13 months standard EASY routine?

[JCN]

Hi.

Just looking for guidelines really...

My little boy is 13 months old and I’m just not sure immgetting his A time right atvthe minute. Sometimes he needs a nap after 3.5-4 hours and other days seems to not be tired enough until 5 hours.

Can anyone give me example routines of both one nap and two naps (as I think we are transitioning soon!)..... I’m particularly interested in what’s expected for A time at this age and suggest timings for naps and BT.

[creations]

I think everything you've asked is probably covered in this FAQ with samples:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164033.0
But routines vary quite a lot at this age as some LOs are fully settled into doing one nap whilst others are doing 2 naps for many months yet.

An A time of around 5hrs is needed for a 1 nap day really. And we also suggest set nap times and set BT rather than shifting everything based on the morning WU time.  It does depend how long LO usually sleeps over night too though as some do 12 hr nights some only 10-11 and others will do 13 or 14 hr nights when they move to one nap.  So many variables!

If you need more individual help with routine though perhaps post your EASY and what issues you are noticing (if any).

[JCN]

We currently work on this (on a good day!)

WU 6:00
A 3.5/4hrs (used to be 3.5 but depending on sleep cues can sometimes go 4)
E 6:30 milk
E 7:30 breakfast
S 1hr 10 (9:30-10:45/11ish)

A 4 hrs
E 10:45 snack
E 12:00 lunch
E 14:30 snack
S 45-60mins (15:00-16:00)

A 3.5hrs
E 17:00 dinner
19:00 bath
E 19:20 milk
BT 19:30

I am finding that he’s not settling well for either nap - but it’s not consistent.
Or he’ll settle well but wake after 45mins... again not consistently.

BT he tends to settle to sleep relatively well (most of the time) but has recently started waking more and more frequently and then he seems to struggle to settle back down - sometimes taking 45-60’ins before he’s fully aslee again.

I feel at a complete loss.

[creations]

Have you always had shortish naps?  I'd probably aim to get one of the naps longer and leave the other on the shorter side.
Maybe increase the first A to minimum 4hr as he already does that sometimes anyway, then in time increase in smaller steps, 10-15 mins at a time and see if you can get a longer nap there?  You could also help him lengthen that first nap by starting a resettle before he fully wakes (using W2S). What do you think?
Then the second nap I would just keep as a CN of 45 min.  Possibly the CN could need shortening.

I think you could find he'll settle better for naps on the slightly longer A time rather than looking for cues - because the cues may be inconsistent due to his fluctuating level of tiredness.  Maybe UT some days, short  nap but then builds in tiredness and goes down easier and does a slightly longer nap.  He might need a bit of guidance as to when he should sleep and for how long to get back into a more consistent routine where he goes down easily and sleeps a predictable length of time.

[creations]

Just a reminder too that I set out a suggested routine in your previous thread which you can see at reply #1 here:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=287470.msg3169818#msg3169818
which you might find useful.

[JCN]

Thanks - he used to have 90mins on Nap 1 and then 45-60mins on Nap 2.

Tried your suggested routine this morning - couldn’t quite make it to 11 and went down at 10:30 but then only had 45mins. He then fell asleep for a further hour once I brought him downstairs and had given up trying to settle him in his cot. So S: 10:30-12:30

He then went straight to an early BT of 18:30. Not sure how the night will pan out but we’ll just have to see how it goes.

I’m not sure he’s ready for 1 nap. I think he probably still needs a CN in the afternoon but he resists this if his morning nap runs past 11ish.

[creations]

Hope the night works out for you.

[JCN]

We had lots of NWs. 8pm, 10pm (took half an hour to resettle), 2:30am (took 20mins to resettle) and the WU 5:45am (which I can handle as our ‘working day’ starts at 6:00 anyway)

I’m not sure if the 1 nap counts as being a good decision when he’s up so much in the night? Although I’m surprised he ‘slept’ until 5:45 with such an earlier bedtime. He does the same WU with a 7-7:30om BT too.
Going to try 2 naps today and see how it pans out. And compare the two?

10:00 and 3pm is what I’m going to aim for today I think. As I said in a previous post- if he 1st Nap runs much past 11am then he begins to resist an afternoon nap (until about 5pm ish but that’s too late in the day) so I’m going to try today and see if we can do 2 naps of about an hour. Or potential ally 90mins and a CN.

Feel like I’m feeling around in the dark with all of this at the moment.

*EDIT*

Well so much for my aim of a 10:00 Nap.... it’s currently 10:10 and he’s not tired at all so I’ve not bothered trying yet. Maybe I have to persevere with 11am and a CN and hope that it works today.

*EDIT 2*

So he started to yawn and go quiet around 10:50am which was right in line with my plan for an 11:00 Nap. So I put him down at 11 and he settled to sleep with minimal fuss, but then woke 40mins later? (For him this is 1 sleep cycle) - which is annoying. I lay him back down and put my hand on his back and he settled back to sleep again. Does this mean he wasn’t tired enough to sleep through to another cycle? Or is it a self settling issue?

[creations]

I wouldn't continue offering a nap at 10am to be honest. it isn't working for you and it is unlikely to suddenly start working.
Did you look back at my suggested routine with 11-12.30 nap 1 and 4.30 - 5.00 CN?  With that routine there is a back up plan if the CN is refused. It's on the link above which takes you directly to the post with the routine in it.

but then woke 40mins later? (For him this is 1 sleep cycle) - which is annoying. I lay him back down and put my hand on his back and he settled back to sleep again. Does this mean he wasn’t tired enough to sleep through to another cycle?

