At what age did your toddler give up a second nap?

amother

Lawngreen

Thu, Apr 06 2017, 7:51 pm

My baby just turned 1. He wakes up at 7 a.m. Goes for a nap at 10 a.m. and sleeps for about 2 hours. He used to go back for another nap at about 2:30 - 3:00 and sleep for an hour and a half. Lately, he doesn't fall asleep until 4-5'ish and that's too late for me! I need him in bed by 8:30 latest! Is it normal for a one year old to drop that second nap? Problem is that if I keep him up, he's kvetchy from 5 until bedtime. WWYD?

Stars

Thu, Apr 06 2017, 7:55 pm

Try and see if you can move his nap to later. He might surprise you and nap for longer, once a day instead of two shorter ones. Seems like this current schedule isn't working for either of you anymore.

amother

Peach

Thu, Apr 06 2017, 8:07 pm

If you skip the second nap,he'll be cranky for a day or two and then he'll start sleeping longer nights and stretching that one nap for as long as he needs. Make the switch. It's so worth it!

amother

Lawngreen

Thu, Apr 06 2017, 8:27 pm

If I move his nap later like 2 posters suggested, I'll be busy keeping him awake and holding him from 10 until naptime and not get anything done. He's tired enough to be usually ready for a nap at 9.30 but I'm not ready then because of the other kids so it waits till 10. Will he get used to the new schedule and not need his crib so soon in the morn?

Also, wondering if it's related, he wakes up at 7 regardless of when he went to sleep the night before. Is that usual? Like sometimes I wouldn't mind waking up later, shabbas morn or a snow day, but he's fully awake by 7. (My other kids slept till at least 8:30 at this age so I'm really not used to this.)

amother

Taupe

Thu, Apr 06 2017, 8:29 pm

Very hard!!! Easier said than done! I have a very active 15 month old whom also is ready for a nap around 10 or 11 and sometimes I skip the second nap but it is murder!! Food, bath time, music, going out if weather was nice. I feel he still really needs his second nap. Not so easy to get rid of and just because I skipped it for 5 days, because I was able to deal with him because he was at babysitter til 3ish, the next 5 days I was home with him, He took 2 naps. I guess it's like weaning it off slowly. Some days 1 nap and some days 2. And when I pushed his nap till 12, he only slept 1 hour. If he slept earlier, he could've slept for over an hour each nap. And bH, he sleeps well at night either way!

queenert

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 2:47 am

Sounds like he's ready to drop it and just needs time to adjust. Also, not all babies need a later nap to get through the day. Mine will choose when she's tired and it fuels her until bedtime, even if it's a 9 or 1 nap day.

behappy2

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 4:42 am

My baby is the same age and I was having the same issue. I have her napping now 11-1 and sleep from 7 till 6/7. You can either push the nap up or wake him early and have him do a 8:30/9:00 morning nap for an hour and a 1:00 nap for an hour. I tried it but it didn't work for me bec of my own schedule.

amother

Khaki

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 4:46 am

this is so interesting because my baby is 14 months and still takes two good naps--from 9:30-11 and from 3-4. I guess I can try to smoosh it into one and have him sleep from 11-2 or 2:30, but I never thought of it. (he is my third, but somehow I forget these things!). I guess the rule is "if it aint broke don't fix it." If your baby seems like they need it, try it. If mine doesn't, I'll leave it.

lucky14

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 6:44 am

amother wrote:

My son is around the same age and is still usually taking two naps. I agree with you- no need to start giving him only one if he seems to still be taking 2 nice ones!!

To respond to the OP: Occasionally my son doesn't go to sleep for one of them, but if it's the evening one I don't give him a later nap. I just put more effort into keeping him awake and entertained until his regular bedtime (haha, of course easy to say, not as easy to do!). Good luck. I suggest trying what the others are saying even if it means it being difficult to keep him up a little longer in the morning. See if he catches on to the rhythm of things and natural starts getting tired later and taking a long early afternoon nap and sleeping a little more at night, if not you can try to rethink things again.

lfab

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 6:55 am

Move the time of the morning nap till later gradually. The first few weeks or so are hard as baby adjusts. Move the time of his morning nap by about 30 minutes every few days. So in theory if you started tomorrow instead of putting him in at 10 do it at 10:30 then on tuesday move to 11 next friday to 11:30 etc. Eventually baby will take one 2-2 1/2 hour nap from about 12:00/12:30 until 2:00/2:30. Yes baby will be cranky and you'll have to keep him awake and won't get much done. Same in the afternoon until his body adjusts to the new schedule. But it's only for a short time and then he'll adjust. You can also move his bed time up in the evening to make up for missing the afternoon nap. Hatzlacha.

ckk

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 7:21 am

amother wrote:

I would change his bedtime to 6pm. That's when all my toddlers went to bed.
Works for me.

amother

Brunette

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 10:38 am

My 14 month old seems to be ready to drop the second nap. I am trying to keep it going a little longer (could use the break, lol) but I can see the writing on the wall. I really can't remember when my older kids went from 2-1 but I also think it was around this age, or maybe 15 months.

agreer

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 11:26 am

MiracleMama wrote:

None of my toddlers ever took 2nd naps. By age 2 they were done napping altogether. (I guess they took after me - poor sleep habits).

That's the thing....sleeping IS a habit. If you help babies learn how to sleep early on, they develop good habits! If you don't care and chalk it off to "hey, they're just like me", then you don't end up teaching them how to be good sleepers.

behappy2

Fri, Apr 07 2017, 11:33 am

agreer wrote:

It is also genetics. My daughter is a horrible sleeper. So is her dad. My son was a clockwork baby. So is his dad. (Different fathers).