My 15 month old daughter is transitioning to 1 nap. It has been a nightmare to say the least. She is usually a happy baby, but now grumpy and over tired. Her schedule USED to be:
6:15am- wakeup
6:30am- breakfast
8:30am- snack
9am- nap for 1 hour 15 minutes
12pm- lunch
2:30pm- nap for 1 hour
3:30pm- snack
5pm- dinner
7pm- bedtime
She was beginning to resist her afternoon nap, and even skipping it altogether, which made for a VERY long awake time and VERY crabby irritable baby come late afternoon. She also began resisting her morning nap. Not really appearing tired until an hour or 2 hours later than normal. So I had started putting her down for a nap around 10 or 10:30am, which interfered with her afternoon nap, so she would skip the afternoon nap altogether. Since most days she would skip one nap, I decided it was time to transition to 1 nap. Well, it’s been a nightmare. She is over tired for sure, and now sleeping much LESS than she was before! She is waking up EARLIER, and napping only 1 hour and 15 minutes for the entire day, which is NOT enough sleep for her. I don’t know how to stop the early wakeups and how to lengthen her nap time. I hear about toddlers napping for 2 hours in the afternoon when they transition to 1 nap. Or at least sleeping in later in the morning! NOT MINE. But that’s my goal and it’s just NOT happening which leaves my daughter so tired and grouchy. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong or what I can do differently. Here is her current schedule the last 3 days:
5:45am- wakeup
6am- breakfast
9am- snack
11am- nap for 1 hour 15 minutes
12:30- lunch
3:30pm- snack
5pm- dinner
7pm- bedtime
5:40am- wakeup
(same rest of the schedule above)
5:50am- wakeup
(same rest of the schedule above)
She used to wake up about 6:15am, 6:30am, and even 6:45am. Occasionally 6am, but never earlier. She only started waking up earlier now that we have transitioned to 1 nap. I will give her 2 naps about once or twice per week to catch her up on sleep. I’ve also tried to offer a catnap, but she is just NOT having it. She only wants 1 nap and will fight the other unless she is just SO tired. I also sometimes give her an extra snack just before her nap at 11am to make sure she’s not waking due to hunger. It doesn’t seem to matter. I’m also confused as to when I should be giving her lunch. I have wondered if I should try to give her lunch at 11am and put her down for a nap at 11:30am? That way she has a full belly. But sometimes she is just so tired come 11am that she is SO ready for a nap, that I hold off her lunch until she wakes up. Is this the right thing to do? I don’t know. Any suggestions?? I would love to hear some ideas!! Thank you!
