Almost 18 month and naps getting shorter.

[Chloevalentine]

My lo will be 18 months mid January and he’s always napped 12-2 or 230. He wakes around 645 and falls asleep around 7/730. I’ve tried to extend his morning A time a little to see if he’ll nap longer but he just naps less! The last few days he was up 645 and napped 1215-130. Maybe I jumped too quick to change and should go back to get him into crib just before 12. We have school pickup so we are kind of limited to that time frame.

[Chloevalentine]

Any tips ?

[Chloevalentine]

Am I posting in the wrong place?

[Buntybear]

HI - there can be a regression at the 18 month mark but a 2 to 2.5 hour nap is very good! I would go back to the EASY that you had that was working unless I have missed something?

[Chloevalentine]

Hi thank you! He seems to Be doing a 13 hr day up by 630/45 naps from 12:15-2:15 or 1225-245 about 2 hrs but takes him a little bit to drop off then he takes a bit to wind down in crib at night falling asleep later about 730/45. He’s fine with chatting and playing in crib so I haven’t changed much.

[Chloevalentine]

Just a quick question.. when he goes down later on occasion when we aren’t home in time for normal set nap time (which rarely happens) but do I let him sleep his usual two hours and just push bedtime back by 15-30 mins?

[Buntybear]

Yes you can do that x

[Chloevalentine]

How can I get him to sleep later in the morning? Yesterday he was up around 640 then napped 1215-230 went into bed a little later didn’t fall asleep until 745 but then he’s up at 615!

[Lolly]

If he is chatting in his crib then I would say he is under tired at bedtime. I would cut the nap - it's a long nap for this age and see if he drops of more quickly at bedtime.

His wake up time is a reasonable time to wake with that length of nap. Try cutting the nap to 1.5/ 1.75 hours and see what happens. You are at an age when things change, sleep needs change so it's quite reasonable that you will need to change what you have always done with him really.

Laura

[Chloevalentine]

What’s a typical day like at this age?

[Lolly]

Typical days can really vary at this age as it depends where they are in the nap dropping. My DD who was fairly average was doing

Awake approx 6/6.30
Nap 12/ 12.30 -1.30/2
Bed routine started at 6.30/7 in bed for 7.30/7.45

Some toddlers will nap for 2+ hours still but if they are not tired at bedtime then your choice is a later bedtime or cut the nap. I personally preferred a longer night sleep, my DD started nap dropping at 2 and was done day napping by 2.5 years. She would still nap in the day but it was robbing from the night so she was better with it gone.

On the routine you posted above he's getting an 11 hour night plus the 2 hour nap is 13 hours in 24, that's a decent amount of sleep. If he is sleeping 2 hours in the day I don't think you can expect more than 11 hours over night, some never do more than that.

Laura

[Chloevalentine]

My older one also stopped napping at 2! He would sleep 7-7 which was nice he was never a good napper though so I’m kind of enjoying these long naps and down time during the day. The two of them are exhausting lol. He usually is up around 630/45 and asleep by 730/45 so yes 11 hours. Sometimes it takes him a bit to settle at night about 20 mins but he’s quiet and just rolling around with his dolls so I think it’s ok. Naptime he settles pretty quickly and is usually asleep by 1220-2 or 230. Thanks for the reply!