14 month old naps

[SJS1471]

Hello

I had a previous post on here when my little one was 12 months old as we were still having difficulty with naps. We were doing a long am nap and then a short pm nap but the pm nap was being refused and we were getting a lot of EW. So I switched it round and did a short am nap and longer pm nap. We found it difficult to get the timing of the am nap right for a while as she would just refuse it and cry a lot. When she would nap it would be as follows:

6.30am - WU
9.45am - nap 1 for 45 minutes
1.30pm - nap 2 for 1.20 minutes
6.30pm/6.45pm - BT

The am nap then started getting later as she would refuse it at 9.45am and we were doing:

6.30am - WU
11.00am - nap 1 for 15 minutes
1.15 - nap 2 for an 1.5 hours
6.45pm/7pm - BT

She then had jabs, started nursery (she doesn't nap well there at all), got sick with quite a few colds, cut her 2 bottom molars and is now cutting her top molars. We have completely lost the way to naps. I try following the routine we were doing but it was resulting in 30 minute OT naps for the second nap or she will only sleep on Daddy with him standing up. She is going through a Daddy phase too right now and doesn't want Mummy at all!

She does seem to sleep better letting her sleep in the morning for a long time but this did cause EW a lot and pm nap refusals.

I just don't know what to do or where to start any more with naps and have completely lost the way. I am trying to put her to bed at 6.15pm/6.30pm to catch up as for a few nights this week she was waking every 30 minutes to an hour all through the night. She has no temp etc. At nursery, they put her down for one nap after lunch at about 12.30 and she will sleep anywhere from 30 minutes to 50 minutes. She refuses to sleep in the morning. Sometimes they have to walk her round in the pram in the garden to get her to nap. They have also said she is difficult to get to sleep because she hates being rocked, bounced, stroked, patted etc and likes to be left alone. She is only at nursery 2 days a week.

Sorry for the long post but I am just feeling very stressed with it all at the moment and just can't seem to get back on track with naps. Thank you

[Katet]

I wonder if at 14months trying to get 2 naps in and 12 hours overnight sleep is the right balance. I know with my DS1 he was still on 2 naps past that age, but he was only sleeping 10.5 hours a night. My Niece who was a little older than DS1, was on one nap from around 12months & doing 11.5 hours overnight.

All that said 

she was waking every 30 minutes to an hour all through the night. She has no temp etc.

That sort of waking with my two indicated an ear infection or fluid in the ear, which seemed to occur after a cold when they were teething. So I'd definitely get her checked out by a Dr. (my eldest never had any signs of pulling at an ear, or fever with fluid build up, just the pressure in the ears)

[SJS1471]

Thanks Kate - we took her to the doctor yesterday as she got a temp too and won't let us touch her ear without screaming. They said she does have an ear infection in both ears but it's viral so just to give painkillers.

I also wondered about one nap. When she is better I am thinking of trying it. If she wakes at 6.30, what sort of time would you suggest trying to start with? I was thinking 11 or 11.30 but obviously if she only sleeps 2 hours say then that's a long time until bedtime and I don't think she'll do another nap before then anyway without making it really late so would you do an early bt and what sort of time? Normal time is 6.45/7 ish. Thank you

[Katet]

Waking every hour is almost always a good indication of pain. Most ear infections are viral too, so it's just waiting them out with pain killers.

With one nap, roughly speaking work out how many hours in 24 she was awake under the former (working) routine & divide that by 2, so if say it was about 10-10.5 hours (about normal for 1yo) then 5 hours before nap & 5 hours after nap is pretty reasonable, but sometimes it can be 4.5 & 5.5 depending on the child. 

Early on with the 2 to 1 you probably have to help her through the extra time, with a quiet walk in your arms or reading a story or even some children bath time is relaxing (others it's a scream fest when they are tired)... it's a bit like they are suffering jet lag with the change from 2-1 & somedays you may find that she definitely needs 2 naps & others 1 is fine.

[SJS1471]

Thank you very much for your help!

[SJS1471]

Sorry just another question. Would you do the 1 nap at a set time regardless of WU time and then push it out slowly? Some mornings she has been waking after 7 so I've managed to get 1 nap out of her after no more than 5 hours AT. She then does 2 hours or 2.5 hours. If she wakes before 7 I don't think she'd make it to 12 and would have an OT nap. I wasn't sure though if I need to stick with a nap time and try and push it out to say 12.30 over time. Not sure if that makes sense!