My dd is almost 10mths and has a very random napping schedule. Currently she takes a longer morning nap, around 10 or 10:30 and a later, shorter nap (30-45min., around 5:00) - but the evening nap time is never the same, so who knows! Sometimes it's 6-6:30, but it never affects her bedtime. Sleeps wonderfully at night and always has.

Anyway, my friend told me that as your child approaches 1 yr. you should start pushing the morning nap back a little later everyday until they eventually are taking one longer nap a day. I know that she will eventually give up the AM nap, but should I be doing this? Sometimes she doesn't show signs of being tired for the AM nap, but easily still falls asleep for an hour and a half. Then in the afternoon she seems exhausted and cranky but fights a nap every single day and lately only sleeps 30-45min.
Did you all start making naps later each day at a certain age?

By Melanie on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 12:03 pm:

I never tried to manipulate nap times...around one year all three of mine gave one up on their own. Since bedtime isn't an issue, I wouldn't force it. It will happen without your help.

By Reds9298 on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 12:05 pm:

That's what I thought Melanie- I feel like what we're doing now is working for her, although sometimes it's frustrating for us

By Trina~moderator on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 12:14 pm:

I agree with Melanie. Follow your baby's lead and your mommy instincts. Both my kids transitioned from 2 naps to one afternoon nap at about 12-15 mos.. It wasn't an overnight thing either, but took a month or two before they consistently dropped the morning nap and only needed the afternoon nap. Some days they needed the morning nap and other days they didn't. Yes, it can be frustrating, especially when planning appointments and/or playdates, etc.. However, I must say the hardest transition for me was when they gave up naps all together! Enjoy them while you can, whenever! LOL!

By Reds9298 on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 01:07 pm:

That's also good info to know Trina....I didn't know how that whole giving up the AM nap would work. I didn't think about it not being 'cold turkey'! Now at least I have an idea of what to expect when that time comes.

By Beth on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 01:10 pm:

I would let your daughter be the lead but you said she does not seem tired in the morning. It might not hurt to let her try one day going down after lunch and see how it goes. I think it was aroung 12 months that mine started taking one nap.

By Vicki on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 01:32 pm:

Well, while I agree with everyone else that you should follow her lead, I think that by her acting the way she is in the afternoon, she might be trying to lead you somewhere. What I would try for a day or two is this... put her down for a nap shortly after lunch and see how long she sleeps. Around that age, dd went from 2 naps down to 1 a day. She would go down for about 2 to 3 hours after lunch and that would be the only nap of the day. She would get a little cranky at night, so we moved her bedtime up by about a half an hour or so. If she took 2 naps a day, she would be up half the night. She might be fighting her afternoon nap so hard because she is too tired. If she isn't that tired in the morning and too tired in the afternoon, she might do better getting one nap that is longer in the middle of the day.

I am not saying that it will work, but I would try it. She might be happier all the way around.

I also agree that it is the hardest adjustment when they take no naps!!

By Palmbchprincess on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 02:52 pm:

My kids went to one nap around that time, and their nap is usually around 1:30pm. If she doesn't seem tired in the morning, you can give it a try, but don't force the issue. If she goes through a growth spurt she may need more nap time, and sometimes she'll need less.

By Reds9298 on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 03:40 pm:

Vicki- I have also thought about what you said. She IS so tough to get down in the afternoon I thought that maybe she is trying to tell me something. I'm going to try her on a nap after lunch only this week and see where that goes. After her AM nap, she doesn't want to go to sleep until it's been about 5 hrs! I've tried her at 3 hours, 4, but usually it's 5 and I definitely think she's overtired at that time but I really didn't know how else to solve that.

I'm going to try one nap after lunch and see what happens. All of you have great ideas - experience is knowledge!!!!

By Vicki on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 04:58 pm:

Good Luck with it. Kids are so hard to figure out!

By Reds9298 on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 10:36 pm:

Amen to that one!!!