Moms, I need some help. I have a 15, almost 16 month old son who is currently taking two naps a day. But lately, he's been either not wanting to take his morning nap and some days he doesn't want to nap in the afternoon either! He's a solid night time sleeper - goes to bed between 7:30-8pm and sleeps until 7:15-7:45am. I'm not complaining! I know he will be transitioning to one nap, but how do you go about it? I work full time, but have a nanny at home who is great and does exactly what I ask her to. But I don't even know where to start! In the past, his nap schedule has been 9:30 am (sleep for 1 - 1.5 hours) then again at 1:30pm for another 2 hours or so. Do I push his morning nap back? Do I just start skipping it altogether and hope he sleeps longer in the afternoon? If he's too tired, he doesn't sleep longer, he's too wound up to sleep!
Please help with some direction on this topic. Or if you have any book suggestions, that would be great too. I read Healthy Sleep Habits - Weisbluth book and loved it, but it doesn't touch on this topic!
Thank you in advance for all of your sage advice!
I found that I just forgot to put them down for that first nap because they were happy and not acting sleepy. Then when those first signs of sleepiness started showing and I realized it was getting near lunchtime, I would quick give them lunch so they wouldn't wake up because of hunger. I like Bobbie's suggestions, though. I do remember a couple of them falling asleep in their lunch at this stage lol!
yes cecilia, you should push back his am nap. i have an 18 mo old who recently went through this. instead of putting him down at 10 i started waiting til 12. then he slept til bout 2 or 3. he is in bed by 8. it was an easy transition for us. he loves naptime. its bed that is a little rough. can't get him to stay in there. lol. good luck!!!
D. Mattern-Muck
The MOM Team
Raising your income and your rugrats at the same time.
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"THe only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6
With both our girls we stayed really busy at the park or outside for about a week in the morning so they would skip their morning nap. Try not to do anything requiring a drive long enough for them to fall asleep. Then I would just give them a heavy morning snack just for the first week and put them down about 11am. They would usually sleep about three hours the first week or so. Give them lunch when they wake up for the first week. Once he adjusts to the new times then you can push nap back to 11:30 and give him lunch at 11. I just found that it was too hard to try to give them lunch right before nap the first week. They would fall asleep during lunch or were too fussy to eat. So I would just watch him carefully and when he is able to stay away until 11 then start giving him lunch at 11 and putting him down for a few hours at 11:30. I hope everything goes well.
When my son started montessori at 16 months, they kinda force you to change nap times. He transitioned well.
This is his schedule. Wake up 7:15- 7:30, eat breakfast go to school. Eat small lunch at 11:15 - 12 and nap from 12 to 2:30. It works well for him. He is very sleepy when its time to go "night-night"!
Good luck!
My two children were the same way at about 15-16 months. I would suggest getting rid of the morning nap and having the afternoon nap be a little earlier, say 11:45 or noon. My kids are almost 2 and just turned 3 and they go to bed around 8pm, wake up 7-7:45 am and then take a nap from noon-2 or 3. It may take a few days to adjust and then there may be days that your son needs 2 naps, but he should adjust very well at this age.
With my oldest, it was very clear when it was time to drop nap -- she just quit sleeping through it. So, we quit putting her down for the nap, and then slept longer in the afternoon.
And it isn't a clear change. You may have to do some days with a morning nap, and some days with just an afternoon nap until he is clearly on his afternoon nap.
I'd just tell the nanny to watch his signals on this one and go with what he's showing her.
hi cecilia,well i think i would try making him do his moring naps to wear he will be ready for bed at night.he's geting older now and may not want to sleep as much.so try doing one nap a day and see how it go good luck
My girls nap between 2-3 but they are 3 and 4. If I was you have lunch at 11-11:30 then nap time between 12noon-3pm. Good Luck
