https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:45:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1392683 Sat, 01 Feb 2014 19:38:54 +0000 immabeetoo 1392683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I promise! Like I said we did a 6 pm bedtime for a few weeks until he caught up. It felt like forever :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1392604 Sat, 01 Feb 2014 18:37:09 +0000 hilsy85 1392604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: I reeeally hope you are right</p> <p>We had our first 1 nap day--started out AWESOME bc LO woke up at 7:15. he made it to 12pm, and then only slept 1 hour :( He was obviously still tired when he woke up but wouldn't go back to sleep. Just put him to bed earlier than usual (6pm vs 7pm) so hopefully he will wake up well rested and we can try again tomorrow! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390960 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:52:38 +0000 immabeetoo 1390960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: um yeah I didn't mention that I DID try moving it back 10-15 minutes.. and it was a huge failure. he was so unhappy when I was pushing him past his tired limit, and then napped for like.. 45 minutes. torture. I thought we were doomed forever since he has always been a short sleeper, but lo and behold after two weeks or so it started lengthening just like others said happened for them! We have a few off days here and there that it's less than 2 hours but that is now more the exception than the rule (something I NEVER thought would happen). So have faith! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390937 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:43:36 +0000 hilsy85 1390937@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: thank you!!!! I am also terrified that we will do 1 nap and he will only nap an hour/hour and a half which I know is not enough for him. BUt maybe it will lengthen over time as well...I think doing it your way (kind of just waiting for him to show me he's tired) will be easier for me than moving it slowly back 10-15 min--that sounds torturous and so slow. </p> <p>And amen to dry shampoo! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390927 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:40:18 +0000 immabeetoo 1390927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: Ok, so I know L has higher sleep needs than my banshee but this is what we did. He just stopped taking his second nap, no matter what. So I didn't put him down for nap #1 when I normally would, and just waited until he started acting really tired. For us, that was him waking around 7 and then getting tired around 10:30-11., which was really early for one nap. It was only an hour for a few weeks and I was freaking! He was going to bed around 6 on those days. Slowly but surely, he didn't act tired until later and it slowly inched back and lengthened at the same time, until now when it is usually around 1 and usually for 2 hours.</p> <p>At that point when we transitioned, he was still day nursing so I just shuffled lunch/snacks/nursing around so he was always going down with a full tummy. This is what our day looks like now:</p> <p>7 - wake/nurse<br /> 8-breakfast<br /> 9- I get ready while he runs around the room (I started showering at night.. and using dry shampoo;))<br /> 10-11:45 out of the house!<br /> 12:15 lunch<br /> 1-3 nap<br /> 3:30 snack<br /> 6 dinner<br /> 7:15-7:30 nurse/bed </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390910 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:36:03 +0000 hilsy85 1390910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sammyfab: @NovBaby1112: thanks guys! Today is 2 nap day bc he woke up at 540 and did take a morning nap, but I"m going to wake him after an hour so he's hopefully tired enough to go to bed...tomorrow we have friends coming over at 11 so I guess depending on his wake time we'll either do another short morning nap or try to push it REALLY late . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390898 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:32:54 +0000 NovBaby1112 1390898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: yes, i meant push the first nap and forget about the second nap...sorry i wasn't clear! eventually it will get to a normal afternoon nap time and he will adjust to a longer wake time in the morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390879 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:25:07 +0000 Sammyfab 1390879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: yes...I hear ya! You will want to increase the first waketime 10-15 minutes every few days so that you can shift your nap later. Then wake up and bedtime will be later. Some toddlers also prefer a longer time before bed so you could always stretch bedtime later from the start. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390869 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:21:33 +0000 hilsy85 1390869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sammyfab: gotcha. Ok so I guess we would need to have an early bedtime until he's able to move his nap back to 12/1 or so. I worry that would create a cycle--i.e. he naps from 10-12, then goes to bed early (6) but then wakes up early, and has to nap again from 10-12... