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

[OliverRowland]

Mommaholmes, are you now consistently on 1 nap?  when was the last time you did 2 naps?  i am scared to jump in and still put in 2 naps.  i don't think he likes the change though.

[MommaHolmes]

Tanyanz - sounds like you're on the right track. As long as nap time shifts along with bedtime and the pm A time stays about the same then hopefully it shouldn't be too disruptive. Keep us posted with how you get on.

OliverRowland - we've not done a 2 nap day for two weeks now. It just wasn't working for us - if he'd had a few 1 nap days then the odd 2 nap day was a nightmare cos he'd just spend so much of the day trying to get to sleep. He'd take up to 20 mins to fall asleep for the short am nap (cos I was putting him down a bit earlier than I would on a 1 nap day) and then spend up to 1.5hrs trying to get to sleep for the pm nap!! Since we switched to 1 nap, he's not spent more than 10 mins getting to sleep for a nap. Wish I could say the same for bedtimes but I think there's still some kinks in the schedule. If I notice him getting OT or if nap/nighttime sleep is low then I use an early bedtime to help him catch up - odd days of 2 naps just weren't helping him settle into a routine.

New mum - what news? How you getting on?

[tanyanz]

MommaHolmes - He woke at 5am this morning after going down at 6.45pm, so not sure if I should persist, his bodyclock seems to be stuck at 5amish - was wondering if wake to sleep might be worth a go?

OliverRowland - We tried a two nap day about a week ago (after 3 weeks of one nap) & was a nightmare day - just didn't work at all!  Basically slept for 20mins & then still took a 4.5hr A time afterwards - I tried a 2.5hr A time but he wasn't having a bar of it. 

[MommaHolmes]

I'm rubbish at W2S - have only tried it a couple of times but just succeeded in waking him up!! Daren't try it again  I'm sure someone with more experience can advise.

It's poss that the jump from 5:20 bedtime to 5:45 was a bit too much. Maybe go back to 5:20 for a bit until his routine settles and then try nudging to 5:30 for a few days, then 5:45?

[OliverRowland]

Is it strange that ds can still do 2 naps on occassion?  we have never done well with early bedtime cause that creates ew....he just doesn't sleep more than 11hrs

[MommaHolmes]

I think 2 naps works for some and early bed works for others. Put Ollie down early last night cos he'd had a rubbish night the day before and he slept for 12.5 hours! Woke him at 7.15 so don't know how long he would have gone. Just wish I'd cottoned on to the early bed thing earlier in the transition as I think we could have had a lot less painful time if I hadn't been so convinced that anything before 6:30 was just silly!

[OliverRowland]

ok i am stressing out here.  we are planning a short trip to the beach.  2 nights.  it is a 2.5 hr drive...that in it's self is scaring me!  Has anyone done something similar voluntarily?  We are so into a routine that a trip like this is creating an ulcer!  not sure how fun it will actually be...i am starting to talk myself out of it.  hotel room + in the middle of 2-1 switch + potty training+ different foods + well everything different really = possible disaster?

[MommaHolmes]

Can you not time the drive to co-incide with when you would put him down for 1 nap, or half an hour before you would normally put him down? We've travelled a few times during the nightmare period and just try and get as much sleep happening in the car as poss.

Potty training, well, just don't stress about it. It's not like he'll never get out of nappies if you have a couple of days backsliding  Keep your routine as much as poss but don't expect too much. You might find he does loads better when you get back home for having a bit of a change anyway.

By the sounds of things, you need the break! It won't be a disaster, and it will be good for him to do some new things as well as you. Once you're back in familiar surroundings you'll re-establish your routine no problem - it's only 2 days, not 2 weeks.

xx

[OliverRowland]

thanks, i am just afraid it not being a break.....i am an extreme type A!

[tanyanz]

MommaHolmes - I think you could be right, probably pushing too hard too fast, we have been getting lots of pressure from grandparents to keep him up until he drops (like they did with us!)

OliverRowland - we have just had a 5 night break with my parents who live 5hrs drive from us & he did great, not quite as much sleep as at home but he was fine & slipped back into routine once at home.  When he was on two naps I would jump in the car once morning nap was finished - so at least he had a good nap if he decided not to sleep in car or only catnap.  This time when left about an hour before nap time & he slept in the car seat at the normal time.  I try to stick to the routine as much as I can, but realise that is not always poss & that he will survive & thrive despite not being at home.  Best of luck.

[Isabella's Mummy (Lilab4)]

Oliver Rowland - Our week away (7hrs drive, then 2hr drive, then 2 x 4hr drives) was what helped us sort our routine out. After 2 x 30 min naps on the way down (aiming for a 2 nap day) we decided to time travelling for 5hrs A time and it worked perfectly. She slept most of the other car trips. Whilst away, I really relaxed about the whole 2-1 thing and bedtimes and somehow things worked themselves out. Enjoy yourself xx

[OliverRowland]

Wow!  My ds has never slept in the car....not sure that I can count on it.?

[Isabella's Mummy (Lilab4)]

Isabella generally won't sleep more than 20-30 minutes in the car either. We just made sure that she was worn out and it seemed to work! When we had days out she would have 2 naps they were generally 1 x 30 min (4hr ish A time and in her buggy) and 1x 20 min (quite late in the day usually as she wouldn't be keen to take it and would doze off when we were on our way home from a day out). I thought she would be really grumpy on that little sleep, but she got through just fine. The days we stayed close to where we were staying we would do 1 nap, again we couldn't put her down until she was really tired though, or she would get worked up and it would take ages to get her down.

[jmoran544]

Please let me know if you think this is a sign of transitioning...

Friday: ds took 45 min nap in am, 3.75 later took 1.5 hr pm nap
Saturday: 1.5 hr am nap, 3.5 hr after waking; 40 min pm nap
Sunday: 45 min am nap; 1.5 hr pm nap
Monday: 1.5 hr am nap; put him down 3.75 hr after am nap for pm nap- currently screaming after 15 min- he rarely cries at nap times and puts himself to sleep in less than 10 min

[MommaHolmes]

Sounds like he's fairly reliably taking 2.25hrs in naps every day - taking more than 15 mins to settle could mean anything, teething for example. If you're not getting out and out nap refusal then I wouldn't see it, on its own, as being a 2-1 issue.
On the other hand, if you're getting persistent NW or EW, or if your LO is taking a long time (i.e. more than an hour) to settle at night, then you might be right but it also could just be OT.
Can you post your routine and remind us how old your LO is?