Help! Nap schedules!

[lunademiel]

I started a 14 MO on Monday. Super sweet little guy! I seriously am going to grow to love him like my own!

The ONLY issue I have is getting him to nap in the afternoon. He gets here at 7:20. We play, sing and have snack at 9:00. He's already rubbing his eyes by 9am. He naps from 9:30-9:45 to 10:45-11:00. I've had to wake him up because I want him to nap in the afternoon. We go for a walk. Have lunch, storytime, diaper changes, bottle then back to bed at 1:30. He will not go to sleep! He doesn't cry, he just babbles and yells a couple of small complaints. I feel so bad just leaving him in there but I just keeping hoping he'll eventually fall asleep! I've gone in to give him his paci, rub his back, no such luck. Today he still has his paci and looks exhausted but doesn't want to sleep! I don't know what to do! I don't think he's ready to cut out the morning nap. Is this just an adjustment thing? Or a scheduling thing?

I really need all the kids to nap in the afternoon. I don't know what to do. He's going to be exhausted when his parents pick him up!

Thanks in advance!

[Inspired by Reggio]

I would try shortening the morning nap to 30-45 minutes and have him up by 10 and see if that helps? Hopefully it is even to get him through lunch happily and maybe even get him to afternoon a little earlier if need be?

[Momof4]

I hear you about needing the afternoon naptime/quiet time, it's important for us to have a break. I'm really glad you like this little guy so much. He gets there so early it shouldn't be a problem to put him down for a nap 2 hours later at 9:30 and let him get a 20-30 minute or so power nap, just an idea. Then wouldn't he be tired again by your regular 1:30 naptime?

I get 12 month old children to drop their morning naps as quickly as I can because we have such busy mornings, but we have lunch at 11:30 and nap at 12:30.

Oops, I was typing at the same time as Reggio.

[Play and Learn]

Usually when I have little ones that nap twice in the day, I do the morning nap at 9-10:30 (max) and then 1-3 in the afternoon. We have lunch at noon.

It works with me. Every couple of weeks (if the child is around 13 months) I'll try to shorten their morning nap by 5-10 minutes until it's completely gone!

Good luck!

[Spixie33]

I also start to discontinue the morning nap around 13-14 months if I can get away with it. In the morning we do outdoor time or go to Ont Early Years on certain days that a morning napper cramps our style.

IF I have a morning napper than I would put them down around 9:00/9:30 for 30 or 40 minutes max. I think a 10 a.m. nap is a little late personally.

So...if you can slowly wean the morning nap then maybe that is the way to go and make his afternoon bedtime earlier at 12:30 or 12 or if he just can't get through the morning then see if you can move the nap earlier. If he arrives that early it should be fine to move it earlier:)

[Crayola kiddies]

I agree put him down earlier ... If he's rubbing his eyes at 9 then put him to bed at 9 or even 8:30.... Wake him after 30-45 mins and take him outside before he goes down for the aft nap .... Fresh air makes them sleep better. Good luck

[Inspired by Reggio]

Fresh air makes them sleep better. Good luck

:wub: woman after my own heart - this is so very very very true ... the days when it rains and we cannot get out afternoon nap is never as smooth for them being able to fall asleep and as a result never as 'long' either :(

[apples and bananas]

I have a 13 month old who is up at 6:30 with mom and here by 7am. She's been with me for 3 full weeks now. I started putting her down around 8 - 8:30 for 1/2 an hour. She's up by 9 and ready to start the day with the rest of the kids. Some mornings she would cry for 10 minutes until falling asleep, other mornings she would cry for half an hr and never nap. Either way she was ready for her nap at noon with everyone else.

Yesturday she cried for 15 min, then slept for 30. When I tried to put her down for her afternoon nap she cried for 30 and only slept for an hour. That was the end of the am nap! Today she stayed up all morning, we had our normal routine including outside and she slept soundly for 3 hours from 12 - 3pm. PERFECT!!!!

[sunnydays]

In addition to shortening the morning nap as others have mentioned, I noticed that after morning nap you go for a walk. Would this mean the child is sitting in the stroller? I would switch it for outside play time so he is getting exercise as well as the fresh air. If he isn't walking, he can still play crawling around with some splash pants (I have two who do this). Good luck!

[lunademiel]

Bingo! About the stroller! Never thought of that! I love our walks because everyone is so calm and quiet and I'm not chasing after everyone for once! But I guess I be we really thought about that! Backyard play it is from now on! Thanks!

I'm going to start by shortening the nap. And no walks.

Thanks for all the advice!


In addition to shortening the morning nap as others have mentioned, I noticed that after morning nap you go for a walk. Would this mean the child is sitting in the stroller? I would switch it for outside play time so he is getting exercise as well as the fresh air. If he isn't walking, he can still play crawling around with some splash pants (I have two who do this). Good luck!

[Momof4]

I have done that in the past too Luda, since we always go out at 9:30am for our morning outing it is perfect if I have a child who naps while we walk to the park or the library, then stays awake the rest of the morning.

My worst nightmare is that the child falls asleep at 11:30ish on our way home just before lunchtime and naptime, aaargh! I get the other children to check on and talk to that little one to keep her awake. We have one right now who does that and she's 17 months old. But distracting her with a leaf or rock or squirrel watching works well as we walk home.

[playfelt]

Combining the walk and the nap sounds like a good idea. Over time the child will only sleep if they really need to. Then when you get back from the walk it is snack and activities and you can keep the child busy. When I have a child like this too I will move lunch up earlier so they can go down from 12-2:30 if necessary and then older ones do an activity after lunch and before their nap - the good thing is it usually means the youngest is out of the way. Then rest go down for their nap. Sometimes it means baby is up sooner but it also means getting them changed and just putting them in their chair with snack like cheerios while I get snack for everyone else ready assuming child won't just stay in bed once they wake and some will.

[Cocoon]

What I do here is 9am I pit them down for a morning nap and wake them up very latest 10:30am. They would normally wake up at 10am though. And we go out etc. Again for afternoon nap I put them down between 1-1:30pm and they sleep until 3- 3:30pm then diaper change, snack time etc. And they are ready to go home at 4:30-5pm.

I personally would not cut their sleep but play with the timing as they are very young and for their growth they need to sleep.

If you can take them out in the morning after their morning nap they will be tired again for their afternoon nap.

Hope it helps.