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390862 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:18:27 +0000 looch 1390862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: We just dropped the morning nap and moved up the afternoon one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390853 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:16:01 +0000 Sammyfab 1390853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: sorry...I totally wasn't clear in my post! When we transitioned I started with 4.5-4.75 hrs before nap and 5 hours between nap and bedtime. His one nap wasn't super long so we did early bedtime for awhile (5:30-6pm) and he always made up sleep overnight.</p> <p>The crying in the early morning is super hard but it will help make the transition easier!! He will learn soon enough that 5:30 is not a fun time to wake up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390766 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 14:47:50 +0000 hilsy85 1390766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: yes please answer when you have time :) </p> <p>@looch: so does that mean you kept the morning nap (let's say at 9) and then moved up the afternoon nap? So he had a short morning nap and then a short afternoon nap, and eventually they combined?</p> <p>@MrsF: those are our current nap times...I guess I could just do the crib with some toys while I shower. I'm sure he'll scream but I'm a fast shower-er!</p> <p>@Sammyfab: thanks! I am trying to not get him up before 6am but it's hard because I know even if he's in his crib for a half hour before that, he's crying and he'll be tired earlier (plus it sucks to hear!). So it sounds like initially you had a long stretch between nap wake time and bedtime? If nap was 4 hours after wake--so that would be like 10am for us...even if he naps 2 hours, that's a looong stretch from 12 to bed time at 630/7!</p> <p>@NovBaby1112: so push the first nap, and just forget about the 2nd nap? and plan on early bedtime I guess...today around 930 he actually seemed ok but LOOKED really tired, and was getting a bit fussy. I probably could have pushed him longer but TBH I was desperate for a break!! </p> <p>@Weagle: oh man if he woke up at 8 am I think I could do this no problem! It's mainly that he wakes up so early--usually by 6am--so I feel like really he should be napping from 10-12:30 or so, but then that's a long stretch til bedtime. </p> <p>@Kemma: oh wow so if she naps from 1030 for an hour and a half, she's ok going from then til bedtime??</p> <p>I totally get that getting out of the houe is KEY. Unfortunately it is tough now with the weather being so cold--plus I worry that if I go anywhere in the stroller, he will fall asleep and I will get a 20 min cat nap that will throw off the whole day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390634 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 14:13:27 +0000 Kemma 1390634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Miss A dropped to a single nap at nine months because she kept pushing her second nap later and later till she was still napping at 1730! I found the best thing to help the transition was to get out of the house in the mornings so that she's not him thinking about sleep :-) </p> <p>Since dropping to one nap we wakeup between 6-7am (6am is morning!) and she nurses down for her nap at around 11ish but sometimes as early as 1030 or as late as 1230. Naps used to be anywhere from 1.5-3.5 hours but these days they're anywhere from 1-2.5 hours.</p> <p>As for our routine, A and I usually hang out together in bed till about 8am when she gets dressed and we have breakfast then I get dressed and we take the dog out for his walk. It's usually about 0930-1000 when I get in the shower and A is usually able up entertain herself while I'm in the bathroom.</p> <p>I try to get as much done as possible while A is still awake so I can use nap time to relax! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1390182 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:07:57 +0000 Weagle 1390182@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nap transitions always worked best for us if we just did it and went about our lives. Adjusting times and only letting her sleep for so long just made the transition much harder. So, we just cut out nap 1 completely. Our schedule looked something like this in the beginning:</p> <p>8 - wake up<br /> 11:30 - nap<br /> 2-30 - wake<br /> 8 - bed</p> <p>Now she doesn't go down for her nap until 1 or so. Sometimes later, sometimes earlier. </p> <p>It was a bit hairy for a week or so, but nothing too unmanageable. I think kids are better at these transitions than we give them credit for. