12 mo: EW & terrible naps.

[Shelbystx]

Hi, I'd love to get some help with my spirited DS.  He's 12 months and a couple of weeks ago he finally started STTN, thank god.  Before that happened he was waking 3-6 times a night!  The problem is that he also went from napping really well to hardly napping at all.  We were and still are in the 2-1 transition and things are a little confusing for me so I could use some help. Yesterday looked like this:

5:30 w
10:40 s
11:30 w
4:00 s
4:20 w
7:30 BT (trouble going down down so really fell asleep at 8:00)
STTN but up at 5:40 this AM

That's a fairly typical day although it's not typical for him to have trouble at BT.  He usually goes right down as we have a good routine.  He is generally pretty sleepy a lot during the day and will fall fast asleep in the car or stroller. I have occasionally gotten him to go back to sleep after EW and he'll sleep til 7ish. When that is the case he will usually only take one nap around midday for about an hour.  If I offer him a second, he refuses or sleeps 10-15 min.  Don't know if it matters but he has a twin sister who STTN and takes one nice long 2 hour nap a day and sometimes still does a second catnap.  Anyone have any ideas for me?

Thanks so much!

[Loafie]

Hi Shelbystx

Just wanted to pop by and say hi and to let you know that ill be following your post with interest since this is the EXACT same routine that my LO has.
BT is slightly earlier for us but otherwise , we also have 5.30 am like clockwork WU , crappy 1-1h10 AM nap and CN around 3.30 pm. I've pushed his A time to 5 hours for am nap and still not getting the lovely nap he needs! EW are a killer too:(
Ill be interested to see the advice you get:) Happy to hear he's sttn for you!
Have a great day.
Sophie

[scruffymax]

I am the one who throws a spanner in the works and will suggest a much shorter A time :-)  My 14MO copes really well on a 30-40min capped morning nap at 9:30am, longer nap at 1:30pm (usually about 1.5hr and I cap at 2hr) and BT at 7pm.  So her A time is actually never more than about 3.5hrs - goes against a lot of the advice you read about typical A times but it works really well for her and I personally know a lot of kids her age who also still have a morning and an afternoon nap.  She wakes around 6:30am but I put her down at the same times regardless. 

I know it's conventional wisdom that an earlier morning nap leads to EW, but I have personally found a later pm nap leads to EW and even when she sleeps til 7am I still put her down at 9:30am and it never causes EW.  OT can also lead to EW and to me it sounds like your little man is OT.  Just an idea and I know that probably doesn't work at all with your DD's routine (unless she is flexible enough to change to her brother's routine).  Hats off to you for getting through a year with twins!  Anyway I'm sure you'll read lots of different things, so good luck, hopefully one of the suggestions is right for your family :-)