anyone want to chat about the 2-1 nap switch?

[Gigismom]

we are currently going through it and i would love to talk to some others who are going through it as well.  my formerly angel/textbook girl becomes an unmanageable to say the least with only 1 nap.  i feel like i have been struggling for the last 17 months with naps.  i know this is the "last" nap transition we will have to make, but so far it seems to be the hardest one. 

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

We're going through it now. It actually (fingers crossed) hasn't been as horrible as I'd thought, although ds has become ridiculously clingy recently, along with teething, I think the 2-1 thing is the reason.

As an example, today, he woke at 7.30am, napped from 12.45pm-2.50pm, and went to bed at 7.20pm. He does OK on this, except when it comes to just before the nap, where he gets really tired. Yesterday he fell asleep on the changing table, bless him, and I had to wake him to put him in his cot.

One thing I am struggling with is meal timings (having relied on EASY for so long ). If I put him for his nap without giving him lunch, then he doesn't eat lunch until about 3pm (with dinner at 5.30pm, that just doesn't work), but if I try to give him lunch before his nap, he's tired and crabby, and he throws more food at me than he eats . What worked today was giving his main meal before his nap, and then his fruit and snack after he woke up. It does feel like he's eating more often, but it's really just splitting the one meal to make it more manageable. Anyone got any better ideas? How are you doing it?

Thankfully, this transition doesn't seem to be affecting his night sleep, b/c with him sleeping less in the day, my Y time is becoming even more precious

[Gigismom]

i've been doing the same thing for the feedings.  i feed her lunch at 11:30 or so before the nap.  then after nap i offer a snack, which she sometiems takes, sometimes refuses.  i think this is what most people do for the feedings too.  she actually does pretty well in the morning, staying up longer.  she is tired by the time the nap comes, but she is not out of control.  after the nap though is a different story.  she cries constantly if i am not holding her.  it is really exhausting.  and then come bedtime, she is just freaking out.  i don't know what to do.  i am just praying that she will get better as this becomes her routine and she gets more used to it.  i'm open to any suggestions.

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

If it's the afternoon that's giving the difficulties, will she doze in the pram? When I have troubles like you describe, I pop him in the pram, with his blankie and dummy, and go for a walk for half an hour. This will often get him through his dinner and bath, and he's not so exhausted by bedtime. It means that you're not struggling to put her down for a nap when she doesn't want one, even though you know she's tired.

Also, might it be worth you putting her down a little earlier for the nap? She does sound like she's getting overtired by the end of the day. Can you put her down earlier, even if she seems OK - would she go to sleep? Maybe she does need that extra sleep. How about posting your routine, and we'll see if we can help?

DS amazed me yesterday - we had family over and it was a nice day, so he was having fun in the garden. He didn't go for his nap until 2pm . He'd been up since 8am. It did mean, though, that he had a 2 1/2 hour nap - which meant that he finally went to sleep (after playing in his cot for 2 hours ) at 9pm. We won't be doing that again in a hurry . He's just gone for his nap today at 12.30pm, much better, and I'm hoping for one good nap today. Wish me luck!

[Gigismom]

right now the routine is

7:30 wake
12:30-2 ish nap
8 bedtime (if we put her down earlier, it is a ngihtmare!!!)

actually for the past week or so before the switch to one nap, i was giving her the morning nap, then come the afternoon she was tired, but would not sleep in her bed.  so i was taking her for a drive as she always falls asleep in the car.  so she'd sleep about 30 mins that way and then would be ok.  but then on the days i did that, she woldn't go to sleep at night til well past 9 pm.  so i really do think it is time for the switch and i just have to bite the bullet and get her switched over to one nap.  i think it is a pretty bumpy road for most kids as they go through this.  i just want to make sure i am doing it right to make it easier for gianna and for me.

[mom2william]

Hi all,

I am jumping in here because I desperately need help/advice regarding the switch to 1 nap!  I have many questions even though I have read too many posts to count about it.  I was going to start a new thread but hopefully one of you can help me.  I am unsure if it's really happening but I think it is.  My DS is currently NOT sleeping for the PM nap very consistently now.  He easily takes the AM nap, no problem and will sleep 2+ hours sometimes if I let him.  I am soooooooo conflicted about how to go to the one nap and what plan of action I should take.  I have tried limiting his AM nap to 1 hour.  Even so, I can't sometimes get him down for a PM nap until 4+ hours after waking!!!!    I don't know what his awake times should be between wake up and AM nap (he can do up to 3 hours at least) and then between wake up from AM nap and PM nap start.  He is very difficult to read with tired signs now.  Take yesterday:

6:15am Wake up
9:30-10:30am Nap #1
1:40pm- Put down for nap #2 as he seemed tired (yawned) even at the 2 hour mark.  Tried multiple times to get him to go down.  He would either talk to himself or cry some. 
3:15pm FINALLY went to sleep.  Slept 1 hour!
8:00pm Bedtime (he usually goes to sleep around 7:00pm or so but we were out with friends). 

I am just so frustrated.  I would think he would go down earlier than that for a PM nap if I limited the AM to 1 hour.  But, I will admit I haven't consistently limited his AM nap but only occasionally so maybe that's the problem?  I am just so confused!  What are the scenarios to get to one nap?  Do I:

1. Limit AM nap to 1 hour in hopes of a longer PM nap?  Trying this has never really gotten us results.
2. Push AM nap forward slowly to eventually get to midday time and the PM nap is dropped?

