If your LO is down to 1 nap/day

LimaD · May 2014

how long after waking in the morning until they typically go down? And then how many hours after waking from their nap until they go to bed?

DD is still in the transition between 2 and 1 nap/day. It was going well but now she almost always needs 2 naps. Just curious what the nap schedule typically looks like for you guys. TIA!

pb_bride · May 2014

I didn't transition DS until he was 18m. When we did transition, we pretty much did "cold turkey" and never looked back to 2 naps.

He wakes up between 7:30-8a. Nap at 1pm (naps anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hrs). Bedtime at 8:15p.

If I were you, I'd either

1) go back to 2 naps and try again in a couple of weeks, or

2) Continue to push for 1 nap - try to keep her busy/entertained so she doesn't fall asleep.

When we first transitioned, for the first 2 weeks, DS would get cranky around 10:45/11am (that's the time he used to be napping), but once he gets over that "hump," he'll be fine until 1pm. So nowadays, I plan an outing for us every morning so he'll be doing something fun at the "hump" time.

mrscutforth · May 2014

DS gets up anywhere from 8-930, nap is about 4-5 hours after he wakes up in the morning, naps for 1.5-3 hours, goes to bed about 9-10.

All this depends on what we have planned for the day or if DH is home on days off.

LimaD · May 2014

Thanks ladies

Maybe I do need to just help her make it through when she would usually have her 1st nap even if she's really tired... Seems like when I've tried that, her 1 nap is short and then she's miserable all day. I might keep the 2 naps going for a week or two and then try switching to just 1 again and see how she does!

pb_bride · May 2014

LimaD said:

Thanks ladies
Maybe I do need to just help her make it through when she would usually have her 1st nap even if she's really tired... Seems like when I've tried that, her 1 nap is short and then she's miserable all day. I might keep the 2 naps going for a week or two and then try switching to just 1 again and see how she does!

I tried switching DS around 16m and he did exactly like your DD - his 1 nap wasn't long enough and we had major meltdowns every single day. After 3-4 days of that, I decided he wasn't ready for the switch and we went back to 2 naps.

I finally decided to switch at 18m b/c he was taking shorter naps (sometimes only 30 minutes for 1 of the 2 naps) BUT he stayed HAPPY when he was awake. That to me was the sign that he was ready to switch.

GL!

honeydew01 · May 2014

pb_bride said:

LimaD said:

Thanks ladies
Maybe I do need to just help her make it through when she would usually have her 1st nap even if she's really tired... Seems like when I've tried that, her 1 nap is short and then she's miserable all day. I might keep the 2 naps going for a week or two and then try switching to just 1 again and see how she does!

I tried switching DS around 16m and he did exactly like your DD - his 1 nap wasn't long enough and we had major meltdowns every single day. After 3-4 days of that, I decided he wasn't ready for the switch and we went back to 2 naps.

I finally decided to switch at 18m b/c he was taking shorter naps (sometimes only 30 minutes for 1 of the 2 naps) BUT he stayed HAPPY when he was awake. That to me was the sign that he was ready to switch.

GL!

That's useful to know, i'll watch for that.

OP, my DD is almost 15 months and in the last month her naps have been inconsistent (whereas previously she was taking 2 solid 1-1.5 hour naps) so I posted about the 2-1 transition a few weeks ago and actually got very useful tips so maybe look at that thread as well.

Yesterday for the first time she refused to take a second nap. She babbled/talked for 1.5 hours straight and after that she got fussy and it was already 4:10 pm so I went and got her. Going from 11 am to bedtime (normally 7 but I put her down at 6 yesterday) was difficult, she was a tired hot mess.

It's been hard to tell what to do because she has these weird nap days where it makes me think she is ready to go to one nap, but then goes back to taking 2 good naps for a few days then back at crappy nap days..It's hard to make sense of it and know what to do. She is also going through some crazy babbling phase as well, we nurse/rock and she is tired when she's going down but the minute her head hits the crib it's like her "on" button goes off, she practices and babbles for like forever before she goes down. It seems to be hard for her to shut it off and go to sleep like she used to. I'm hoping it's a phase and the novelty will wear off soon (please!).

