Author Topic: 10/ 11mo sleep gone wonky? Read this first! (2-1 switch)  (Read 47000 times)

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Offline KathrynK

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10/ 11mo sleep gone wonky? Read this first! (2-1 switch)
« on: June 24, 2007, 11:43:47 am »
10/11mo sleep gone wonky? Read this first!

Around 10-11 months babies tend to show signs of starting the transition from 2 naps to 1. (As with all things, this may be a little earlier or later for some lo’s.)

This change in sleep patterns usually manifests in one of 3 ways:
1.   LO takes a good morning nap but refuses the afternoon nap
2.   LO refuses to take the morning nap
3.   LO takes 2 good naps but wakes earlier and earlier in the morning.

Many parents interpret nap refusal as a sign that lo is ready for 1 nap- this is not the case! The transition typically takes a few months and although this is the start, most los finally go to 1 nap anywhere between 12-18mo.
All these are, however, signs that your lo needs less daytime sleep now and more A time. Most lo’s however cannot cut down on their daytime sleep on their own, and need help.
 
If point #1 and #3 above apply to your lo, the solution recommended for you (commonly used by members here) is to shorten the morning nap by waking lo earlier than normal. Most parents start by shortening this nap to 1hr or 45 mins (assuming lo has been napping for 1.5hrs normally). A shorter nap will leave lo less rested, so lo will be ready for their pm nap and stop refusing it.
If your lo is a habitual early waker, then as well as shortening the am nap, you need to move it slightly later, perhaps by 20- 30 minutes. This will encourage your lo to start sleeping longer at night so they can’t “catch up” that lost night sleep so quickly.

If point #2 above applies to your lo, and he/she tends to refuse the am nap, then try following the method described by Tracy in her book (BWSAYP p. 284). Offer the am nap later then usual, so lo is more ready for it, and let them sleep as long as they need. If that leaves a long stretch until bedtime, try to get a late afternoon catnap out of them, and/ or go for a really early bedtime. Very gradually over time move this am nap later and later, keeping bedtime as early as need be to prevent overtiredness. The eventual aim is to get the nap at lunchtime, starting around 12 noon from a 7am wakeup, so lo can keep a “normal” bedtime”.

Bear in mind that when you start to change lo’s sleep patterns it will take at least a few days if not over a week for their body clock to readjust. Don’t expect to see results immediately, especially if you are dealing with an early waker!

When you shorten naps for some los it may mean they also need shorter A times. In particular, if you are shortening the am nap, your lo may well not last until their usual pm nap time, but will need to take it earlier. For example, if your lo has previously managed 4 hours of A time, shortening the am nap to 1hr & 45 mins may mean they need their pm nap after 3 hrs instead.

As you make changes to the routine you should keep a close eye to make sure overtiredness doesn’t start creeping in.
Any time you change a routine it is bound to need some juggling to find the perfect mix of naps and A times; be patient and consistent and you will get there. 

For more detailed advice you can post your query as always on the appropriate board, and also check out the 2-1 Nap Transition Chat at the top of the Naps board. 
« Last Edit: May 06, 2013, 12:34:48 pm by amayzie »
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Offline Aly Mac

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Re: 10/ 11mo sleep gone wonky? Read this first!
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2008, 03:56:22 am »
Here are some more tips regarding this in relation to the 2-1switch

Right guys, I have been thinking about this for a long while. We made a total balls up of the 2-1 transition and I do think it's something that you have to approach with caution. If I had known then what I know now then I think we could have avoided the four months of EW, NW and general OT hell and made a smooth ride of it - a little knowledge goes a long way!

So, here are Laura's top tips for handling the 2-1 transition!

1. Know your options! There a couple of brilliant posts in the FAQ that give you some suggestions for making the transition:
From 2 naps to 1 - the when, the how and the bumps

2. Hold on to two naps for as long as you can. The closer they are to 18 months, the more likely they will be able to handle the longer A times without getting OT, and the shorter (hopefully!) the transition period should be. The thought of your LO having one 'deliciously long afternoon nap' (as Tracy puts it) is soooo appealing I know, but if you push it before they are ready it can all come crashing down.

3. Resist the temptation to go 'cold turkey' and make a jump from a morning and an afternoon nap to one nap at a totally different time. It might go well for the first few days but things can quickly start to go wrong and once OT sets in, it is very very difficult to recover from.

4. Know what you are aiming for and what you are trying to avoid! Your LO really needs at least 13 hours sleep per day, if you're way under this then your LO may already be OT. Check the 2-1 nap switch thread on the Naps board for plenty of examples of how it can all go wrong! It's a shame the original 180 page long threads are no longer accessible cos you could see just how badly we cocked it up  :P

5. Know the signs of OT - if naps start getting shorter, morning wake up times get earlier or your LO starts waking frequently at night, chances are they are getting OT. They might also start taking aaaages to fall asleep (although this could also be a sign that they are UT, so only really significant if one of the other things is happening too) or getting very distressed at bedtime/naptime or during NW (SA type behaviour).

6. The early bedtime is KING! Don't be afraid to put your LO to bed before 6pm if they need it. There is nothing weird about a 5:30pm bedtime if they have missed out on 1.5hrs day sleep, they've got to fit it in somewhere otherwise that OT will come and bite you on the backside!

7. Be flexible. Just because you are making the move to one nap a day, doesn't mean you can't offer two if you think your LO needs it e.g. if they wake early. Do everything you can to make sure they have the opportunity to catch up on lost sleep and avoid OT. You don't have to 'be on 1 nap' or 'be on 2 naps', you can do a mixture of the two for a while.

8. Be patient. Accept that the transition could last a couple of months. At the moment, there may not be enough hours in the day for your LO to fit in two naps with the A times they can handle BUT there are probably still too many hours in the day for them to cope with only having one nap. They kind of have to grow into it as they head towards 18 months.

9. Be creative with mealtimes - don't be afraid to do very early lunchtimes / dinners, or to split lunchtimes either side of the nap. It's only for a couple of months and normal patterns are possible again once

10. If it all goes to hell in a handcart... and chronic OT sets in, wake up times are all over the shop, nap lengths are all over the shop, then the best thing you can do is stop being flexible, fix on a one nap schedule that is closest to what your LO can handle e.g. early nap (around 11am) and very early bedtime (around 5pm), and stick to it for at least a week come hell or high water, regardless of wake up times, and hope beyond hope that things start to stabilise. If they do stabilise, then you can start to shift their day on by shifting nap and bedtime by 15 mins every 4 days or so until you reach a sensible wake up time. If they don't stabilise... then you have to go back to the drawing board and try and reinstitute a 2 nap schedule that you can stick to for another couple of months until they're a bit older and can handle the A times.

Phew! I knew I had a lot to say on the subject, but I didn't realise it was going to be quite THAT much!
Hope it helps  :)
Laura x

Aleesa.....