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1389915 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:49:47 +0000 NovBaby1112 1389915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What I would do is gradually shift that morning nap a bit later- try for 10am, then push it to 11am, then hopefully he will get used to being up for a longer period in the morning. What happened for us was once she started doing 1 nap, after a bit, she started sleeping in later anyways, so instead of waking up at 6 and napping at 10, she was waking up around 7/7:30 and being able to make it until noon. It was a gradual process though. I had to just push my LO to stay up later in the morning, because I knew she would refuse to take a second nap. You could do an early bedtime for awhile too. </p> <p>Does he get cranky and grumpy around 9:30, or is he just yawning/seems tired? During that "first nap" time, I would give some snacks for a a little pick me up and some energy. Do some low key activities as well. </p> <p>I am not a SAHM, but I do stay home on Wednesdays...I usually shower at night, makes things a ton easier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1389905 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:46:13 +0000 Sammyfab 1389905@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO always preferred a longer waketime in the morning and a shorter one before bed, so for us we just increased the time before his first nap and dropped the afternoon nap. Before we transitioned he was awake for 3.25-3.5 hours and we stretched it to 4.5. He actually handled it really well. We just constantly changed activities and ate a lot of snacks :happy: . </p> <p>For the early wake up, I would try your best to set a 'do not get out of bed' time and then base your first waketime off that. The lack of stimulation will help get to a more normal one nap time. Ideally you would move it closer to noon...eventually! And the general rule is that if the nap ends before 12, put down for an afternoon nap 3.5-4 hours later or around 3pm. The waketime chart from the babycenter group has great guidelines for the transition!</p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1389877 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:37:58 +0000 MrsF 1389877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just transitioned at about 15 months. She had been taking forever to fall asleep for her naps so they were getting pushed way back towards bedtime. We pretty much just went cold turkey and skipped her 9am nap. She was exhausted for a week but we did lots of activities. She had been napping at 9 and 2 so first I tried to do a nap at 12 and the. I pushed it back to 1 over a week or so because it works better with meals, activities, etc. One day last week she woke up super early. We had a playgroup at 11 and I knew she would be a disaster so I let her sleep from 10-10:45 or so. Other than that we haven't really wavered. </p> <p>Between 7&amp;8 wake up and sippy of milk<br /> 8:30 - breakfast<br /> 9 - I put her in the p&amp;p with some obnoxious toys that she doesn't usually get to play with while I run &amp; shower. Then I bring her upstairs while I get dressed. She likes to pretend to brush her hair with me. I get her dressed after me.<br /> 10 - I try to get out for some activity. Playgroup, play date, grocery store, whatever.<br /> 12:30 - home for lunch<br /> 1 to 3 (sometimes 4!) nap<br /> 4 - snack and then play and wait for DH to get home.<br /> 6:30 - dinner<br /> 6:45 bath<br /> 7:15 - bed</p> <p>Phew! I still miss the AM nap, but the whole thing has been better than I expected. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1389819 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:23:01 +0000 looch 1389819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son transitioned to one nap around 20 months, I was a SAHM at the time. I noticed that he wouldn't sleep very long for his morning nap and it would take him a long time to fall asleep.</p> <p>So, what we did was to bring the afternoon nap forward. Previously, he had been going to sleep at say, 2, so I brought it forward to 12. I also got him out of the house those mornings, either at a playgroup or something to keep him occupied. Once we got to the nap time, I'd let him sleep as long as he wanted, it was usually 3 hours. Then, I gradually made nap time later and later (15 min. increments) until it was at 1, which is where the nap time remains to this day.</p> <p>Hope that helps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1389786 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:15:46 +0000 immabeetoo 1389786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Will come back on my laptop to answer -- but man did I mourn the first nap for that reason!! It is way easier now that he is fully on one nap and its usually 2 hours :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-me-through-the-2-1-nap-transition#post-1389670 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 09:44:30 +0000 hilsy85 1389670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ok, I think we are at the point where LO is ready to transition to 1 nap (and by ready I mean the past 3 days he has screamed bloody murder for every nap and at bedtime and in the MOTN). </p> <p>SO. Questions:<br /> 1. Do I gradually move back his first nap and keep a 2nd nap? Or do I gradually move back his first nap and have that be his only nap?<br /> 2. What do I do if he wakes up really early--like 5:30? That was the situation today, and by 9:30 he was very tired. He screamed pre nap but then fell asleep...do I wake him in a bit? Or just hope he sleeps like 2 hours (unlikely).</p> <p>Also, any SAHMs, would LOVE to hear your daily routine if your LO is on 1 nap. I feel like it's impossible for me to get myself together/wake up while LO is awake--I usually do that while he is taking his first nap. How does your day go now that you are on 1 nap? How do you get ready/shower/collect yourself?? </p>