14 month old on 1 nap day

[patsy32]

Hi Ladies,

Just wanted to get some advice again. My lo is 14.5 months and I have been struggling with 2:1 nap transition since she was around 9 mths old. I have tried every possible option known to help her nap longer & better but nothing is working!

At 11 mths she was napping 2 hrs in am & 30 min pm. When she started creche she wouldn't settle for nap there so we changed to short am, long pm.
Over Christmas DH was in hospital for 2 wks so she spent the time napping in the car however I was getting a 20 min nap now am & 45min/1 hr nap in pm with a 13 hr STTN.
Back to creche & I was capping am Nap at 10 min & trying for longer pm nap (varied results). Creche said the 10 min am Nap was no addition to her & they would leave her to nap when I collected her at 1.45. This ended in OT naps of 1 hr max. I have now started to leave her longer in creche everyday to try a 12.30 nap but she will only sleep 1/1.5 hrs max which is leaving her OT at 7pm BT. All this has added up to EW'S, ENW's & a very unhappy girl & mummy! I would be so grateful if somebody could point me in the right direction as to how to improve things for everyone please.

Previous routine was:
WU - 7.30
Nap 1 - 11.30 am (10 min)
Nap 2 - 2.00 - 3.30/4.00 pm (woke during nap crying but would self settle)
BT - 7.15/7.20 pm
STTN

Then we moved to :
WU - 7.15 am
Nap - 1.45/2.00pm (usually for 1/1.5 hrs & WU screaming)
BT - 7.00 pm

Now we are on :
WU - 6.50/7.00 am (WU crying)
Nap - 12.30 ( usually for 1.5 hr)
BT - 7.00 pm
EW'S & ENW'S (only once or twice before midnight for a few minutes each but resettles)

Any suggestions please on where I am going wrong!! I forgot to mention that through all these changes I would do 1 nap at the weekends & she would sleep for 2.5/3 hrs when put down at 12.30 for nap.
Now that we're on a consistent 1 nap for the last week all she will sleep is 1.5 hrs in creche & at weekends at home.

Please somebody give me some advice before I loose the will to live....

[HenaV]

Hi there,

Do you think  could be OT? I only say that because the NWs you describe and EW we used to classically when R was OT.

If so, perhaps an 11.30am nap and see how that pans out?

What do you think?

Hena

[patsy32]

Hi Hena,

Thanks again for your assistance! I am certain it's OT at this stage but just seem to be caught in a trap of it and don't know how to fix it.
She was put down in creche today at 11.45 am but didn't fall asleep until 12.10 and was awake just before 2 pm. Again it'll be so hard to keep her going until 7 pm BT and already she's rubbing her eyes & nose, it's only 4.30 pm.....
Creche said today that 2 pm is a busy time with them with kids going home, doorbell ringing etc so lots of noise.

Just so fed up of changing routine and nothing working anymore. This is a little girl who would sleep 2 hrs am, 2 hrs pm and 12 hrs NT  when she was younger.

I am beginning to wonder if creche life isn't for her and she'd be better off at home with childminder or how do I break the OT cycle.

Thanks for replying Hena, really appreciate it  x

[HenaV]

I wouldn't keep her hanging on until 7pm. That IMO will just perpetuate the problem. If you can, I'd go for a 6pm BT and see if that helps her catch up

Personally I would try the 11.30 nap got 3-5days and do BT dependent on how long she naps and see if that help get her straight. Once you're on top of the OT you can start fraud silly pushing the day out up where you want it

What do you think?

H

[patsy32]

We were away for an hr so we're only having a bath now & hoping for BT 6.30 pm, hope it wouldn't cause her to wake at 6.30 am!!!!!!!! I think a lot of the problem is the noise level at 2 pm in creche & the older kids all wake up at this time so she is waking also. If I could get her to sleep till 3 pm it would be perfect for 7 pm bed. Is 11.30 nap not very early in the day? I know what you mean about helping her to catch up all the same.
So today went like this

WU - 7.10 am
Nap - 11.45 am (asleep 12.10) - 2.00 pm (or just before crèche told me )
BT - 6.40 pm ( usually asleep after 10 min)

Fingers crossed for a good night!!!