Most days, he isn't taking the PM nap so he's up from like 11:00-11:30am until bedtime!    I am trying for an early bedtime a lot of days (like 6:30) if he's been up that long.

Sorry to be so long winded but I need HELP!!

Suzanne
___________
William born 3/23/05

[Gigismom]

suzanne

i am no expert on the "switch" obviously...   but have you tried pushing his am nap later like to 11:30 or 12 and then see how long he naps and how he is with only one nap?

[mom2william]

Hi Lindsey,

I tried it once (last week) and he did nap for about 2 hours but I was unsure because I was on the phone with my sister and I think he napped that long!  I thought I heard him a couple of times cry out but I assume he went back to sleep. 

Is that what you think, I should try pushing the AM nap to 11:00am if possible then slowly push it to midday?  Does the PM nap then get dropped? 

Suzanne
__________
William born 3/23/05

[Gigismom]

well, if i were you, i'd just try it for a few days and see what happens.  it sounds like he is getting ready to drop the 2 nd nap for sure.  try to push the am nap as late as you can, and go from there.  it is a bumpy road for sure...hence my post!   

but just to let you know, i have also heard my dd cry out a couple of times during the one nap, but then she settles back down and goes to sleep.  i think it takes them a while to get used to sleeping so long for one nap.

also, wanted to let you know that my dd went to one nap a day at about 14 months for 2 weeks or so.  it was so awful that i tried going back to two naps a day and she went for it.  this lasted another 2-3 months and now here we are switching to one nap again.  but this time i think she is ready, so we're going to stick with one nap for a few weeks and see how she does.

let me know how it goes.  good luck.

[kate585]

Hey, girls!  I think we are in this journey with you.     Was hoping to put this off for another few months. 
Over the last few days, Ryan has either not taken one of his naps or fought one or both naps for 45 minutes to an hour.  I think tomorrow I will try to skip the am nap and push him back until after lunch.  (He usually eats at 11:30, so I'm hoping he can make it.  If not, I will feed him early.  Eating is NEVER an issue with my little piggy, so I don't think he'll give me too much trouble about it).  I'm not sure if that is the right thing to do.  I have the next few days off of work, so I think I'll try it and let you all know.  So glad to have found you girls!!!
Good luck to us all!!!!   

[Gigismom]

kate...

gianna gets really cranky around her normal am nap time, so to get past this, i usually take her outside for a while (to get past the cranky stage) then go in for lunch at 11/11:30, then do a video after lunch, then a nap at 12:30.  you may have to get creative when he is tired and fussy, but i think that is part of the switch.  let us know what happens.

[teezee]

hi all! i was also hoping that this would be a little later in dd's life.. but here we are - almost 11 months and down to one nap! it has been almost a week since we made the transition and although i had some rough spots with feedings etc ie the 3pm lunch ... having to feed lunch before the nap...the learning to adapt process for me - all has been well. i would have preferred to have waited to transition but her pm nap just kept getting pushed later and later (too late - ready for a nap at 5:30) and it all seemed to be disrupting nighttime sleep ultimately. now her bedtime is 7ish instead of 8 ish and that is really ok with me. she does seem much happier since the transition - and surprisingly to me, it was easier than dropping the catnap at 6 months. making sure dd has snacks has really helped get her over that fussy hump before the nap...think she just needs to re energize kwim?!

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Hi all, well we've had regression here. He went to bed at 11.30am before lunch, b/c he was just soooooo tired. So I think we're in for 2 naps and/or a nightmare afternoon .

It looks like we're not alone on this 2-1 thing, so I'm going to make this topic a sticky whilst it's still flying - this board is so busy it'll get buried if we're not careful. Hope that's OK.

Keep the updates coming everyone - it's great to

[Gigismom]

so what do you all do when your lo wakes early in the morning?  today gianna woke at 6 (normal wake up is about 7:30).  i really think she is going to be so tired before her naptime, buti don't think i can squeeze in 2 naps. 

also is anyone else ahving night wakings since making the switch?

[Meg's Mom]

Hi Ladies, it is a tough one but it does get better.  I pulled this from another thread as i thought it might help.

I don't know if this will help you, but i did this for a while when Megan was overtired, coming off a cold and waking at 6am!  It may help you as it is nearly impossible to get through the day w/ only a 1hr nap, 6am waking and not put her down really early.  Hence repeating and encourgaging this cycle.

Sooo, for a couple of weeks I took Megan for a drive (on my way to run errands) about 3.0-3.5hrs after she woke up.  She fell asleep almost right away (so obviously tired) and I let her sleep for 20-30mins.  Never any more and not much after 10am.  It seemed to be just enought to take the edge off and then we went about our day.  I then did nap 2, 4hr after waking from catnap.  Some days she slept for 1.15hr, others 2hrs.  Bedtime 7-7.30pm.  I did this for about 1 or 2 weeks.  Then 6am waking came forward to 7am.  When she started refusing to take a second nap, i stopped the am catnap (moved to walking in her stroller at this time so she would rest but not sleep) and brought the 1 nap forward to about 6hrs after she woke.

Does that make sense?  HTH!