Support Thread for 2-1 Nap Transition cont'd pt 6

[ZacsMumme]

Ugh sounds like teeth hug so n there ugh day.
So when you do 1 nap howling is he first A? We were doing something like this
WU 6.30
A 4.5
Nap 11 for 1.5-3 hrs
A 5
BT 6-7 depending on nap

But he's fighting me like mad at BT. Not sure if its developmental (sa) or he needs an increase somewhere. He did do 5 nap 5 but seemed to get OT and I pulled it back which stopped the mid nap wakings. But now he's just not tired

[momma.bear]

It's been weeks since I've done one nap, but I think then he was doing 5 hours A

[ZacsMumme]

So did you just drop back to 2 because OT hit?

[momma.bear]

Mostly because I was tired of him being so tired. And when he's tired he doesn't eat. And it was so hard to keep him up, anytime we went anywhere, stroller or car, he'd fall asleep. And right now I'm getting about an hour break in the morning where I'm able to have some 1:1 time with my daughter, and then in the afternoon he'll usually do 45 minutes, wake, nurse, and then go for another 45. Sometimes he doesn't wake but just goes 1-1.25 hours in the afternoon. I figure with the holidays coming up, it may be easier to just keep him on 2 naps a day that way I know that if we go anywhere in the pm, at least he's had some sleep in the am.

[ZacsMumme]

That sounds great that he takes two decent naps. I assume nights are good too? Our nights are terrible when T is UT so I struggle to find a balance for him. Z was so much easier to read!

[momma.bear]

Nights arent great but they never have been

[Miraclelim]

Hi just poping in to say hi. My dd turn one today!!! Has been on one nap for 2weeks STTN. But my question is how do I lengthen the nap. She started of with 2 hr n now is 1.5 hr sometimes worse 1 hr.
Wu 0550-0620 ( happily lie in bed till 0645 until I pick her up)
Nap started with 11 now pushed to 1130. 1130-1300/1320
Bedtime 1830/1840
STTN (11.15-11.5 hr)

Tried early bedtime but she just lie in bed sucking her cloth not sleeping.
She is teething now n just learnt how to walk pushing with the walker.
So not sure what to do to lengthen nap. Any ideas?

[ZacsMumme]

She may be self regulating as 13 hrs is pretty avge in 24 for a LSN kid on 1 nap.
I would hold for now and see how things go..given she is STTN and napping solidly most the time I don't think she would be too OT.

[LovelyLilyandJack]

Hello!  Has anyone on here been through / going through 2-1 with a very young LO? We've been capping naps for a while but we're getting so many EWs that I'm seriously contemplating pushing on with one nap but most of my reluctance is that J is so young to do it. The only time 2 naps has worked for us lately is when he's been ill - then he's done 2 naps and a 13 hour night.  Otherwise we only get 10 hour nights on 2 nap days and after 2x2 nap days, bedtime resistance sets in and we end up with 14 hour days and him fighting every nap.  The only thing that gets us back on track is a one nap day. After a couple of those he's tired enough that he'll do 2 naps again.

Anyway, if he was older I'd be pushing the one nap days a bit more I think, mainly cos I can't find the magic time to get a decent nap out of him on one nap days. Ideally I'd do a set nap at 12 and an EBT and see if his nap lengthened at all but all this flipping between one and two nap days is meaning I'm getting different length naps on the same A time all the time.

Anyway, has anyone done this at such a young age?  I would love to hear from those that have!

[ZacsMumme]

Hey lovely. Both my boys we're on 1 nap at least most days by 10 months. If the nap was a bust or day too long I did a pm CN

What does his EaS look like ATM?

[LovelyLilyandJack]

Glad we're not the only ones! It's really clouding my judgement cos I keep thinking he must be chronically OT rather than ready for one nap at his age!  But then his sleeping behaviour suggests UT most of the time.  I think I'm pretty good at spotting it when he is OT as well.

Two nap days look like this:

WU: 5.30
A: Usually about 4 hours.  Could probably pd earlier if he's tired but after 1-2 x 2 nap days he starts fighting his morning nap.
S: Set at 9.30 for 30 minutes.
A. 3hrs 30
S: 1.30 - 2.45/50 usually.
A: 4hrs 10/15ish
S: Bedtime at 7 but if he's UT he'll often fight it til 7.30.

He then does a 10 - 10.5 hour night. Normally nearer 10 if he's fought bedtime or naps during the day.

