Anyone want to talk about the 2-1 transition #27

[Newbiemommy001]

Hi ladies...I thought I would post here first...

My son is 10 months old this week. We've been battling early wakings since he was 8 months and someone suggested the 2-1 transition. I've pushed first nap to 10am and have capped the second nap to 45 mins. It took us a long time but the EW became better. However, now it's back. He's now waking up at 5 am (instead of 6:15-6:30am). So I thought I needed to push the first A time again. Today, I've managed to push his first nap to 10:15am. He slept until noon. Now doing this, it seems like it's getting harder to get him down for his second nap. I put him down at 2:50pm hoping he would nap at 3pm but didn't sleep until 3:30pm. What do I do now? Do I just cap the nap at 4pm so he can still sleep at 7pm? I was hoping to combine it with an early BT so I can keep pushing his first nap but if he's taking his second nap later, I don't think I'll be able to do that. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!!!

[lauradj]

The transition time is always a little wonky but it sounds like you're going about it in the right way.  We had EW for a while as well and then once we finally got DS to stay awake until 12:30, everything started to even out.  It just takes time but man is it frustrating in the moment!!

[MarciaMSPT]

Hi Green... just when it is working, it quits!  I've noticed that my little guy has a bit of an ebb and flow... needs less sleep for a couple days, then needs more sleep for a couple to catch up I reckon.  His morning A time is more like about 6.15 hours as he wakes about every other morning early in his crib but just hangs out there till I get him at 7. 

We've gotten more funky days lately... like today... I put him down 1:10 for nap... He fussed and fussed for about 15 minutes and then off to sleep... he was dry, fed and comfy (far as I know) but also either getting over a cold or deciding to teeth!  Argh... we have the four worst teeth to go yet (so I hear!)

How are things going with you now a days?

[MarciaMSPT]

HI Newbiemommy!  We're both in the same boat as far as new mommy stuff!  My little guy is 15 months now... he started to drop his second nap about 10 months and his morning A time was extended very quickly, partly by me and partly by him.  I began to cap his second nap to no longer than 4 or 4:30 (can't remember now) but that preserved our 8pm bedtime. 

As his morning nap got later and later, I found that if he woke before a certain time, that I would need to put him in the car for a 10-15 minute power nap at 'just the right time' to make it to his 8pm bedtime.   Not every one has two cars, though, but we happen to and it's saved us for my LO won't just go down for any reason, he's got to be tired. 

Hope that is helpful.

I've also made sure that being outside is a big part of his day, as well as alternating  30 minutes of activity with 30 minutes of reading or riding in the wagon as I haul things in the garden etc.  This keeps my little guy from getting burned out right away in the morning and then fussy for the rest of the morning till nap time.

[Green007]

Marcia...my DD does the ebb and flow too I find. I'm still struggling with the "right" A time. 5h30 mins gives her a 40 minute nap...but 5h45 A gives her a 1h15 min nap. 6h gives a 1h05 min nap. So I don't know if I should be trying to find something in the 5h35-5h50 A time range or if I should try extending past 6h A time. She is 15 months now. But I find if I give her a 15min CN in the morning (if and when I can) she takes a better afternoon nap. Problem is, I can't always do it as I have to drop them off by 10. So not sure what A time to go with when I can't CN her in the am :S we're getting lots of NW's and EW's this last week :S

[MarciaMSPT]

Hi Green...

I've not been on for awhile...  my little guy seems to be pushing his morning A time to 6.5 hours now - even later... hoping that he's not starting a transition early!  I've also read that there can be a sleep regression at 18 month and start as early as 16 months.  I've gone back to snacks by the way (not sure if I mentioned that earlier)  just played around with it and found an overall happier baby with snacks where I had observed earlier that he was more cranky WITH snacks. 

How are you doing with your LO these days?

[Aromy]

Hi! I'm new here. My DD is 10 mos (9 corrected) and we're amidst the oh-so-chaotic 2-1 transition. It's been quite a bit of a back and forth battle most days dealing with OT/UT cycles and early waking, but I'm happy I'm not the only one! Misery loves company  I've just been trying to stay flexible. And because she's been waking up around 5am, I've been trying to keep her days at 12-13hrs and capping her 2nd nap since she likes to do a long nap one in the morning.

I have some questions though... how do you know when to start pushing A time again? What's your guideline for capping naps? And is there any prevention for cot parties? I had one last night that lasted 3 hours. 

[MarciaMSPT]

Hi Aromy...

My little guy is 16 months old now and we are settled into our 1 nap a day now (although I'm already having to cap that one!)  I was counseled here to push A time when I started having Night wakings or early wakings...  (Hope I"m remembering right!)  So that is what I did and things cleared up right away.  Never had the cot party problem, but may eat my words one day too!

