Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Transition

I've been wondering when Croix would start transitioning from two naps to one.  According to my sleep bible Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child this transition usually happens between 12-18 months.  {this seems like a huge span of time that this could happen in.  I wish I could just know, at exactly 15 mo he will need to transition}  So I've kept my eye out for signs that Croix is ready to make this step toward toddlerhood. 
I thought he had very clearly told me he was ready last week.  He refused to take his AM nap last Sunday.  I was frustrated it was Sunday he decided to do this.  Any other day I would have kept him up a little longer and tried again.  We couldn't do that since church was a little later.  Which left Croix awake 4 hours past his normal nap time.  I was completely paranoid he was going to melt down at church!  To my astonishment he did not.  He was super tired but he mostly got cuddly.  He did just fine until we could return home to his crib that he is so well trained to sleep in.  When he finally got to his crib he slept over 2 hrs!  The next day he slept almost 2 hrs for his AM nap and then refused a PM nap and seemed fine.  I took this as, the time has come, we are moving on to one nap. 
The next two days I kept him up later then normal and put him down and let him sleep to his hearts content.  Each time the nap neared two hours.  Yet at about 4:30 each day he started to be very cranky and could not stand himself {I couldn't either}.  Maybe I was wrong I thought.
I decided maybe I just need to take more control of his naps.  That is what I've done.  I restrict how long he sleeps in the morning.  Usually I don't allow him to sleep longer then 45 min.  Then I'll go and wake him up.  Because of this I've started putting him down about 30 min. later then usual.  Then I put him down for his PM nap the same time.  It's working great!  He gets the little rest he needs in the morning and then takes a nice long PM nap! 
I know the transition is coming soon.  For now this is a good solution for us.  Speaking of it's time to go wake my little angel from his peaceful slumber.  {I never thought I'd wake a sleeping baby!  HA!  Maybe that doesn't apply to him anymore since he seems to be a full blown toddler now}

4 comments:

Heather said...

I just decided to do 1 nap about a month ago, and it has worked great. I don't know that he was ready, but I was. It was too hard trying to be home for 2 naps all the time. But he adjusted well and now takes 1 solid nap, which is nice! Good luck!

Heather said...

We aren't quite there yet. But morning naps have gotten a bit shorter some days and thus we have cranky babies. Like today! Seems like we are always in a transition. Good luck!

Nicole said...

This is Nicole your new neighbor. I just happened to run across your blog. I use Sleep Habits Happy Child as well. Rory my youngest is almost 20 months and she still takes 2 naps. I wish I knew when she would go to one nap but right now I am okay with 2 since my oldest just started preschool with Rachel. Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

last week our class held a similar talk about this subject and you illustrate something we haven't covered yet, appreciate that.

- Laura