Too early to tell on one day. Part of this day was spent with low key WD earlier on as you tried to put him to nap so he didn't have the same level of activity and stimulation that he would have on a day that you do not try to WD at 10am.
It could be just slightly under stimulated. Or slightly under tired. Or just needs a reminder what the routine is, ie that he is to sleep longer.
I would stick with 11am for the next couple of weeks and see how it goes.  There is always the 2 nap option or EBT option but the main thing either way is to get a good first nap as this nap is going to continue for another year or more he is building habit for it now.

hope that makes sense

[JCN]

Hi yes, I did look back at your suggested routine, hence why I eventually decided to nap at 11:00.
I didn’t start a WD earlier, as I could see he wasn’t ready for an earlier nap, so I don’t believe this was part of the issue. But yes, it couldn’t be a manner of all other reasons I guess.

He ended up waking after 40mins- which I managed to resettle with sssh/pat- and then slept a further 30mins and then having a nap in the car from 3-4pm and bed at 7:30pm. Then, last night we had a few NWs, one lasting for over 1 hour and others for 20-30mins.

I will continue to try the 11:00 Nap. Think pairing it with an EBT might end up working better. Will have to trial and error and compare with CN days.

[creations]

I didn’t start a WD earlier, as I could see he wasn’t ready for an earlier nap, so I don’t believe this was part of the issue.

Ah ok, sorry I misunderstood.  I can see now you did post that you didn't bother trying at 10 as there were no tired signs.

See how you go for a few days (or longer). At this age the changes in routine take longer to settle in than when they are younger.
The 2-1 nap drop can be messy.  Our was messy and I found it hard work, felt like I didn't have a clue what I was doing, so I can relate to how you feel.

[JCN]

I’ve heard a lot of people saying it can be very tricky - so it helps me to hear you say that...somewhat! Haha.

He went down for a nap at 11:30 today (slightly later than planned as he was up half an hour later this morning and definitely wasn’t tired leading up to 11:00) He kicked up a big fuss and it took me 10mins to get him to settle, which isn’t like him, and then he only slept for an hour. Which isn’t long enough. When I brought him downstairs, he fell asleep again. I let him have another half an hour before waking him, at 1:15pm.

He probably won’t need a second nap now, so EBT it is at 6:30pm I guess.

I know it’s still early days, but he has struggled to nap for very long after 5 hours A time and, as I’ve just said, today wouldn’t settle well in the first instance.... I’m wondering if he should be going any longer? At 5 hours he begins to quieten down and yawn, but maybe needs stretching to 5.5+ A time? I could do an early lunch at 11:30 and then straight for nap?
Prior to being ill and routine going to pot, he was on 3.5-4hours A time, so it seems like a big jump that’s all. But he has had a huge growth spurt in that time and it was 3-4 weeks ago now that he was reliably following the old routine...

Thanks for all your advice. Sorry to be such a rambler and to keep coming back. I’m a stickler for routines and feeling very lost and frustrated at the moment.

[Chloevalentine]

My lo just turned 15 months but has been doing one nap since about 7/8 months old! We just pushed out the morning A time as much as we could to get to a decent morning nap time and he would nap let's say 11-1 or 1130-130 then we just did ebt around 630 sometimes 6! And he would wake in morning around 6. But it was worth it to have one good long nap. Not every lo can deal with the long A times though.  Now at 15 months he wakes around 7 sometimes earlier naps from 12-2 on average can be longer of an A time or longer than 2 hour nap and is in bed by 7/730. Every lo is different but that's our easy hope it's helpful

[creations]

Thanks for all your advice. Sorry to be such a rambler and to keep coming back.

No problem at all. That's why we're here

The A time has jumped considerably but that can happen. If you feel he needs more than 5hrs then why not try it?  I would probably give him a few days to adjust to this later nap first (as it's moved from from 10 to more like 11) and then increase up to 5hr 15 or 11.15am for nap if that's your instinct.
Sometimes thy just don't nap long enough until they settle into the routine.

Early lunch is common, or split lunches with half before nap and half after, whatever works for you or if you struggle to fit things in let us know and we can look at the routine you are on at the time.

[JCN]

Today’s routine eventually planned out like this:

WU 6:30
S 11:40-12:40 (independent, after crying for 10mins when initially put down at 11:30) 12:40-1:15(held)
BT 18:20

I just  don’t feel like it’s right yet but I have no idea where to begin with tweaking it. I don’t want to increase his A time if that’s not what he needs and I totally feel at a loss with knowing what is best for him now.

I say this because it’s 11pm and I’m currently 1hour into trying to settle him from a NW.

Tonight is our second night of a long NW. last night he was awake for  90mins around midnight and tonight he’s currently been awake an hour since 10pm and still going strong. Both NWs he’s seemed very restless, like he wants to sleep but can’t- keeps lying down and trying to settle and then sitting up and crying? Is this OT?

*EDIT*
NWs:
9:00pm - small cry for about 10secs and went back to sleep
9:50pm - took 1hour 30mins to resettle to sleep
5:40am WU (I aim for 6:00, so I can deal with that)


Another day, another try at a new routine...😑