To answer your question, like other PP mentioned, I've heard that it's common for them to go back and forth between 1 to 2 naps until they finally stick with the one nap schedule. Your plan seems good, keep her at 2 naps and then try again after a couple of weeks.

valeriegp · May 2014

My son is 17 months and he transitioned to one nap at 12.5 months, but it was because he moved to a new room at daycare. During the week he wakes around 5:30 am, naps from ~ 12:15 to 2:30, and goes to bed around 7:30. All times vary by a half hour either way most of the time. On the weekend we usually bring him into our bed when he wakes and manage to sleep in until 7 or 7:30, then he naps a little later, around 1 or so. Bedtime is still pretty much the same.

dufferoo · May 2014

I would say the full time period between 12 and 18 months was a sometimes-frustrating transition period between 1 and 2 naps, but I just tried hard to be responsive to my son's needs, and finally at 18 months we got into a good 1-nap-a-day routine. He wakes up between 6:30 and 7 and then goes down for his nap between 12:30 and 1. The nap usually only lasts about an hour and a half, but he sleeps well at night, so I won't complain.

mb314 · May 2014

DS usually wakes up about 6, and goes down for his nap about 11 am. At daycare, they keep him up until noon, but I find on the weekends, he is ready to go down about 11 or 11:30.

DS is not a great sleeper. On a good day, he'll sleep for 2 hours. Sometimes it is as little as an hour. He occaisionally sleeps closer to 2.5, but I would say between 1.5 and 2 hours is average.

His bedtime is about 7.

cedenton · May 2014

My DS went to one nap on the later end, like 17/18 months. During the week he wakes up around 7, and takes a nap at DC at 11:30 for about 2 hours. At home on the weekends, he's been sleeping until around 9 (!!!!!) (going to bed around 8:30) and take a nap between 12:30 and 1:30 for 2.5-3 hours.

ETA: He was on one nap/day at DC for 5-6 months before he went to one nap/day at home.

dkny155 · May 2014

Wakes by 7am, naps usually around 1130am for anywhere from 1.5-2.5hrs, bed by 730pm.

LimaD · May 2014

Thanks again for all the replies! Sometimes it helps to see what is the norm for others around the same age range. DD is 18 months now, so I assume she will be ready soon!

Jbunny100 · May 2014

Wakes around 7:30 give or take 30 minutes. He naps at 10:30 or 11 and sleeps for 1.5 hours. He goes to bed around 7:30, but doesn't fall asleep until closer to 8. It makes for a long afternoon. I actually don't know if I should try to push the nap back further or not. By the end of the day he is almost dilerious and laughs at everything. It is funny, but I know he is just so tired.

Doubletrouble12 · May 2014

My girls are usually get up around 8ish and go back down for their nap around 1pm. Naptime is usually an hour and a half to two hours. Bedtime is 7 or 7:30pm.

ThatWasAHoot · May 2014

My youngest goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up around 7:30. She goes down for a nap around 11:30 or 12 and sleeps until about 3:30 or sometimes 4. She's been down to 1 nap since she was 9 months old, which drove me crazy. But she sleeps a lot, is happy, and has no issues sleeping at night!

twinkletoes3126 · May 2014

Wakes up 6-6:30, Nap is at 11:30 and is 2-3 hours (I wake him if he is still sleeping at 2:30). Bedtime is 7:30-8. He transitioned to 1 nap at 16 months and it was a struggle until he was 18 months old. He would fall asleep early many days, but would refuse to take a 2nd nap. It was a long process.

littlemurphy2912 · May 2014

My 21 month DD went from taking 2 naps to just one long one at about 20 months old. She would always wake up between 7-8 in the morning on the weekends with DH and I (she goes to daycare full time and only has taken one nap in the toddler room there since she was 14 months old before the toddler room she would take 2 naps in the infant room) would put her down after she was up for 3 hours and she would take pretty good naps twice with us doing that. Just around 20 months old she started fighting us on naps and wouldn't take very long ones like she used to so we decided that she probably isn't as tired as she used to be when she was younger and the schedule that daycare had her one with her only having 1 long nap so we now put her down after she's been up for about 5 or 6 hours and she will do a good 1-2.5 hour nap and then she is in bed between 8:45-9 and sleeps all night. I start her bed time routine of saying good night, giving hugs and kisses to daddy, brush her teeth, change her diaper, etc. and I start that at 8:30.

Beth.1212 · May 2014

Wake up around 6:15

Nap around 12:30

Bed around 7:30

Want a personalized experience?

If your LO is down to 1 nap/day

Re: If your LO is down to 1 nap/day

Choose Another Board

Search Boards