transition to one nap suuuuuuuuuuucks

Natty13umppo

A lot has been going on with DD these past couple weeks:  she's getting her molars.  she's had a cold (or something that makes her very snotty/congested).  She started walking.  She's eating less/becoming slightly picky (old favorites she's no longer interested in).  And - most miserable of all -she's only taking one SHORT nap a day.  I don't know if this is "the transition" or it's just a phase with everything else that is going on. 

Sometimes it's just a morning nap, sometimes it's just an afternoon nap.  I've been trying to go off her cues but they vary.

I've heard the transition to one nap sucks and in our case it is certainly true.  (I may not be helping by trying to still preserve both naps...)  She used to take 2 naps for a total of 2-4 hours a day.  Now she's taking 1 that's only an hour.  Ugggggggh.  THANKFULLY her nighttime sleep is still good (7:30 to 7:30) but days are looooooooooong around here.

No real point - just kind of venting - but anyone have any pointers or want to commiserate? 

purple4u

Oh I feel your pain. My DS is almost exactly the same. He is getting all 4 molars plus two other I saw poking through yesterday. His eating has gone down the tubes and his napping is terrible.

Some days I just want to pull my hair out. Others are much better.

Hang in there you are definitely not alone

authorofdreamz

Could you try putting her to bed a little earlier? DD has been taking only one nap for a while now with a "rest" in the afternoon (she doesn't actually sleep just plays quietly in her crib) but sometimes (especially lately since she is getting a TON of teeth) she hasn't been taking as long of nap and is SO tired by late afternoon that we just start our night routine 30mins or so earlier so she is asleep by 5 instead of 5:30-6.

purple4u

authorofdreamz:

Could you try putting her to bed a little earlier? DD has been taking only one nap for a while now with a "rest" in the afternoon she doesn't actually sleep just plays quietly in her crib but sometimes especially lately since she is getting a TON of teeth she hasn't been taking as long of nap and is SO tired by late afternoon that we just start our night routine 30mins or so earlier so she is asleep by 5 instead of 5:306.

So if your DD sleeps at 5306 when do you feed her dinner? I pick up DS at 5 from daycare and dinner is at 6. Bath and books by 7 and bed after that.

authorofdreamz

purple4u:

So if your DD sleeps at 5306 when do you feed her dinner? I pick up DS at 5 from daycare and dinner is at 6. Bath and books by 7 and bed after that.

On a normal day she eats dinner at 5 bath, pjs, and books after that and is in bed between 5:30 and 6 depending on her mood and how many books we read. On days where she doesn't nap well we do dinner at 4:30 and she is in bed by 5, we usually skip books on those nights since she is too tired for it and would just cry the whole time anyway.

Natty13umppo

purple4u:

Oh I feel your pain. My DS is almost exactly the same. He is getting all 4 molars plus two other I saw poking through yesterday. His eating has gone down the tubes and his napping is terrible. Some days I just want to pull my hair out. Others are much better. Hang in there you are definitely not alone

 

Thanks!  Sometimes just this is nice to know.    GL to you, too!

Natty13umppo

authorofdreamz:

Could you try putting her to bed a little earlier? DD has been taking only one nap for a while now with a "rest" in the afternoon (she doesn't actually sleep just plays quietly in her crib) but sometimes (especially lately since she is getting a TON of teeth) she hasn't been taking as long of nap and is SO tired by late afternoon that we just start our night routine 30mins or so earlier so she is asleep by 5 instead of 5:30-6.

I had thought of it but was nervous about it b/c her nighttime sleep was so good already - I didn't think I could get more than 12 hours out of her and didn't really want her up earlier.  BUT...after your post I thought "What the heck....we can try it" and she went down last night at 7 (yesterday was particularly rough and she was def ready to go down) annnnnnnnnnnnd she slept til 830 this morning!!!???!!!  (I know she was up at least once earlier, but played and went back to sleep)   So.....we'll see how today goes with napping (I won't try for more than 1) and sleep goes tonight.  Fingers crossed!  Thanks!

gracefulruby33

Good call on the earlier bedtime. Personally, even when DD seemed tired for a second nap, once we started the transition, I was strict about not giving it to her. I would really try to just do one nap. We eliminated the second nap and gradually pushed back the morning one.