7 answers

2 To 1 Nap Transition - Is It Too Soon?

This is a follow-up to my past request...After the many responses I received (thank you!) I tried a little of everything that was suggested for the last few weeks. We were able to make it until 12:30/1pm, but then she'd only nap for 1 hour! So now we are back to a 9am nap (9-11 and I have to wake her up at 11!) and then I put her in bed at 2 and she falls asleep around 3. At 4pm I wake her. Luckily we have our 15 month appt on Monday so I am hoping the dr has some suggestions! Did I start the transition too soon?

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I don't think it's too soon. If you are waking her up from her naps it just doesn't sound like she is getting the sleep she needs. I think kids need to take the lead when it comes to sleeping. The way I see it, you and I probably wouldn't like to be woken up from a nap everyday (that is, if we still got to take naps :-) Maybe you're putting her down too late. Why don't you try putting her down for her nap at 11:30 or 12. That's what we do with my 15 month old and he usually sleeps until 2:30 or 3. Good Luck.

I'm not sure what your past request was, but my son transitioned to 1 nap at 15mo. We realized that his 2nd nap was too late & too long, and was taking away from his nighttime sleep. We never woke him, so he was going to bed too late & sleeping fewer hours at night. We transitioned him pretty easily, not sure how long it took (he's 23mo. now). I originally thought they were "supposed" to take 2 naps until 18mo., but every child is different & some can transition sooner or later.

D.,

I have found that trying to keep a kid on a strict schedule for sleep (naps that is) is almost counterproductive. My son is sometimes ready for a nap by 9:15, sometimes not until 11 am. I follow his lead... sometimes he needs two naps still, at almost 18 months and sometimes he's fine with one. The only time I wake him from a nap is if he takes a 2nd nap in the afternoon and is looking like he will sleep past 4:30 pm. He goes to bed between 7:15 and 7:45 for the night, and I don't want to have him not tired for that.

Some days they just need a bit more sleep than other days. If I put my son down for a morning nap and he sleeps thru his 'usual' lunch time, then obviously sleep is outweighing his need to eat... I feed him when he gets up.

So, follow her lead, she may not be ready for just one nap. :)

My guy switched at 13 months. It isn't too early. Also don't worry about waking her. Typically they will begin to go to bed a bit later but I wouldn't wake her if can help it. Haven't you every heard to never wake a sleeping baby......especially a toddler ;)

I don't think it was too soon. My daughter (16 months) has been alternating between one and two naps per day for a few months now. Just when I think she's down to needing just one nap, she has a few days where she wants to take a morning nap again. It's definitely hard to make plans for the day! Good luck.

I think my son was about 14 mo. when he gave up his morning nap. I really let him lead on this. He went from napping about 2 hours in the morning and another hour or 2 in the afternoon to suddenly refusing to nap in the morning. I was nursing him to sleep at the time and one day, while I was trying to get him to sleep for his morning nap, he just got up and went over to his toys and started playing. I thought, oh, he'll decide he's tired in a little bit, but he didn't. We did have to transitiont an earlier afternoon nap. He started taking his nap around noon, though we have slowly been able to push it closer to one. I think every kid is different and you should follow your childs lead. He had days where he still wanted to take a morning nap, but when he did he would not take an afternoon nap till around dinner time, and if he did that he wouldn't sleep at bedtime. That of course was the other way I new that it was time. Of course now, at 16 mo., there are many days I'm doing good to get him down for 1 nap without to much of a fight.=)

I don't think you are trying this too soon. when our older son was little, he would only sleep about 45 minutes at a time! You could almost set a clock by him. when I started working part time, the sitter only had the kids take an afternoon nap. she kept the kids busy all morning with stuff, then after lunch, she layed everyone down for a nap around 1 p.m. they all slept nearly 2 hours! it worked like a charm. he would even nap like this on weekends and did so until he went to kindergarten.

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