dropping to 1 nap. How do I start this?

[Katejk]

My lo wakes between 5 - 5.30 every morning.  She is 13 and a half months.  How do I start the transition from 2 - 1 naps?. X

[jessmum46]

Why are you wanting to transition? What's your current routine?

[Katejk]

Because she wakes so early.  Current routine is

5-5.30 wake don't get her til 6
6.30 milk and breakfast
10 nap 30 minutes (capped)
1 lunch
2.30 nap usually 1 hour
5 tea
7 milk
7.30 bed

[jessmum46]

I wonder if in fact she is waking so early because she is overtired rather than because she is ready for one nap?  She has a very long day at the moment and really not very much sleep.  Do you wake her from her pm nap currently or does she wake herself? If you wake her, I would be tempted to let her sleep up to 2h and keep BT the same and see if that helps.  The other thing you could try is pulling her pm nap earlier to around 1.30pm and see if she will take a longer nap for you so she won't be OT at bedtime.  The aim while you are still on two naps is to get one of the naps to be fully restorative ie 1h30-2h so it may be tweaking your current routine will help avoid the drop to one nap for a while longer

[Katejk]

No I never wake her from her afternoon nap. I only cap the morning nap add I was advised to from someone on here.  I'm kind of at a lose with it now.  She won't go to sleep if it's earlier than 4 hours awake time which doesn't help.

[jessmum46]

Hmm yes I had one like that!

Ok, so here's what we did at this stage, I warn you it wasn't pretty for quite a while though.....

WU whenever, not out of room until 6.30am but would let her sleep in if she could
Nap set at 11.30am, 15 mins early if EW, uncapped
BT set at 6pm (up to 30 mins early if short nap)

If we hit a day where there was a pre-6am waking then I would go for a drive at around 9am and drive for 30 mins or so.  She would usually fall asleep and I would let her have 20-25 mins then pd for a pm nap around 12.30/1ish.  This was a girl who would never sleep in the car previously but the 2-1 made her so tired it did work occasionally.

I do think however it would be worth trying your pm nap EARLIER than currently.  She is doing effectively 9-9.5h A time with only a 30 min nap so I think she is most likely OT already when you put her down for the pm nap which is why she can only manage an hour's sleep.  I would try a nap at 12.30/1pm (she shouldn't need a full A time after a 30 mins nap, especially with 4.5-5h A beforehand. 

[Katejk]

Thanks I'll give it ago.  Fingers crossed xx

[jessmum46]

Good luck, keep us posted x

[nona]

my DD didn't drop her nap until she was around 15-16 months.....

good luck...all kids are different. my DS dropped it at 13 months and it was pretty obvious.