Our routine was mostly first nap at home followed by a car nap on the way to somewhere, Activity time at the place I'd driven to, next nap in the car on the way back home, Activity time at home (dinner, BT routine) then bed.
You mentioned changes, our changes were things like:
- beginning the second nap in the car at the correct time and setting off early to our appointment so he would fall asleep in the car at his correct time and I'd park up and let him finish his nap (or have to wake him for our appointment)
- beginning third nap late because of our appointment and just getting him in the car to fall asleep as quickly as possible
- on days when I didn't *have to* stay to the end of an appointment I would leave early (say a baby group I'd just leave when I knew he needed to sleep) so he'd nod off in the car and I'd park up outside the house to let him finish his nap
- at some point nap 2 became a CN, this was because his 1st and 2nd A times increased but we still had a set appointment to make so he got 40 mins in the car followed by a shorter A time and then back in the car for nap 3 which was a CN, very short A time before BT to make up for the 2 CNs
- when we dropped to 2 naps it was nap 2 which dropped not nap 3. This meant 1st and second A times extended we did our out and about in the middle and he slept on the way home plus I parked up to allow longer than a CN.
We had these set appointments 2 afternoons per week which I couldn't move or change so I had to fit his routine around them. It was not a standard EASY but it was still EASY/BW. I tried to make the rest of the week quite similar to those 2 days so that the entire week was pretty much the same, so I went out at roughly the same time, home roughly the same time etc.
My biggest problem was I just longer for 1 day per week I could bum around at home and NOT go out...of course he was so used to taking those car naps he would totally refuse a cot nap at home for nap 2 which caused me great frustration and exhaustion, whilst I wanted to chill out at home (even nap dare I say?) it was harder work to stay at home fighting him down for a nap in his cot. The first nap and nights were always in his cot and remained a breeze throughout.
transfer. Lift out of car, take inside (I used to just say "Mummy's got you" over and over quietly, still do now at 4.5 if he falls asleep on the way home in the evening) and then soothe back to restful sleep in familiar sleep environment.
I also did this however mine would not, absolutely not be transferred until he was 12 months+ hence me spending a lot of time in the car. Some time after 1yo I was able to do this, which was much better.