Natalie is 13mths and has greatly reduced her napping over the last month or so. MOST days she takes about 45 in the AM and 45 in the PM, and some days only one of those. Then about once a week she'll take (2) hour and a half naps. She generally sleeps later by about an hour or more. She is not grouchy on one nap and goes to bed at 8:00 each night. She literally just switched one day from sleeping 3hrs. total a day to about an hour and half total. This has been going on about 3-4weeks now, so I was trying to give it time.
My question is: How do I go about working her into 1 good nap a day? If she's going to skip one, it's almost always the afternoon nap. She seems to really be ready for the AM nap most of the time, but the afternoon one is often short.

It just seems like a big jump to go from laying down at 10am to down at 1:00, you know? She eats lunch around noon, and since she's sleeping later in the mornings, she really isn't ready for lunch much before then. Any suggestions on how to transition into one nap? Should I just hold her off until after lunch and see what happens? TIA

By Vicki on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 - 05:32 pm:

I think the reason she is skipping the afternoon nap is because she is taking a morning nap!! I got rid of the morning nap and then put dd down for a afternoon nap shortly after lunch. What I would do if you had to is move lunch up a bit if she is really cranky and have her eat and then nap. If you have to move lunch up...than gradually move it back. Like if you have to give her lunch at 11 then tomorrow give it to her at 11:10...the next day 11:20 etc until you get her more to "lunch time". It is just a new routine that she has to get used to. The transition should be pretty smooth, she is really showing signs of being ready to do it!!

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 - 07:43 pm:

I started putting Connor to be earlier (like 7:15pm instead of 8pm). This caused him to take an earlier morning nap and then that shifted his afternoon nap and somehow he takes 2 hour naps both times.
Although, my DH's father said that "napping" runs in the family as my DH supposedly had 2 naps until he was 2 years old.

But, that trick worked for Connor. He was doing the same thing Natalie is doing. Eventually, the morning nap should phase out, but it hasn't yet.

By Heaventree on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 - 08:25 pm:

We have been going thru the nap thing for months. I thought it was time to drop the morning nap around 13 months as well, but Matt awakes up at 6am and by 9:30 he's ready to go down for at least an hour, however there was a faze in there where he bumped it up to 11 am go figure, it varies every day. His afternoon nap was at 2 pm now it's at 4. I was worried about putting him down so late, but he really seemed to need it. He still goes to bed a 7:30 or 8 pm.

I wouldn't rush dropping the morning nap unless you are planning on putting her in day care and it is really necessary, let her work it out, she will eventually. Just follow her cues.

By Reds9298 on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 - 08:39 pm:

Heaventree - I tend to agree with you, and that's one reason why I haven't jumped to 'dropping' anything just yet. I guess I just (as always delf-doubting) worried that I "should" be changing something around, you know?

Like today she had only a 45min. afternoon nap, woke at 7:30 this morning, and is totally fine. She's not a bit cranky. I think I will just go with it. I guess I am *home* for a reason, so I don't have to force anything due to outside influences.

By Kittycat_26 on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 10:42 am:

I really don't have any personal advice. Daycare did all of this for us since Timmy was there.

They just took away the morning nap and suffered for a few days. It made him really tired in the afternoon but eventually he adapted and still does this at 3 years old.

By Andi on Thursday, August 4, 2005 - 01:01 am:

I agree with Vicki 100%, that is what I did with Taylor and Dylan.

By Pamt on Friday, August 5, 2005 - 03:27 pm:

Ditto Vicki!

By Reds9298 on Saturday, August 6, 2005 - 03:42 pm:

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! For the time being, I think we will stick with 2. The last 3 days she has slept an hour and half or 2 each one - go figure! When she sleeps in, she may only need one, but when she doesn't she seems to need two. Maybe in the future I'll think again about going down to one nap.
Thanks!

By Mrsheidi on Saturday, August 6, 2005 - 06:10 pm:

Connor isn't ready for one nap either. Going to bed earlier has helped so that his naps are shifted a little earlier so that the 2nd one isn't so close to bed time.
Glad to hear she's sleeping better though!