is 11mo too early for 2 to 1 switch?

[babyre33]

We've had a couple days where my 11mo dd will just play and play in her crib.  She's played for an hr before.  I've interveined and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Once after 2 attempts (over 4.5hrs A time, this is her 1st A time) she slept for 2 hrs.  Then today when this happened again, I interveined and it didn't work.  Eventually she was upset enough (when I spoke sternly to her) we tried again and she went right to sleep.  This was just under 3hrs A time for that first A time, and she only slept for 40 min.  Her other naps have been either normal (one hr 15minish) or much less due to messy diapers.

Here's what her schedule was like before "the change" of playing at nap time:
6:30ish wake
9:15ish nap #1 (45 or 1hr 15ish min)
3hrs 45 min A time (less if short nap)
nap for 1hr 15 or 25
bedtime at 715

This leaves A times at 2.75, 3.75, and almost 4.  But a lot of the time she acts as though she cannot make it to nap #1 and #2 quick enough, which would totally screw up any hope of a bedtime after 7.

Now she's all over the place depending on if/when she sleeps.  the lengths are different too.

Is it possible she's ready to do 1 instead of two?  Is so, how's the best way at her age.  If not, how should I handle this playing thing?  She acts SO tired, so I put her down, and then she's as awake as could be.  Now this isn't every day.  Yesterday for instance was normal according to the schedule above.

[*Natasha*]

Hi Love back again
10months until the transition to 1 nap can be a tricky and frustrating time i know i have been their.I decided to try the transition to 1 nap with my DD at 11.5months and it worked great for us with no hickups we were very lucky. You have to make sure your LO can handle at least a 4.5hr awake time in order for it to happen and not get overtired which can often lead to night wakings.
Before you give it a go try a very short AM nap of 30-45mins some even do as little as 20mins just to get them through the morning so they can have a big afternoon nap.
So perhaps try:
6:30ish wake
9 nap #1 (30-45mins)
3hrs 30 min A time
1pm nap #2 for as long as she wants to
bedtime at 7

[MDHmommy]

Sounds like you might be able to give it a shot - based on her behavior! If you're having trouble getting her down for an AM nap - try an errand at "old" morning nap time, one that requires a 20 minute car trip or so...I scheduled my days like that for about 3 weeks until DS was able to make it until nap time after lunch.

You might have to do a late lunch (after a late nap) too for a little while if she can't make it until after lunch for her nap ... I did that for a while too, just gave a snack in the late AM ... an early bed time may be in order as well.

Let us know how it's working out for you! There's a 2 to 1 switch thread too, I think on the toddler sleep board.

[babyre33]

Thank you both.  I looked at the 2 to 1 thread already...but was hoping it wasn't the cae.  I'll try the short am nap first ( I had tried that fora while, but never got the long 2nd nap...not never, just very rare).  We'll see how it works this time.  I'm not willing to try the one nap thing yet just because the day when she only had one she was SO tired way before bedtime, but too late for a nap.  She did not sleep well at night because of it.

So we'll try the shorter nap first, and then down for #2 around 1ish.  When I tried it before, I would keep her up past one to make sure she was really tired, like 3hrs 45 min.  It worked sometimes...not others.  Maybe it'll go better now.  We'll try it for 3 days and see

Thanks to you both...just trying to make things work.

[Izzy-B's mommy]

Just wanted to say that we made the switch with Isabella when she turned 1.  It happend really quickly and really smoothly.  She just wasn't going down for her naps.  Once she took just the one nap she would nap for 3hrs (from 12-3) ~ sometimes 3:30. 

[MDHmommy]

I also wanted to add that it took several weeks for DS to extend that nap into a full 2 hours...so he was taking 20-30 mins in the morning then only a 1.5 in the afternoon, we we were putting him to bed REALLY early, like 6:00 to make up for it. I think all told the whole thing took about a month.

[babyre33]

I thought that might be the case (that she needed to switch), but this morning after only 1.5 hrs A time, she fell asleep onthe living room floor (she had a rough day yesterday, not napping at grandma's house in the pm).  I guess we'll have to see what the rest of the week brings with more normal days.

If Adalyn is able to take a 2-3 hr nap in the afternoon or noon time...I'd be thrilled.  That would be a great break for me, and a lot of rest for her!  Hope it happens soon.

[Anna & Baby Caleb's Mommy]

how funny babyre33...here you are again..i saw the post and said "hey that's my ?!" we too are experiencing the hour long playtime in the crib @ second nap time...and by the time he's done playing it's closing in on dinner time!  he can easily go 4 hours between naps and that's precisely the problem.  2nd nap ends up being way to close to bedtime.  Good advice Natasha...about the short 1st nap..have wondered about experimenting with this but i am SO afraid that the 2nd nap will be a  failure and that he'll fall asleep in his soup at dinner after an exhausting night, he fell asleep this morning around 9:15..i'm debating whether to wake him up at 10:00? it seems crazy to wake up an overtired baby but it seems even crazier to not have that second nap that i know he needs or he will have NW's!!!!!!

[babyre33]

Thanks Stacy.  I was in the hospital for a few days (miscarried lo #2), while there grandma found the right groove for nap #1 and now she's taking 2 good naps.  But I will definately keep the schedule you gave inmind.  Once I get use to her new 2 nap schedule...she'll change and be ready for the 2 to 1 switch. 

So thanks again Stacy!

[legend_018]

a lot of people don't agree my LO turned 1 on March 28th. Since about 11 1/2 months old, she has been mostly on one nap. although some days she takes a cat nap in the afternoon especially if we are out. Now it has worked out for the most part. We do have our bad days and nights. It never lasts too long. It usually ends up being due to being sick or something else. However, MY LO can NOT have a long A time in the morning. She can however in the afternoon. I tend to just let her nap as long as she wants. Average time might be 10-12 or 11-1 or even 9:30-11:30. I dont' like that last one though as it's so early. She gets up between 5:30 and 6:30 lately. sometimes even 7am. Than after her first nap she stays up until bed time. I know it's a LONG A time, but she seems to do ok with it for the most part.

[babyre33]

WEll, all's been going well....and then new teeth started showing.  She's been in a fowl mood most of the day today.  Tough time eating and now we've been working on bedtime for almost an hr.  She's been up and down, and we're affraid she's hungry as she threw up most of what little she ate for dinner, no snack, and very little lunch.

So I sent dh in with some fruit and cereal...hoping she'll feel full and rest well.  Already medicated for the teeth... I hope she goes down soon...it's already past 8pm here.  Bedtime is usually around 7:15...and she's still eating with daddy