One nap days are just random. I can't for the life of me get a good nap out of him.  I've tried everything from 4 to 6 hours A time before his nap.  He usually needs a resettle.  If his A time on a one nap day is around 5 hours or less I have to resettle at around 40 minutes, he fights it and then just does another 35 minutes or so.  If he does nearer 6 hours he resettles more easily or sleeps 1hr 20, but is grumpy in the afternoon. He never does more than 1.5 hours total though.  He does do an 11 - 11.5 hour night if we do EBT.  Still gives us a 5.30am-ish wake up though! 

At the moment I do one nap if he fights his morning nap - we often end up with about half and half one and two nap days. Eventually I'd like to set a nap at 11.30 / 12 or something and do EBT til he gets used to it all but am clinging onto two naps for now!  I'm sick of the early starts though

[ZacsMumme]

Mmm that am nap is likely the problem I think.
Do you cap it at 30 or does he only do 30? I your capping I would push it to 4hrs15 and don't cap. Then resettle if you can (if he pulls a nap less than 1 hr 20) if you can get a good one then shoot for EBT.

When you do a 1 nap day how long is he sleeping and when do you usually offer it A wise?

[LovelyLilyandJack]

Thanks Sara.  If I leave him for that morning nap he usually sleeps 35 minutes,  which is usually UT for him.  Or he handles OT very well!  In the past, an A time push has gotten us past 35 minute naps though.  I'm starting to think I need to make proper efforts at finding the A which will give a decent nap, whether that gives us long AM, short PM, or one nap day,  whatever.  I'm certainly up for trying 4hrs 15. In the past it's given us an UT nap but with him swapping 2 and 1 nap days and trying different A times I haven't done anything very consistently.

If he does one nap I generally do A times somewhere between 4hrs 45 and 6 hours once when I just watched for cues. Today we did 5hrs 25 and he cried out once at 34/35 minutes,  then woke properly at 1hr 10.  I couldn't resettle him, though my daughter did interrupt us half way through so not necessarily indicative of anything.  He was very happy and chilled afterwards though, put up with guests arriving,  playing by himself and loud play from my daughter which wouldn't go down well if he was tired.  Tomorrow if he refuses his morning nap I'll try the same A time I think and see what happens.  Typically he increases his nap and night sleep on his second one nap day unless we miss EBT and he gets OT.

[ZacsMumme]

That nap after 5hrs25 sounds OT. I'd certainly give 1 nap a crack though if you can, and resettle (if it's short) if he will let you. Maybe base it on WU, ie if WU is 7.30 try a nap 4.5 hrs later 12-2 and EBT 6.30-7pm. Then if your next WU is 6 go for a 2 nap day (10-10.30) and then (1-2.30) BT 6.30/7?

[LovelyLilyandJack]

Thanks.  Basing it on wake up was the plan, but cos he always does a short night after a 2 nap day, we never seem to get close to a 6am wakeup even. Past 6.30 is unheard of! So we end up in a 2 nap / EW vicious circle until either he starts refusing his morning nap or by fluke or late night he sleeps close to 6 and then I do a one nap day and EBT. It's not helping me find an A time for one nap day which works though

That said, he's been ill over Christmas so I've reduced his A times right down and we had a few rotten nights but yesterday he seemed much less tired again.  He did this yesterday and last night slept for almost 11.5 hours! 

WU: 6.20 (but 1hr nw at 3)

A: 3hrs 20
S: 1hr, 9.40 - 10.40 (uncapped.  Wouldn't resettle)

A: 3hrs 35 (but pd at 3hrs 20ish)
S: 30 minutes,  2.15 - 2.45 (uncapped,  but I'm positive was UT cos he wouldn't resettle, just lay there babbling and was happier after this nap than he has been in days! I know 30 minutes is usually OT but I'm sure it was UT in this case. Plus I'd reduced A times yesterday by 15 minutes on the previous day and he'd slept less as a result)

A: 4 hrs 15. Would have pd earlier but he was so chilled and happy and no tired signs til close to normal bedtime I thought he could handle a longer A ok.
S: 7 - 6.20

So I think I'm going to try and slowly increase that first A while he's still getting over this cold (rather than jump up A times for a one nap day) so I have a better handle on that first A time and stop capping it for now. He rarely sleeps longer than 1hr 20 anyway!  Then I'll have to have a cut off in the afternoon for a cn cos any sleep past 3 seems to affect his nights. In fact even a big nap ending at 3 was causing EWs before. 

What do you think?