Help with 2-1 transition - set nap times or stick with A?

[tinydancer]

Hi there -

I am after a bit of help with my 2-1 transition. My LO is 15mo and has been showing signs he's ready to stay awake for longer the past few weeks.

This week I've been working on the 2-1 transition by pushing his morning nap out by quite a bit (it used to be 3.5hr A time), and I am wondering if I should stick with working on A times or just stick to a set nap time each day? He is currently waking early from his naps (I'm not 100% sure if it's OT or UT), so I've had to keep a little catnap in there at the end of the day. I know it won't happen overnight, so just trying to keep him rested while he gets used to being awake for longer.

Should I keep the catnap there? Or push the morning A times in the hope that he will nap for longer? He goes down great, but I'm worried he's not connecting his sleep cycles...

He used to sleep for 11hrs overnight, but he has had a few weeks of waking early at 5.30a (yawn!)

Day 1
0530 - woke
1030 - nap 1 for 1hr15m
catnap ~3.30p for 20m
700p - bedtime

Day 2
0600 - woke
1100 - woke after 45mins and wouldn't resettle by himself, slept for another 45mins in my bed
catnap ~4.30p for 15m
700p - bedtime

Day 3
0530 - woke
1030 - napped for 1hr10m
3.30p - napped for 30m
7.00p - bedtime

TIA

[Haribo2012]

Hi, I think you definitely need to increase A times, my nearly 9 month old is on 3.5A time. The EW are prob from the nap being too early so I'd be aiming for a nap more middle of the day so maybe try 11.30.

It looks like the short naps are UT, so you would prob be better with longer A times and EBT if napnis less than 1.5 hours.

[Mum2lucy]

Hiya,

Just jumping in to say that my lg struggled with the 2:1 until I went from a times to a set nap at 12pm. She seemed to get it when her body adjusted to the set nap and now has a decent enough nap then to see her through of 1.5-2hrs
X

[tinydancer]

Thanks for your replies 

The last four days (inc. the ones posted below) I had increased the A time quite a bit (from 3.5 to 5 hrs), and I'm still getting early wakings - this morning was 5am, which meant he's only had 10hrs o/night!

Maybe I will try slowly pushing the set nap time from 1030am to 12pm and see how he goes. And cut out the catnap???

Is this a bad idea if he's waking up so early? It would mean this morning he's awake for 5.5hours...

Thanks again!

[Haribo2012]

Hi some can't handle a bit jump in A times so maybe do 15 mins every few days.

I'd try nap 11 WU hopefully 1 then EBT 6 and see what happens, is can't make 11 do a micro 10 mins nap at say 9.30/10 and do long nap at 11.30/12.

Although hard sometimes that late CN can cause probs x

[tinydancer]

Thanks for your help, Zoe.

I will give the 11am set nap time a solid go this week. He's a happy guy and seems fine with staying awake longer, but his nights and EWs are all over the show. We had a 4am & 4.30am wake up the past couple of days!! Yuck.

I am kinda questioning my decision to go 2:1, but the past few weeks before I made the move he was having short naps and EW so I thought it was the answer - but sleep has gotten worse!

[Haribo2012]

I think it just sometimes takes a while to settle. We had EW but great naps and just kind of winged it for a couple of months, or thought if OT creeping in added a 20 min CN in every few days.