[HenaV]

At 14m I don't think so, even if it just a mechanism to help catch up. So your day may look something like this:

WU: 6.30/7am
Nap:11.30-2pm (given that's when she'll get woken at nursery)
BT:6.30/7pm (depending on nap lenght ie if she gets 3h, then 7pm BT)

The day that way is pretty balanced. Once she's caught up, I would suggest moving the nap out and BT accordingly.

How does that sound?

Hena

[patsy32]

Sounds good Hena,
How long should I leave on suggested routine, would a week or two be enough do you think?

Should I move day on by say 15 - 20 min increments every week then to get her to 7.30 WU & 12.30 nap?

I would love to reach my ideal routine of
WU - 7.30
Nap - 12.30 - 3.00
BT - 7.00/7.30 pm
(Wishful thinking or what)!!!!

Has 2 ENW's so far but only for a few minutes and she self settled after a few minutes

[HenaV]

Wishful thinking indeed. If you get there, can the receipe and sell it for a fortune 

I would implement the new routine for at least one week and see how things are. If you are satisfied that things are improving and that you are on top of the OT, shift the nap by 15mins (and BT accordingly), hold for  3-5days, assess where you are and rinse and repeat until you get to where your LO needs to be (what she can handle etc)

That sound ok?

Hena

[patsy32]

Thanks for that Hena, we had a few ENW'S last night but she SS'd and was awake at 6.45 am. I asked the creche to put her down at 11.30 am and leave her as long as she sleeps so fingers crossed it goes ok.

She will be 15 mths in exactly 1 wks time so do you think I should push on with the 1 nap or revert back to short am, long pm? I am been told by everybody do this, try that, she's not tired enough, keep her on 1 nap, move back to 2 naps, the list goes on and on.....
At her age should I just push ahead with 1 nap do you think?

[HenaV]

I think you should push on with one nap. I'd give it a week and see go things settle, which hopefully they will x

[patsy32]

Thanks again Hena, I'll let you know how it goes in a few days x

[HenaV]

Good luck! 

[patsy32]

Sorry 1 more question, is it normal to have a shorter nap for a while when you start on 1 nap and then it lenghtens out a bit? Was told that at work today!

[HenaV]

Tbh, I've not heard that before and It wasn't my experience but my dd borders on hsn so maybe that's why?

[patsy32]

Hi Hena, Just wanted to give you quick update.
Creche put dd down for nap yesterday at 12.00 ish but she wouldn't settle so took her up and tried again at 12 .45, asleep at 12.55 pm - 2.45 pm. BT 6.45, asleep 7.00 pm.
Heard her mooching at 6.00 am this morning but back to sleep until 7.30 am  (Oh Happy Day)!

I put down for nap at 12.35 pm but she was crying before I even put her in the cot so took back up kitchen to settle, she was rubbing her eyes and nose so put her back down at 12.43 (cried straight away before even going into cot) I left her to it and she was asleep at 12.48 pm. Hoping to get at least 2.30 pm before she wakes!
So today so far has been
WU - 7.30 am
Nap - 12.45 - ?
BT - 7.00/7.30 pm( depending on nap length)

Does this look ok do you think?
I did give medicine the last 2 nights as has top molars each side peeping through for a while now & thought they might be on the move as she had a quite red cheek yesterday so don't know if the medicine helped her sleep better!

Do you think I should just go for a set nap & BT and if so what times would you suggest or should I play it by ear for another little while! I've noticed with the creche they seem to put her down just after 12 pm everyday. I asked them last Thursday to put her down at 11.30 am as you suggested to help her catch up on lost sleep & they said they didn't put her down till 11.45/ 11.50 as she was playing with the Walker at 11.30 am...... and yesterday she wouldn't settle at 12.10 for nap so they took her up and tried again at 12.45, same time as today really.
Just wondering what you would suggest going forward from here given her routine y'day and today so far or am I jumping the gun a bit.