12mo nap issues

[deenz]

Hi,  dd2 will be 12mo on Saturday and I think she is changing her nap routine.  Can someone please give me some ideas about what to do.  She is waking earlier in the mornings (it is getting lighter too) and I'm having trouble with her naps.  This is what happened today:

6.15am woke and played in cot
6.25am started getting upset (throws her lovie out the cot, then gets upset), so got her up
6.30am BF
7.30am breakfast
8.45am in bed for nap
9.45am woke up (so probably napped around 45min) - first nap is usually this length, so I am happy that she slept in her cot today - the past two days she has not.

Went out in the stroller and were walking back at around 12.45pm which is when I usually would put her down (3hrs since wake up) but she was happy, and not falling asleep, so I thought maybe time to extend A time.

1.15pm in bed for nap.  Quiet initially, then I think she threw her lovie out, so was up and upset again at 1.30pm ish.  I tried again to put her down for a nap at 1.45pm, but as soon as I put her in bed she was screaming.  So I rocked her in the stroller, and she slept for 45min.  This is what I have been doing the last few days when she has taken all her naps in the stroller (because unable to get her to sleep in her cot).

7pm in bed, happy, off to sleep.

She usually is completely happy to be put in her cot and goes off to sleep sucking her thumb and cuddling her lovie.  So I just don't know what to do when she screams.  Things that worked in the past don't now (like taking her away from room for a short while, then trying again). 

Previously what was working well was putting her down 2.5hrs after wake up, then 3hrs between naps.  First nap was always 45min, second about 1.5hrs-2hrs.  Several times she has managed with very little sleep for first nap (eg. 5min) when we're out and about for dd1's morning activities.

TIA

[Florencia]

I think she might be ready to switch to one nap. She's old enough and giving you clear signs, like being ok if nearly skipping that first nap (5 min lenght), being hard to put down, being happy with longer A times and refusing "babyish" sleep training techniques. She's ready to go into the toddler world!

My first thought was that first nap was taking place at a really early hour. She's having sort of 2.5 hours A time and then 3 hours or so. Then she's having a really long stretch till bedtime which she happens to deal with just fine, since she's going down easily and not night waking (the night wakings might indicate an overtiredness issue which is not the case, reinforced by the fact she's waking chatty and happy in the mornings).

So, since she's handling a long A time in the afternoon, i think she'll be fine with a long one in the morning. I'd start by offering a high calorie snack when the first nap would take place and if she appears to be really grumpy, let her have that 5-10 min catnap in the stroller or car. How do you limit the catnap? by removing her from the stroller or car to her crib. She won't take it and that will be the end of nap. Only do this if she seems really tired and grumpy, if she's happy and boosts her energy with the snack leave her be.

Then try for a "real" nap depending on the day. IF she had the 5 min catnap, try for the real nap around 12-1230 PM. If she didn't have the catnap try around 11 AM. The idea is that her nap happens in the middle of the day but without overtire her, so you should watch her like a hawk and see when her window is.

She should be tired enough to go down without a peep. If she refuses and gets upset, try Walk in/Walk out till she settles. Do not take her out of her crib or rock her, cause that will only show her that if she cries long enough, she'll get what she wants. Besides, she'll nap for only 45 mins, cause as they get older, the stroller becomes more uncomfortable and they need to be at the crib.

HTH and let us know how do you get on and what do you think of this. Good luck!

[deenz]

Thanks very much Florencia.  I was wondering if this was the case.  I mean we have been sticking to this routine for many months, so I suppose it was about time it changed!!  Dd2 does have a cold, but I took her to the dr who said she doesn't have an ear-infection or anything, so I don't think it's that causing these nap issues.

Today we went out in the morning, and dd2 fell asleep in the stroller at 10am for 30min.  I then put her down at 2pm, and she was awake grizzling at 3pm (and I also heard a cry out at 2.25pm so not sure exactly how long she slept for, but she slept in her cot, so that's a good thing!).  In bed again at 7pm happy.

With the two kids I don't really want them napping at completely different times, so an 11am nap time for dd2 is not really practical with the activities etc we have.  So it will be good if, on the days we do go out, if dd2 has her short cat naps as she has been, then down for a proper nap at around 1pm when dd1 does too.  Although 12.30pm could work eventually.  Just the days when we're home, I'll have to think about what to do.

I guess in the beginning of this transistion stage dd2 will still fall asleep if in the car or stroller in the mid-morning won't she...?   (as she did this morning).

I will have to have a look at what exactly walk-in walk-out is.

Again, thanks very much for your help!