Transition from 2 naps to 1

11 Apr

How do you know when your toddler is ready to switch from 2 naps to 1?  There are several signs that you will notice that will tell you that he is ready:

1)    He is consistently sleeping 11 hours through the night

2)   He is between 15-18 months old

3)   He will take a long morning nap and then refuse his afternoon nap

4)   He will take longer to fall asleep for the morning nap, which will push the afternoon nap later, and then bedtime is going to be off

5)   He will only take a very short morning nap

Now that you are ready to make this transition to one nap per day, you will need to be prepared that it can take 2-3 weeks to do so more smoothly.  You will likely find that 1 nap is not enough but 2 naps are too many: here are some tips to help you through:

Take a deep breath and remember this too shall pass!

To start with you are going to bump his morning nap later and later until we see about 12:30-1pm for the start of the nap.  You are going to be flirting with the 2nd wind while shifting this time back; experiment to see how much you can push it back each day.  Typically, you could see about 30min every 2 days will work well.

During these days you will still need a ‘back-up’ nap in order to keep the window from the end of the nap until bedtime between 3.5-4 hours.  This ‘back-up’ nap may only be 20-30min – that is OK.  It is only a bridge to help you get to bedtime without being overtired.  Bedtime will fluctuate according to the length of the naps and the timing.

A great way to make this transition smoother is to do a pattern of 1 nap for 1 day, 2 naps for 2 days, repeat once.  Next you will do 1 nap for 2 days, 2 naps for 1 day, repeat once.  Now you will be ready for 1 nap day.  You will want to see this new nap be 2 ¼ – 2 ½ hours long.  After this transition you will need to trust your instincts and be prepared for the odd 2 nap day.  That does NOT mean you are going back to 2 naps a day; you are just flexible and going by his needs.

** It is very important to keep in mind how quickly you can get into a vicious cycle of less sleep = less sleep.  Please watch for your little angel being overtired and watch for the sleepy cues.  Less sleep in the day will get you all less sleep at night.**

An early bedtime will be a must to help avoid this terrible cycle.  If you start to see crankiness all day, early rising in the morning, and increased wake-ups in the night – these are signs that your child is sleep deprived.  You will need to catch up on the naps to have better success at night and then continue with the transition when your little angel is ready.

 

Heather N. Plante, GSC, Soothing Angels

Image: Xbeckie boox | Flickr.com

· Filed Under: Baby, sleep, Toddler

Nap Requirements

20 Mar

The length and number of naps varies with age.  During the first 3 months of an infant’s life she is sleeping 18-20 hours per day.  Infants mostly sleep and eat as they are doing so much growing and developing during the first few months.  They can start to learn good sleep shaping habits between 2-3 months old with simple steps like getting to sleep independently once a day and by following a flexible EASY (Baby Whisperer) routine: Eat, Activity, Sleep, Your time.

4 months old – this is a BIG transition month for babies.  She can learn to get to sleep independently at every nap and bedtime now.   Encouraging her to soothe herself and get back to sleep without needing you is best.  You are teaching her to go back to sleep on her own after a partial arousal (night wake up) and that will also teach her to lengthen her naps.  You definitely want to lengthen the afternoon nap because this is the nap that is kept until she is 3-4 years old.  She is going to be taking 3-4 naps/day with a total between 4-5 hours of sleep.

Naps are very important to help with the night sleep; more sleep = more sleep, less sleep = less sleep.  Following her sleepy cues and windows all day is key to help getting her to nap well.

Once she is 6-8 months old she may start to sleep through the night without a feed – with your Dr. giving the go ahead AND Mommy being comfortable with dropping those night feedings.  There should be 3 naps at this age with a total of approximately 3.5 hours of sleep in the day.

The 3rd nap of the day starts to be a short “back-up” nap around the 8-10 month age.  This is a 20-30min nap that is needed to bridge the gap between the end of the 2nd nap and bedtime if that window is too long.  You want this awake window to be between 2-3 hours and have baby into bed sleeping no later than the 3 hour mark after the last nap.

The 10-18 months old age is when Mommy and Daddy can expect little ones should be down to 2 naps each day.  The awake times will become longer between the naps and bedtime: which is how they will drop from 3 naps down to 2.  You will gradually see that they are showing their sleepy cues for naps later and later over these months – follow their lead.  The “back-up” nap will be dropped and bedtime may need to be move a little earlier to keep the correct window.  The window of opportunity for sleep is also going to slowly shift from 3-4 hours after the last nap.  It is very important to have them into the crib when they show their sleepy cues; if you miss it – they will reach their 2nd wind and it will be very difficult to get them to sleep at this time!

2 naps down to 1 nap usually occurs between 15-18 months of age.  You will see signs that 1 nap is not enough and 2 naps are too many.  Watch next week for tips to get you through this transition!

