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

[**Clare**]

Hi there, although I haven't had chance to read all your posts (no time!) I thought id join the conversation!

My lo is coming up to 14 months, I didn't think the 1 nap would EVER happen as he gets up so early! Hes shattered by 9am! So me being me just left it and let him sleep when he wanted to, a morning nap and a afternoon nap!

This week he has been getting up at 6 - as usual! We get him up and ready for the day and put him back down for a nap at around half 7, I have to leave the house to take him to nursery at 8.30 so he has an hour maximum.  I then take him to nursery and pick him up at quarter to 1 and he either falls asleep on the way home or he goes up to bed when we get in, he then sleeps till half 3 and thats it for the day!! When the hols are over and Jake is back at school he will have to wake up at 3 but that shouldn't be a problem!

So, its worked out great and although he does have a nap in the a.m I don't really see it as having to naps a day, more like extending the night time sleep!! But even if it is 2 naps, it works for us perfectly!

Clare x

[KellyC]

Sounds great Clare and the best thing is that it really works for you and your family 

Zander was diagnosed with an ear infection today so maybe him falling asleep early yesterday was to do with that, I'll re-assess how he's going once he's back to full health!

Kelly x

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Feel better Zander

[KellyC]

Thanks Alice - he had a 3 hour nap yesterday afternoon and slept 12 hours overnight and is loads better today, back to his usual self    Do you think he's finally caught on that sleep is good 

[*Natasha*]

Big Hugs for Zander hope he is feeling better soon. Catherine slept 3hrs last weekend isn't it great. Saying that though the last few days she has been only sleeping 1.45hrs and today 1.5hrs  She is teething badly at the moment and has been very grumpy. However (touch wood) she has still been doing 12hrs at night.

[KellyC]

Ah, she's such a sweet good girl Natasha.

Zander completely refused to take a morning nap again today so I think it was the illness throwing us off.  He ate such a huge breakfast this morning that he didn't want any lunch so I gave him a small bottle and got him into bed at 12 as he seemed exhausted but I've just listened to him in there playing for the past 20 minutes so he can't have been - all gone quiet now though.  I think I may give him a smallish breakfast tomorrow to ensure he's ready for an early lunch and then aim to get him down for 12.15 (of course he'll now wake up at 5.30 in the morning and we'll be back to 2 naps!!)

Kelly x

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

I am glad the Zander is feeling better. Those earaches can be ver painful. We have been lucky that Gage has NEVER been sick (knock on wood).

Gage is teething AGAIN. These babies are coming in one right after the other. Oh well, it is probably better to get them out of the way. He woke in the middle of the night, and I was unsure of what to do. I did give him some meds, but he cried every time I left the room. DH pushed giving him 3oz in a bottle ( DH loves to give in to accidental parenting) and of coarse I gave in He went right back to sleep after that. What do you ladies do for teething? It seems mean to PD when he is in pain. Gage has never really been a cuddler, he just wants to get down and play. Is water in a tiippy accidental parenting? Of coarse that probably wont due for my bub though. What do you ladies think?

I dont know where we are going with naps. His A times are so strange.. 1st 3.5, 2nd 4-4.5, and 3rd 3hrs. I hhave been trying to encourage a long nap and then a catnap to get us by in the evening. I am not sure he is ready for on nap, but is ready for longer A times. It seem impossible to cram in all in one day.

[KellyC]

Zander's teeth are coming all at once too - none until 9.5 months and then the bottom 2 and in the past week 4 or 5 cutting the gum at the top all at once    Thankfully it hasn't disturbed his sleep at all, I've given him loads of teething meds in the past but never when he was actually teething!  I remember when Zander was younger whenever he woke and I tried not to feed him DH would wait around 5 minutes and then say 'have you tried feeding him?'.  Made me want to punch him square in the face!!  You could try offering some water but if he's anything like Zander (and usually he is!) he'll just push it away.  If Zander was in pain during the night I would probably give him some meds if he hasn't had any recently and then cuddle him until he's calm before putting him back down.  In the past I've found the meds usually kick in after around half an hour.  If he's really in pain (like with his last ear infection) and nothing will console him then I'll do anything - in our bed, breastfeed, bottle, run around the garden dancing if it makes him happy again!  Yesterday when he woke with an ear ache at around 8 o'clock and was arching his back in pain I actually brought him downstairs to see the dogs as he loves them and they distracted him enough to stop him crying before I put him back to bed.  He's also had a dummy during his ear infection as it comforts him and I wouldn't withold anything else which stops him from hurting so much.  Oh dear, I seem to have waffled on as usual ...!

I know what you mean about fitting the naps in, could you reduce the length of one of them?

Kelly x

[Lªuren]

Ok…so I also find that I am needing to join in  . I have read everyone’s posts (whist drying & straightening my hair – how’s that for multi-tasking !


The past 3 or 4 weeks I have had to give DH & MIL strict instructions on how to negotiate Calums naps. Much to their annoyance and upset at having to wake him and and in MIL’s words she follows the 'routine rigidly' (about bl@@dy time I say!!)

This has been our routine for a while and I posted it in the naps board yesterday;

W0630/7am
E 0730 / A 0815
S1030 - 1100 - regardless if he wakes at 0630 or 0700 he WILL NOT nap until 1030 and he gets put in his cot awake goes out like a light, I have tried to put him in earlier, but he plays until 1030.  Here is the first problem; if he goes down later then 1030 he gets less than 30mins AM sleep because I then need to wake him at 11am to make sure he goes down NO LATER than 1430 for his PM nap. If I leave him even until 1110 he will not go for his PM nap until nearer 3PM.

