anyone want to chat about the 2-1 nap switch , thread#2

[jmoran544]

If I make sure the kiddos are awake after and hour am nap, when do you think would be a good time to put them down in the pm? Do I need to shorten A time?

[M and N's Mom]

Probably you would need to shorten their A time but I don't know how much after 1h...anyone else know?

[NiknLily]

jmoran544 - I think Lily was doing a good 3hrs on a 1hr am nap at that age, maybe shorten their existing A time by 30mins to start and see what happens. Sorry cant be more helpful 

[babyre33]

We went on vacation, she did famously even though molars were/are coming out, and an ear infection.  She's done pretty well overall, and I'm still adjusting to being back home, so havent' come on in a while really.

Here's the deal:  the ear infection had her up every 2 or 3 nights for anywhere from 2-4 hrs each time.  Now she's suppose to be getting better with 2 shots of antibiotic.  For the past 2 days her second nap has been short, like 45min-1hr rather than 1 hr 20 or so.  Keep in mind she's had this ear infection for 3 weeks, so it's not that.

She's been acting lately like she can stay up longer between naps and before bed, adn then at bedtime when it's a night where she's not up  for 2-4 hrs because of the ear infection she'll sleep 11.5 hrs or so and doze on and off for another 45 min.  I'm not entirely sure how much of this behavior is ear infection related, or changing needs related.

I'm tempted to shorten the first nap from 30 min to 20, but not sure if it's the right thing to do.  Shes missed so much sleep, but hasn't acted OT, and she's the kind tht will act OT very quickly.  Really at a loss here.

Any 3rd party observations?

[NiknLily]

1 nap day today, didn't quite understand she was OT by bedtime last night, although not by much but did wake after 45min in bed and woke at 6am.  Thought I would get an am nap in this morning, how wrong was I, so 11am and she went down for her 1 and only nap today.  She is going to be in bed v.early tonight.  Can everyone keep there fingers crossed for a min 2.5hr nap please 

So how long do I keep offering the am nap as it really seems to be dieing a death over here, and with the nap being at 4hrs A time by the time I get her up, ram some food into her and do potty its back to bed for the 1nap.  What do you think do I just go for it and start 1 nap days and see how she goes on it?

And if she sleeps 2hrs today till 1pm what time would you suggest she goes to bed, likewise should I get 2.5hrs what time then?

thanks ladies

[rinajack]

5.5 hr A time after nap is probably OK.  If it were me, I would go with it, but watch tired signs, may need the odd two nap day thrown in (as opposed to trying every day iykwim).

[samijoe]

I, personally, would have her in the crib by 5hrs after nap.  She might only play till the 5.5hr mark in bed and fall asleep.

THAT is much safer than putting her into the crib at 5.5hrs A time after nap, where she might easily chat herself till  the 6.25/6.5hr mark and that would make her OT.

OMO

I hate putting dd to bed early too, but i find that if i do i am safe always.  Some days i can't control how long she wants to yak for, and definitely some days if i actually waited till i knew she would fall asleep...she'd be ot.  Best to let them play it out and for them to decide when it is time to sleep.

hth
sami

oh and btw, if you think your lo will never sleep past 11hrs at night...well, it can be done and it can happen.  Stacy always said that kaleb never slept more than 11hrs...and now some days he pulls out 12!  She just kept giving him the chance to!  That is what this whole transition is about...don't go insane with A times and just keep giving them the chance to sleep.

[debo620]

can I just say how much I hate 1h40min naps!
are they OT or undertired or what??

we have been doing great with 11.5hrs nights---waking as late a 7am and 2hr20min naps for about 3days, I now think he was just catching up from some OT.

Wed am he woke at 6:45
nap in crib for 12, asleep within about 10min and then woke at 1:50
bed at 7:05---but fell asleep at 7:30

woke today at 6:30--so 11hrs last night
crib for 11:45, asleep by about 11:55 and woke at 1:35,
so I will probably put him to bed at 6:45, and hope he sleeps past 6am tommorow.

[*Natasha*]

Just wanted to say that when my DD moved to 1 nap she did 5hrs awake time before nap and 5/5.5hrs before bedtime. Some toddlers are better with longer awake time in the morning and some on the evening like my DD. Now at aged 2 she can't go past 5.5hrs awake time in the morning but can do 6hrs before bed.

