I don't remember when kids start losing the morning nap. Anne is VERY active and has never liked napping anyway. There's just too much to do in the daytime to waste time sleeping! ;-) However, most mornings she does need her nap, but then we get a day like today where she drops off once or twice and is almost immediately awake again and SCREAMING. She just gets hysterical, and I can't leave her in her crib at that point. So, is it time to start trying to drop the morning and take an earlier afternoon nap? Her afternoon nap now is around 3:30-4 until 5 or 5:30, and quite honestly, it would be easier for big brother's life if Anne took one nap from like 1 until 3 or so! Suggestions? Experience?
Well, it's only been 2 days, and the first day Anne only slept an hour, so she was very cranky all evening. Then yesterday, she slept just under 2 hours, and we had a snack after she woke up, since she hardly ate lunch, she was so tired! However, today she woke up early and is already crabby, so we're going back to the morning nap. I figure it will take a week or two for us both to really adjust, so I'll keep you posted. Thanks!
My daughter almost never took a morning nap unless we were in the car around 10 and she fell asleep there. She would usually wake between 7 or 8, play like crazy until noon, and then sleep from 12 to almost 3. We then put her to bed for the night about 7 pm and she'd sleep until the next morning. When she started daycare last fall, their schedule was similar, with just one nap from 12:30 to 2:30, so she adjusted really well.
follow her cues, but please be very aware that the screaming may signify her being tired/overtired & unwilling to give up. With 20+ years of working with children/parents under my belt, I am seeing more & more families lose that morning nap earlier....& earlier. The "norm" used to be somewhere between 12-18 months, with some children holding onto that morning nap until almost 2!
In today's world, especially in daycares, I am seeing those morning naps happening only at the daycare....& never at home on the weekends. The kids come back on Mondays exhausted & sleep a lot more on Mon/Tues before normalizing both in sleep patterns & behavior. And this would be the "new norm" for today's families. Doesn't mean it's bad....just a little harder on the kids.
My first kept the a.m. nap till 14-15 months, but my second and third were done by 10 months or so. It worked way better with our schedule to have one nap per day. I agree with Denise, keep her busy through lunch and put her straight down after. That's what I do (when I can) with my now 15 month old. She transitioned well to one nap at around 10/11 months.
J.
My daughter made the change around that time as well. We wake her at 5:45 am through the week, and weekends she will sleep until 7 am (sharp). She has lunch at 11 am and right down for a nap. She was napping for 3 hours. And bedtime 7:30 to 8:00 pm. She is 16 months today, and napping only 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
I say go for it.. I think every kid decides for them self at what age they no longer need or want a morning nap. I know my first was around 10 months and the second around 13 months or so. Give it a try and if doesn't work you can always go back to a morning nap!
I think it's time. Keep her busy in the morning: breakfast, playtime, etc. Then give her an "earlier" lunch if you need to--if she's REALLY tired and put her to sleep after lunch. Once she's in the routine, you can push it back to your normal lunchtime a little at a time. Oh--I wouldn't let her sleep past 4 or so in the afternoon. And I'd keep her bedtime the same. Good luck!
yup! give it a try. 1-3 is perfect if you can keep her up that long. it may take some adjustment at first. keep her up as late as you can in the morning and see how it goes - go by her cues. but this is close the general age. all kids are different. good luck!
My kids all dropped their morning naps around age 1, and we went to an earlier afternoon nap right after lunch. It sounds like your daughter would do fine with that. She'd also probably go to bed at night earlier for you. It will make your life easier, as well! ;)
Our daughter did the same thing around the same age. I agree with the others, keep her busy, give her lunch, put her down. There will be days that you will still have to do 2 naps due to her activity level, but move to one nap if it feels like it's a natural progression for YOUR daughter.
My daughter went to 1 nap at 10 1/2 months. I thought it was way too early (my son, now 3, dropped his at 15 months). However, I went with her cues & dealt with it. She now takes a 2-2 1/2 hr. nap & goes to bed at 8pm. It all worked well in the end. She was not crabby & played normally with only one nap, so it turned out not being a big deal to drop it. Just follow her cues.
