.5-2 hours in the morning and 1-1.5 in the afternoon until just now. On days where she was extra tired she'd do 2 hours in the morning. It's hard to say how much sleep they need. I've heard 13 hours is the minimum, but my daughter needed 15. I think every child is different and you just have to go with what their needs are. My daughter used to wake up around 7 and go down for her first nap at 10am, the second around 2:30pm. Then 7pm bedtime. Not sure if this helps or not, but I do remember thinking, "Oh no, her naps are getting shorter. Please don't tell me it's time for just 1!" But I kept a consistent schedule, and there were days where one nap was really short, but it wasn't until she started refusing afternoon naps that I went with the 2-1 transition.

[TracyP21]

Thanks Mommabear and Anna - we had a short AM sleep by today (10:30-11) and tried him at 1:50 but seemed quite upset so got him up to give him meds as third bottom tooth has popped thru and wondering if the fourth is close.  He went back down at 2:05 and asleep by 2:10 so we will see what he does. 
We have just taken him out of his safe-t-sleep for sleeps as he was getting out of it and I think he is adjusting to the freedom of the cot - ends up with head up against bars etc, which is also waking him up during the day.
He starts daycare next week so no doubt that will stir things up a bit and seems to be experiencing SA as well!  Its all or nothing lol.
Mommabear - we are getting PM nap refusals or very short ones (20-30 mins) after 10-20 mins protesting/mantra crying.
GULP - think I will try this short AM sleep/long PM sleep for a week and see what happens.

[TracyP21]

So PM nap went from 2:10-3:20 (1hr 10) and 30 mins this morning - what I am worried about is that no nap is restorative.  He went down to bed at 7pm happy as and straight to sleep.   WU was 6:30 so 12.5 hr day.
Hoping I don't shoot myself in the foot for mentioning this but he has always STTN (even thru teeth cutting) since 9 weeks, only wakes up if sick.  So his night sleep is restorative at least.

[Buttonbobs]

If this is the first day you had tried a short AM nap and long PM it might just be that he needs some time to adjust. I would probably give it a week or so to see if that PM nap lengthens - you might also need to fiddle with that second A time to get it right. Try not to worry too much for this next week, it would of course be better for at least one nap to be restorative in length, but things probably will settle in a few days if you stick with the pattern. What do you think?

[momma.bear]

I agree that you have to give it a week... write things down so you can see progress. I was getting frustrated with 2-1 transition but when I told myself I had to give it a week, I relaxed more and am now seeing progress.