Suggestions for going to 1 nap a day

Hey there -- we have been having issues with DS napping for a few weeks now, so we decided to try one nap yesterday. He could make it until 10am (usual nap is at 9am, and he woke up at 6:30pm). He slept until noon and went down with little protest-- this was great because he hasn't napped any longer than 45 minutes the past 2 1/2 weeks, and he would scream for the first 20 minutes.

So today, I did the same thing, kept them both up until 10am. DD fell asleep instantly, DS cried until 10:18am. I went in and reassured him that all was ok, but he didn't get quiet until another 5 minutes after I left. He's sleeping now.

My questions:
I want to transition both to 1 nap a day, I don't want different napping schedules or I'll be stuck in the house the WHOLE day. So, I think DD will conform to it...anyways, I'm thinking I should push the nap back to even later than 10am, don't you think?

Neither would take an afternoon nap yesterday -- they were tired aroudn 5:30pm, but we kept them up until 7ish and put them down for the night. They used to take a 2pm nap. Should we just keep them busy and up until maybe noonish. Or what would you suggest? I guess I'm nervous -- not sure why.

THanks.

 

Yes noon is about right. That's when mine have it... otherwise they have to be up 6 hours or more in the afternoon and it's a nightmare.

 

We just went through this transition and I felt totally clueless while it was going on but now we're on one nap at noon for about 2 hours.
I tried to keep them up as long as possible but in the beginning, they couldn't make it past 10 so they went down at 10, slept about 2 hours and then they really needed an earlier bed time so they were down for the night at about 6 - 6:15. Then I steadily tried to push the back by 10 or 15 minutes. Some days they could do it, some days they couldn't but I just had to be flexible. I found that once we got the nap back to about 11, I could feed them a small lunch before they went down which helped keep them up a bit later. At that point, we did kind of a half lunch before nap, half lunch after (pain in the rear). So now, after pushing the nap, pushing the nap and getting lunch back to 11:00, we finally made it and we are consistent with the 11 lunch, noon nap.
Good luck, its a process but its sweet freedom when we you get through it!

 

I would go for noon too. :good: Maybe for the first few days you can plan outtings around 10 so they don't get cranky since they'll be tired. Good luck!!

 

Just switched mine over. Mine nap from 11:30 - 2 (sometimes a little earlier, just depends). Our bedtime is at 6, and they have been doing great.

 

I just started transitioning them this week to one nap. They were taking one nap at 9:30-11 and wouldn't take a second so I've been pushing it back. Now I'm putting them down around 11:30 or 11:45. They've been going to bed at 6:30 or 7 but I'm going to push it up to 6 because they are only sleeping 90 minutes right now and are disasters by 5:30 or so. My HSHHC book says to consider moving it even earlier than that during the transition. Today my daughter woke up a total mess, I think b/c she's not getting enough sleep with this one short nap a day, so we're going to try earlier.

 

We are also trying to get to one nap a day, for those of you that have been successful...if the babies have been going to bed for the night around 6-6:30pm with one nap that day, what time do they usually get up in the morning?

 

To the OP, I would definitely try to go for noon. When we switched to one nap, mine still went to bed at the same time 7:30-8pm and they wake up the same time 7:30 am-8 am.

 

SO SO So SO SO glad to know that I am not the only one struggling with this. Mine go down around 10 and I have been trying so hard to get it to11 or later, I would love for it to be around noon. Mine go to bed at around 7 each night and sleep a full 12 hours or more.

 

Mine are still on two naps a day. I plan on waiting for their signs telling me that they're ready to go down to one nap a day. [Though I suppose I'd aim for about noon as well ] If by 20 [or so] months they are still on two naps I think I may try to intervene ^_^

 

I keep wondering myself if I should play around with their nap time since they hardly ever sleep in the
afteroon and they are crancky by 4:30 or 5> I do LOVE the 2 1/2 hour morning nap... so I'm afraid
to mess that up!
But today I talked to another twin mom (20 months old)...and she suggested that since
they go to sleep without a problem at 9:00 wake them up after 1 hour... that way
they will be refreshed and then put them down at 1:00 pm again...
I tried keeping them up longer but if we go anywhere they just fall asleep on the car...and if they
do sleep later, say 11 until 1, they are soooo tired by 5:00 pm... I think they need the brake
during the day..is just a matter of when the long nap is...

 

My twins are almost 19 months. We are still on 2 naps but I think we are ready for one nap. My question for those of you putting them down at noon. Are you doing lunch right before? Do you still give them milk before nap? My 2 get up at 7:30 have milk, breakfast at 8:30, nap at 9:30-10:00, lunch at 12:30, nap at 3:30, up at 5:30, dinner at 6:00, milk and bed at 8:30.

 

You want to push the one nap back a little each day until it hits the noonish timeframe - after lunch. I also wouldn't hesitate to put them down a little early for bed during the transition.

 

Thank you, Rachael.

 

Hi, I'm new here (just found this forum) but going through the same transition with my 14-month-olds. So far, I'm finding that I can only push the first nap so much. We got to 10:30 but if they're not in bed by then, they get pretty much hysterical and don't sleep as well. So far 10:30 to 1:30 seems to work best. Their bedtime is now a little earlier, 6:30 instead of 7pm and they're absolutely exhausted by then. I'm hoping to push the nap a bit later still but they just dont' seem to be able to stay up any later.

 

Nylaney-the latest mine could go down for a couple months was 10:30, but they were still taking two naps then. Will yours take a second nap? Mine took two until 18 months, then they would resist the second nap. I'm having trouble getting our single nap to last longer than 90 minutes, so I just put them to bed earlier.

 

Most days we do 1 nap.
Our nap has stayed in the morning. They go down about 1030am and sleep about 2 hours. We have a 1 o'clock lunch.
They go to bed 645p-7 and get up between 7-730a.

There is no way mine will stay up later in the morning, and after they get that nap they are fine for the duration of the afternoon.

I use their late morning nap to get myself ready, accomplish housework, pack our bag for an afternoon outing. We almost always need to get out in the afternoon though around 3-4pm whether its to the park, a walk or run errands.

While its optimal to have a middle of the day nap I don't think its set in stone. See what works best for you guys.

 

Whether they take the second nap or not seems to depend on how long they sleep in the morning. Sometimes the first nap is shorter (1- 1.5 hours), then they definitely need their second nap in the afternoon. The past few days though, they sleep for 3 hours straight (10:30 to 1:30) and then seem to be okay for the rest of the day. They really seem to be kind of in between where sometimes they need 2 naps and sometimes 1 long one will do it.