E 1200 lunch / A 1230
S 1430 – 1530/1600 - Here is the second problem, if I have been successful with his first morning nap i.e. 1030 - 11am then he goes to sleep at 1430 no problem (but not a minute before), to make sure he was getting a decent sleep at one of his naps I have allowed him to sleep from 1430 - 1600, but now I am finding he won't sleep until 2015/2030 for his bedtime.  I always found 1530 was a better time to wake him, so he went to bed at 1930/1945.  I extended it to a 1600 wake up because DH & I felt he was then getting 2 rubbish day time sleeps, and felt 90mins was better than 60mins, considering he only gets 30mins AM nap.

E 1615
A 1645 / E 1900
S anytime between 1930 & 2030 nap dependant.  This causes the 3rd problem, because no matter what time I put him to bed (even 2130 for a one off when we where out) he still wakes at between 0630 and 7am in the morning, this means he is overtired for the next day. But still won't nap until 1030......and so my problems begin again.......


  Now today after I decided to keep the 30min AM nap (1030-1100) and return to limiting the PM nap to 1530 (1430 – 1530), so in total he gets 90mins sleep during the day, not my choice but – what can I do???

He woke at 0645 this morning
E 0730 / A 0800
S 1115 – I tried to put him down for a nap just before 1025 (as usual) and he just bounced in his cot for 20mins, I got him back out to assess what state of energizer bunny mode he was in and decided to offer him his lunch at 11am instead of 12.   He starts to get really grumpy at 1110, so I put him in his cot awake – he went out like a light at 1115 and is still sleeping now at 1245.


Anyway just wanted to share, I am sure I will be back on soon saying it has all gone terribly wrong and we are staying on 2 naps until he starts school!!

Lauren x

[**Clare**]

Sounds familiar....   

Have you thought about trying this every day?  Maybe stretch his wake time in the morning and giving him an early lunch every day? Say eleven like today and put him down after?  See how long he sleeps, he may have his full 2 hours in one go and I would imagine he would be ready for bed at 7! Then.... fingers crossed! He'll sleep till 6.30/7 and will not need to sleep the following morning because hes had such a good nights sleep!

It makes me chuckle as I'm writing as its so easy to say but it will be a miracle if it works!

My lo is 14 months and has just gone to 1 nap (kind of) see my last post on this board for details!  He goes to nursery and has his lunch at half 11 I pick him up at quarter to one and he sleeps from 1 -half3/4 sometimes! He then goes to bed at 8 and sleeps till 6.... ideally Id like him in bed earlier but cant bare to wake him as I get all my jobs done in this time and its bliss!!! Selfish I know! But also Ive found if he goes down earlier say 7 he can get up about 5.15!!!!!

[KellyC]

Hi Lauren

Zander does the same thing farting around in his cot if I try to put him down in the morning so for a few days I put him down anyway with the intention of giving him a 20 minute sleep but if he was still playing after 20 minutes I'd get him up then give him his lunch at 11.30 and into bed for 2 hours at 12.  After a while I noticed he was never sleeping (even though he often looked tired beforehand!) so I'm just aiming for one nap each day.  The problem comes when he wakes closer to 6 than to 7 (like this morning!) because then he's overtired for his after lunch nap and doesn't sleep for long enough but still won't sleep in the morning   

This may sounds silly but you could try making his morning nap into a really short catnap (15-20 minutes).  It's not really a nap but more of a chance to re-charge batteries to make it through the morning!  You could then try putting him down straight after his lunch at 1pm with a full tummy.  I know you're already thinking he won't go to sleep that early but I've been amazed at how well (and how long!) Zander sleeps if he goes for his nap on a really full stomach and I know I often feel like falling asleep after lunch too!  I've also been giving him a milk top-up before this nap (amazingly he takes it after a big lunch!) and this almost guarantees a long nap.  This would eliminate your problem towards the end of the day as even if he slept for 2 hours he'd be ready for bed by around 7.30.

Kelly x

[Lªuren]

That is him just up!

[KellyC]

Go Calum 

[**Clare**]

Yay Calum! Let us know how he gets on tonight!!

I agree Kelly, if I make sure Harvey is changed, has a full tummy and also Ive started to give him some milk which really seems to help! And also settles him, we used to have a couple of minutes of crying now hes gone in seconds and is happy to go down!

Keep us updated!!

[Lªuren]

I know you're already thinking he won't go to sleep that early but I've been amazed at how well (and how long!) Zander sleeps if he goes for his nap on a really full stomach and I know I often feel like falling asleep after lunch too! 

When I am off work I still go for an afternoon nap sometimes with Calum,  I got in the habit of doing it to get him to take his PM nap.

My main issue with all of this lies with the fact I work Mon - Wed and I am not in control of his routine, it is left to MIL - who as I said earier has an issue with waking him and I KEEP having to remind him to wake him no later than 11am and  from his 2nd nap or his bedtime goes to pot.

I have to say, I feel more comfortable at the moment he had 2.25hrs where he was able to wake up naturally - that mre sleep than he gets in his usual day.   He wouldn't have lasted past 1115 today because he was falling alseep in my arms as it was.

Lauren x