[NiknLily]

AARRGGHHH!!  What a horrible day yesterday turned out to be.  So as I said she was a little OT the night before, was up at 6am and wouldn't take am nap so I put her down at 11am for a full nap (should of given her 15Min's I think and put her down and hour later) because she slept for exactly 1hr 15  So its 1.30pm and and she will not go back to sleep my plan then became to try to squeeze in a catnap at 4.30 for 20Min's just to see her through dinner & bath. 

We went down town in pushchair for hr then came home and she played for a while but by 3pm was very grumpy, crying for no particular reason etc. so I asked her if she wanted to go to sleep, if she was tired.  To which she gave a big nod of the head, so up we went and she just played so I eventually get her back up and we went back out in pushchair (my aim was to keep her rested at least). 

We were out 30Min's then when we returned home I realised my keys were still sitting in the kitchen where I left them after confiscating them of Lily who wanted to take them in the garden earlier, I had also forgot my mobile.  I knocked next door and used her phone to ring DP, who not recognising the number wouldn't answer, so we then march back down town to a friend who was at work to get her to ring DP so that he would pick up as he knows her number 

DP came home early, we march back home by which point its too late to offer catnap so quick dinner, wet one strip wash into jammies, bf & bed.  By now it was 6pm.  She did the classic, lights out for 45Min's then woke and took 30Min's to get back to sleep, then woke at 1.30am and about 6 times between then and 3.30am after which she didn't stir till 7am.

This morning she was soo tired I put her down for nap at 10.30 but again no nap, so up have lunch and back in bed asleep by 11.45am.  I've got everything crossed that we don't get another 1hr15, if we do I just don't know what I will do with her 

I've been thinking that I should just switch to 1nap and throw in the odd 2 day nap but she gets so OT so quickly on 1nap that I don't think she is ready, but then again, putting her down for nap which she wont take then getting her up for 30Min's before putting her back down is getting on my nerves. 

I think I will see how today goes then make a decision.  It may be that on the 2nap days the day itself has to stretch a little to get 2 naps in, what do you think?

sorry I've rambled on...

[debo620]

new mum, ouch rough day  fingers crossed

so last night, Noah went to bed at 6:45 but played til 7:10 or so, and I think he slept til close to 6:30am

so I think I'll try nap at 12 and see what happens

[irish3680]

Hi Ladies,

I need some advice about Ella's naps. She is 11.5 months old and she has been on a 45 minute am nap for 3 weeks now, which she initiated on her own and it's been going very well. I am wondering if it may be time to decrease her pm nap just a bit, but not sure. She needs 11.75 hours minimum at night, but 12 is better, which she has done since 3.5 months old. She has started to wake earlier in the am (around 6:45 ish) and then wanting to take her am nap earlier and for longer than 45 minutes. I believe this is due to her waking earlier in the am. It's hard for me to know exactly what time she wakes in the am because she wakes up and plays quietly until I get her. She has always tended to rob night sleep for naps, which just makes her more cranky during the day. Our current routine is:

7:30 am: get up
10:30 - 11:15: nap
2:15 - 4:00: nap
7:15: bed

She does well with the 7:15 bedtime, so I definitely don't want to make it later. This week she fought bedtime twice for 1/2 hour, which is shocking for her because she is always asleep within 5 minutes for naps and bed. I appreciate all of your suggestions!

Shannon

[debo620]

Hi Shannon,
I think you could try decreasing the am nap to 30min, maybe 10:30-11:00, and then next nap 1:30-3:30, bed 7:15

[irish3680]

Thanks for the advice Deb. I thought she was on the young side to go to 30 min am nap. Do you think what I described warrants a routine change or should I just let it be? I have a hard time distinguishing OT from UT and I am so afraid of pushing her too hard too fast.

Shannon

[debo620]

fair enough, but if cutting the am nap to 30min allows for a 2hr pm nap occuring a little earlier it may be worth it, also if you get back to a normal wake time so that she is getting the 12hrs at night then it may help in the long run. she should be able to manage a slightly longer awake time before bed. but honelty, it really does become trial and error unfortunately and you know your daughter best. being that she is waking early though, I do think that you could tweak things a bit,