For those with 1 nap, when do you do naptime?

I noticed a lot of posts about deciding to go down to one nap and we have pretty much decided to do this, but I am having a hard time figuring out when that one nap should be. They definitely are going strong all morning long, but I don't know if I should try to put them down at noonish or push it until when their afternoon nap used to be (they were 10 and 2 nappers). If you do nap in the middle of the day, how do you fit lunch in? Sorry if this topic has been discussed recently but I am new to this forum as the kiddos just turned 1!

 

:welcome: to SY!

Are they fighting their afternoon nap? Or are they waking early because they're getting too much sleep during the day? 12 months is on the early end of the 1-nap spectrum, so you may want to give them some time before you transition. But you know your LOs best, so if they're ready then go for it!

Most kids end up with an afternoon nap when they transition from 2 naps to 1. But there may be some finagling you need to do to get them there. My guys started fighting the morning nap (at 15-16 months) but went down for their pm nap with no problems, so it was a fairly easy transition for us. We just had to move lunch earlier because they would fall asleep in their highchairs if we kept them up too long.

Some mamas have had better luck pushing the morning nap later (by 30 minute increments), giving big snacks before and after the nap, and forgoing lunch altogether.

It kind of depends on your LOs; all kids are different!

 

We didn't transition to one nap until they were close to 21 months if not a bit older. But my youngest went to one nap at around 13 months because that was easier then having them on different schedules, so it's do-able but it wasn't easy.
Mine go down for their nap around 11-12pm and sleep till 2 or 3pm. Good luck!

 

Mine go down around 2-2:30pm and sleep 1.5-2 hrs or so. But they don't get up until 9:30-10am. The transition itself was rough and took several weeks before they were sleeping good, but we had no choice, at 13 months my oldest 2 kids were in baseball, and since our second nap was at 5pm, and baseball was at 5:15, they were missing their second nap, which was NOT working! :lol: So we compromised with a single nap at 2pm and it works much better for us!

 

My twins are down to one nap and they usually take it around 12 to 1 and they stay down about 2 hours sometimes longer

 

We went to one nap when they started fighting their morning nap and then not taking the afternoon nap because they were overtired - at about 16 months. We first did it pretty early - lunch at 11:00, nap at 11:30 but at that time bedtime was 7:00. We have now moved to 11:30 lunch, 12:30 nap and they get to stay up until 7:30 - 8:00. That works great for us and it didn't take long for them to get used to staying up in the mornings and sleeping until about 2:30/3:00. I love one nap! Good luck.

 

Mine recently went to one. They prefer 10-12or 1pm. They have a 6;30-7pm bedtime. Works for us.

 

usually my girls wake around 7:00am-ish, go down for their nap at noon, for 2 - 3 hrs, and then to bed between 6:30pm - 7:00pm. we do lunch between 11:00am - 11:30am. GL!

 

Thanks for the feedback so far! In answer to the questions, my two used to be regular 10 and 2-3 nappers (up btw 7-8, bedtime 7:30-8ish). Last week we would put them down at 10-10:30 and they would play in their beds until 11:30, then sleep till 2. Some days they would be fine till bedtime, other days they would act tired in the afternoon but if we let them nap then they would be up until 9-9:30 PM. So, it seems they are fighting that morning nap. We were doing:
8: nurse, then breakfast
12: nurse/bottle, then lunch
5: sippy/bottle, then dinner
7:30ish: nurse then bed

Argh! The baby thing was so much easier than this toddler business!

 

if they're taking their nap in the middle of the day like that, regardless of what you're doing, you may be able to stick with just the one nap by moving their bedtime earlier (say between 6:30pm - 7:00pm) and see how that goes. i've found that whenever i've made a change to the girls' routine, i've needed to stick with it consistently for a week or two before evaluating if it's working or not.

 

Just my opinion, but I think it's a little too early to drop a nap. We just went to 1 at 18 months and we still sometimes sneak in 2. I wouldn't force it if I were you.

 

crap. i dont know what to do with this 1 nap thing either.
my LOs fight their afternoon naps. they are 10 and 2 nappers, too! (WELL WERE 10 and 2 nappers, lol!!)

now im putting them down at 11 and they've been doing about 2 hours. (some days 1.5 hours or so).
they've been waking at night a little but i cant seem to get them down for an afternoon nap so idk what to do!

 

Am a live in nanny for twin girls 21 months. In April we moved from 2 naps to 1 nap. they take it at 1 and sleep for 2 or 2.5 hrs.
Their shedule looks like this:

8.15 or so I go in and change diapers and get them ready for the day.

9.00 Breakfast

After breakfast if the weather is nice we play outside or we go swimming or play a little in the house.

10.15 or so I put them in their cribs with toys (legos, books etc etc) and music. They play there alone for 30 mins or so that gives me sometime to make lunch or make my self ready for the day too.

11.00 or so they have a small snack and we go out and play some more

12.15 Lunch

13:00 Nap

3.30 sometimes earlier we get ready have a snack go out and play

sometimes we plan outings or other things but mostly is park and house playtime

When i feel they are too tired or so I they have another alone play time in their beds for around 30 mins and then they recharge again

7.00 Dinner

Bath time depends on what we do and it might be before or after dinner

8.00 Bed time

It works perfect to have those play times in their beds, I turn the monitor on when they are alone playing in their beds, that play time made a lot of difference once they changed to one nap.

I hope this helps!

And yes if you are wondering I wake up with them and put them to bed too Am a 24/7 I love the babies!!!! mostly love what I do!