I used to cap naps by 4:30pm when he was taking two naps (which meant a shorter A time).  Now I cap at 3:00pm.  I've just learned by trial and error - but I also take the context of the last few days and even the upcoming events of the next day or two into consideration and let him sleep a tad more (maybe 10-15) min if I think necessary.  He's up every day at 7am - mostly on his own.  Naps from 1:30 to 3:00 and BT at 8pm...

Hope that helps...  hugs to you during this rough time!

[Aromy]

Thanks for the reply Marcia! It's been a few days since my LO has slept straight through her morning nap. I usually have to resettle her half way through. And she's been waking up every hour (about 3 times) after I put her to bed. Probably a bit of OT and habitual waking. Now there is teething as well! Fun times. Will keep you updated! Hope everyone is getting a bit of sleep. :-)

[Newbiemommy001]

I think this 2-1 transition will be the death of me. My son will be 11 months next week. We had a good routine going for a while and then the last two days, he decided to skip his afternoon nap entirely. He used to go down for about 45 mins in the afternoon. I am not ready to give up that afternoon nap but it seems like he is. I'm pushing his first nap (and only nap by the looks of it) later. I'm trying to get it closer to noon. Today though, he woke up after only sleeping 1hr and 20 minutes. 11-12:20. I don't think that's enough to last him until bedtime. We've been doing early BT (6:30pm) to try to avoid OT. Should I try to get him to have an afternoon nap? Thanks mommies!

[Aromy]

Hi Newbiemommy! From everything I've read, I think it's best to hold on to the afternoon nap as long as possible until your LO can make it to a nice long after lunch nap. Even if it's just 15-30 mins.

I finally got a hold of the morning nap (1hr30) after pushing my LO's a time to 4-4.5hr in the morning. But with the time change, her wake up time is around 5-5:30 now. Though I've been capping her afternoon nap to about 30 mins these past few days, it's getting harder to settle her at bed time. Depending on her wake up time, I usually try to keep her day about 13 hours. But she's not settling so easily. For the past two nights, even after going through our whole bedtime routine and walking in and out, she didn't settle until 7:30pm, though she woke up at 5am! Which means 14.5 hr days! Is it possible she needs less night sleep? Or should I cap her afternoon nap shorter to make her more tired for bedtime?

[MarciaMSPT]

Hi Newbiemommy!

I agree... hold on to what you can with that afternoon nap.  I had more than a few weeks of putting my LO in the car and forcing a nap that was then capped as he woke up when the car shut off.  I timed it all precisely!  Talk about a control freak!   Not everyone has that option due to only one car or multiple children etc... but for sure put him down and use accidental parenting on purpose even if it is only for a cat nap of 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

Hope that helps... I know it's easier said then done.  My LO is now 16+ months and has become very flexible with not having to have everything just so (was likely already that way but mommy wasn't!

Sorry it's been awhile since I peaked on here... but holler as to how you all are doing!

Hugs,
Marcia

[BusterB]

Just to give a little contrast (as all our babies seem to need different things  ) after much trial and error, dropping the catnap at 13mo - which in hindsight made our day far too long and keeping to a 12/12.5 hour day MAX with super early bedtime when necessary, is what sorted my son's routine out - got rid of NWs & until the clocks went back gave him a decent wake time.

Dropping to 1 nap has changed things for the better 100% - just to let people know that things DO get easier.

[MarciaMSPT]

Totally agreed BusterB!  EBT NEVER worked for out little one... I think he has a clock stuck inside of him!  So... we had to make it work with a set 8pm bedtime... but you are right - every baby has different needs.

We rarely had NW or EW but when we did, we nipped it by changing A times etc...

And, yes, it does get better...  thanks for the encouragement BusterB!

[BusterB]

I remember how hopeless it all felt at times going through the transition, so I hope it's good to hear that people have come through it & the various strategies are hopefully useful!

I honestly thought EBT was work of the devil too before using it for the 2-1 Marcia, as whenever I tried it on 2 naps it proved disastrous, but I am so glad that I followed someone's advice to use it (and stick with it!) when dropping the catnap and going to 1 nap as it made me realise how OT my son had become from our 13-15 hour days.

From a little boy who averaged 9hr45-10hr30 night sleep (with numerous NWs)  once I stuck to the 12-12.5hr days he was doing 11-12hr nights, straight through! So I just had to pass it on in case anyone has tried everything else & is feeling a bit desperate.

The only problem we have now is that after getting him to wake consistently between 6:15-7am the clocks going back has us up an hour earlier, no matter what time I put him to bed (in fact later bedtime has equaled earlier wake up!) so if anyone has any strategies for that, I'm all ears!