My 13 month old is currently getting all 4 molars and all 4 canines (yay us 
) Needless to say, its been a rough few weeks. His night sleep has finally gotten better besides an odd night here and there when he's having teeth pain, but naps are starting to get really bad. He fights both of them. We typically go about 2.5-3 hours before the first nap and 4 hours before the second nap. The past few days he whines and fusses/plays/talks for anywhere from 15-45 minutes before going to sleep. Sometimes he will sleep 45 min and other times an hour and 15 min (usually not any longer). DH suggested pushing the morning one back but there aren't enough hours in the day! Im trying to figure out if he is ready to go to one nap or if his teeth are just bothering him so badly that he can't nap! Any advice/commiseration/stories?
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I vote just trying one nap. T dropped to one nap at 10 months.
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I vote trying one nap. My almost 12 month old is in the process of dropping her second nap now. It's rough, but is getting better. Nap from 11ish to 12:30ish seems to be her ideal timing. She wakes up around 7am, and goes to bed around 9pm.
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@LindsayLou: Wow thats a long awake time before bed....I fear DS would lose his mind! He's usually awake from about 4-7pm in the afternoons and sleeps until about 6:30/7am. I guess Ill give it a shot...I have nothing to lose!
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I've always been of the mindset not to make any sleep changes if there is anything else going on. That said, you need to figure out what'll get you through this hard time! If that means going to a single nap, even temporarily, then maybe it's worth a try!
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@mrsrain: Thats what I was thinking....everything Ive read says not to make any changes until teething is over...however its been so rough during naps these past fews days Im really starting to wonder if its time.
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I would definitely try one nap. I always feel like a jerk when I say this but I really don't "believe" in teething as a long drawn-out process that is super painful and disruptive for babies. I had that hunch personally and then the current research agrees: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_kids/2015/05/teething_symptoms_in_babies_are_not_as_bad_as_parents_think.html
I think a lot of the time when kiddos are having "teething" symptoms for an extended period, it's because they are sick or going through something else. In your case it might be a sleep transition.
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@daniellemybelle: interesting article! Funny they say the gums don't bleed during teething...well, DS was brushing his teeth the other morning aka chewing on his tooth brush. When he pulled it out it was covered in blood. I stuck my finger in his mouth and sure enough one of the molars was poking through. While I agree that it shouldn't be disruptive for weeks and weeks, this has only been a couple days and he's had two molars actually break through and a third is on its way. So he's definitely teething unlike the mom in the article who only thought her kid was. I also completely disagree that it's not painful because I think it is. I remember getting molars when I was ten and that Hurt! Even though there were already holes for them to grow into! So yea....I can 100% see where you're coming from and agree that I can't blame it on the teeth forever, but I'm wondering if I should give it a couple more days.
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@Portboston: I've had some blood on her toothbrush when LO has been cutting teeth too! But my personal experience is that teething has never bothered her much. From like 3 - 13 months anytime she was fussy, drooling, chewing, had a runny nose or a low grade fever, diarrhea, sleeping poorly, etc. etc. everyone including our pediatrician suggested it was teething. She never got a tooth until after her first birthday and when she did it was no big deal. So, that experience definitely shaped my opinion on the whole teething thing!
I have heard parents say that their kids are teething for literally months at a time... if it's only been a couple days, that's a different matter! Ultimately you know your LO best and have to trust your gut.
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My son needed 2 naps until 14 months but we had to progressively shorten his AM nap from 11 months on. But he went down for the AM nap fine but would fight the PM nap. In your case I would push the AM nap back, either have a hefty snack or an early lunch and move to 1 nap. But it took about a month before DS' one nap stretched to a long 2.5-3 hour nap because he was just used to 90 minute naps. You may have to adjust to earlier bed times for a while until that nap extends.
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@daniellemybelle: that makes sense! And I've for sure used the teething reason at times I knew it wasn't really valid...maybe because I needed to blame something!
@gingerbebe: thanks for this! I was going to attempt one nap today but he only made it about 3 hours after he woke up. He was yawning and rubbing his eyes (and melting down) So I think he'll probably have a late afternoon nap but I'll try to do a car or stroller so he doesn't sleep that long maybe...?
That was going to be my next question for all you lovely ladies...do you just progressively push the first nap back and they eventually get used to it? DS usually wakes at 7 and today he made it to 10:10 but I know one nap schedules are usually around 1pm...that's a huge difference.
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maybe push the morning nap until he starts to look tired? some days you might need two. (or a quick afternoon cat nap).
we are the in the middle of this right now with my 17 month old. I was really hoping that this one nap would be a nice long one. but this hasn't been the case. 1.5 hours doesn't cut it. -
@Littlebit7: Yea Ive read that it takes a while for it to lengthen from what they're used to, to a long 2-3 hour nap. Hopefully your LO will get there quickly!
I hate nap transitions!!! They are so confusing and take so long to fine tune! -
@mrsrain: I agree, I really wouldn't make any major sleep changes until the teething is over.
It SUCKS but I've read a few sleep articles talking about how many times parents mistake one temporary thing (teething or even just a temporary developmental sleep regression) for a total sleep overhaul.
I often wondered "is he ready for one nap" and many times he would fall back into his usual sleep pattern.I know it's not for everyone, but Motrin and Orajel are magical.
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@Portboston: so what we did was put him down when he was tired in the morning but cut the nap short. So he used to wake up at 730am and need his first nap at 10. When he was on the 2 nap schedule he would sleep 10-12, then 230-4. When the PM naps started getting crappy we pushed to 1030am and then woke him at 12, then 1130, then 11 (yes he would have a 30 minute catnap and then be PISSED). We cut the nap every time it disrupted the PM nap and then moved the PM nap up to 2pm. When 30 minute cat naps started still disrupting the PM nap, we did a big snack at 1030am, pushed his nap to 11am and then had a late lunch at 130pm. Then we would just deal with a crabby baby in the evening, give him a long bath (he loves them) and put him down at 7pm or as early as 630pm (normal bedtime is 730pm). Eventually we were able to push his nap in 30 minute increments and by 16 months he had lunch at 1130 and went down for nap at noon. Even now just shy of 2 my son eats lunch around 1130am and goes for nap at 1230pm.
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@Portboston: Yeah, it's a very long awake time between nap and bed. My kiddo has never been much of a napper though. For along while, 40 minutes total of naps per day was average, usually broken up into two or three short chunks.
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