How do you keep them up longer when transitioning to one nap...they get so tired!

My little ones are very ready for one nap. There morning nap is an hour if I'm lucky and they've been boycotting their afternoon nap. Usually I've put them down for their morning nap at 9 and their afternoon nap at 1:30-2. I kept them up until 11:10 and they were SO tired so I put them down and they went right to sleep. I'd like to keep them up until 11:30-12:00 so they'll nap until 2-2:30 rather than 11:00-1-1:30...any tips or advice for me? thx!

 

The one nap transition was the most difficult transition for us. It took months! To this day, they are exhausted and borderline over-tired by the end of the day. Mine wake up around 6:30 am and the latest they can go down for their nap is 10:30 am. I have to be careful about going places in the morning b/c they have fallen asleep as early as 8:30 if they're in the car and then the day is shot!

If I put them down at 10 am they'll sleep til between noon and 1. But if I put them to sleep as late as 11:30 they still only nap til 12:30 or 1. What I started doing was giving them a snack before they go down for their nap at 10 so that way they're not too hungry and can hold off on lunch until around 1 pm.

 

We are on week two in the one nap transition. They are super cranky if they get up anytime before 7:30, so on those days they get up at 7:00 I take them on a walk after breakfast and then try to play outside for as long as possible. Then while I'm making lunch they are inside playing, I give them water and maybe a couple of cherrios. By 11:00 they are starving for lunch because of all the activity. I now put them down about 11:45 and they sleep until about 2PM. I think activity is the key, and I've noticed it has gotten easier now that they are getting used to being awake for 5 hours straight. I on the other hand am missing my morning break!

 

I would take them out. We would stroll the mall, go to the park, stroll through Wal-Mart, anything that would keep them busy. Also, during the initial transition, I would feed them lunch at 11. As they got better at making it through the morning, lunch would get pushed back until we eventually reached noon.

 

I would push their time back in 15 minute increments, keep them busy in the morning (going out, activities, etc) and give them a snack before they go down for their nap.

 

What I did is go out every morning... they napped 5 minutes in the car and it was enough to keep them awake until 1pm. But it depends on your kids... mine are fine with falling asleep one hour after a short car nap.

 

your old nap schedule is exactly what we had. bedtime 6:30pm, wake up 6:30am, am nap at 9 or 9:30am for about 45min to 1 hour, pm nap from 1:30pm for 1h30min.
now they eat breakfast at 7:30am and lunch at 11am, they go down at noon for at least 2 hours.
easy transition, I would make sure to take them out around 9am and do fun NEW stuff.....lots of times we would eat outside around 11am, then I give them their sippies of milk in car on the way back home and then diaper change and pretty much right to sleep.

I would NEVER let them fall asleep in the car, so my outings in the transition phase are all max. 15min car ride....

it worked like a charm....I also move bedtime to 6:15pm or whenever I see they are getting too tired, also diner is now 4:45pm or 5:00pm instead 5:30pm....

GL, oh, and my boy thought the 1 nap is still the am nap and would just sleep an hour, for about 10 days, then I just let him cry after he woke up after an hour, and then he felt back asleep after 10min crying, now no more crying.