Naps are still needed until nearly 4 years of age; sometimes longer.  Are you finding your little one is staying up very late because of a nap?  Try having that nap start around 12:30-1pm, or you may need to shorten that nap – experiment to find what works best for your family.  Quiet time is an alternative when they are staying awake too late at night because of a nap.

 

Heather N. Plante, GSC, Soothing Angels.ca

Image: chmeredith / Flickr.com

· Filed Under: Baby, sleep

Sleep Tips: Naps

14 Mar

Night sleep and naps work together.  More sleep begets more sleep; vice versa – less sleep begets less sleep.  For babies who aren’t sleeping through the night, I would recommend you solve bedtime and nighttime issues first and then tackle naps.

It is critical that your child be able to fall asleep on his own.  If you put him into bed already asleep – he has missed the opportunity to learn the skill of falling asleep independently.   You need to work on filling the ‘nap tank’ in the day to have the best chance at bedtime: watch for his sleepy cues, and make sure he is in his bed and ready to sleep within his window.   Bedtime is the best time to give him the chance to learn this skill.

Bedtime and naptimes are very similar.  You always want to make sure you catch his windows for sleep.  A great way to do this is to keep a sleep log.  You need to record what time you put him down, when he went to sleep, and when he wakes up.  This log will help you to understand how long he needs to settle and what his awake time is.  These factors are very important for knowing when to start the routine so that you will have them in bed when the melatonin is helping them go to sleep and before the second wind hits.  {There is a wonderful sleep log @ http://www.trixietracker.com/index.php that can be used with the computer or smart phone  (also tracks diapers, feeds, meds) .}

Morning naps for your little one can be as early as 1-1.5hrs after waking up for the day.  The other naps usually follow a ‘pattern’ of 2-3hrs of awake time (depending on the age).  You should follow his cues or the clock, take him to his dark room, have a short/calm routine before the nap, and get him into bed drowsy-but-awake.   This helps him to learn positive sleep associations and predictability.

The short/calm nap routine is a shortened version of the bedtime routine: a soft lamp light, books, lull-a-byes, massage, yoga, and songs are great ideas for a routine.  A good length for this routine is around 10 minutes.  It is important to note that you should cut a routine short in favor of getting him into bed before he falls asleep in your arms.  If you find he is at a 9/10 (almost asleep) on the drowsy-but-awake scale after the routine – start the nap routine about 15 minutes sooner next time in order to get him into bed at a 7/10 on the drowsy-but-awake scale.

This makes it look so easy doesn’t it? The work comes with the consistency.  You may feel tied to the house for a couple of weeks while you show your little one this new skill and a new predictable routine/schedule.  This will be a flexible schedule that will adjust with age and more sleep.  You will have great sleep habits and a well-rested baby who will be adaptable to variations in his schedule.

Next week I will discuss different nap requirements of different ages.

 

Heather N. Plante, GSC, Soothing Angels

Image: criminalatt / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

· Filed Under: Baby, sleep

Night Time Must-Haves

22 Dec

There are many things out on the market to help children with sleep time routines. Although not all of them will work for you, there are some great products out there that just might help.

First is a great product that acts as a night-light and has a wonderfully calming effect on your child – the cloud b (www.cloudb.com) Twilight Ladybug or Twilight Turtle will help your child overcome their fear of the dark and will help relax them enough to fall asleep.

 

For soothing sounds that will help to block out the nighttime distracting noises and mimic sounds that have been familiar since the womb, the cloud b Gentle Giraffe or the Sleep Sheep are perfect for sleepy time. Each comes with four soothing sounds and two sleep-timer options to help your child fall asleep. You may appreciate this so much that you will need to buy the “On the Go” versions.

 

Yet another cloud b product (yes, we love cloud b) that we highly recommend is the Mimicking Monkey. Not only does this monkey play 3 different sounds (for fun and sleep) you are also able to record your own message along with each sound. Familiar sounds and voices will help your child a more, peaceful and deep sleep. Hearing a familiar voice may also help your child get over separation anxiety, which may also help with “sleepovers”.

 

For older children that need help with bed times and wake up times the Gro Company (www.gro.co.uk) has developed the Gro-clock. The concept is very simple – you set the clock for sleep time and wake up times and the clock will display stars for when the child must sleep and a sun appears when it time for the child to wake. The clock also comes with a great story to help explain the clock to your child. This could be a life-saver if you have a little one that likes to wake at the crack of dawn.

 

Sleep sacks are great for the child that is a fitful sleeper. A sleep sack will ensure that your child always has their blankets on, especially on those cold winter nights. Two great companies that we recommend for a great sleep sack are the Gro Company (Grobags) and the locally owned company – Sleep Huggers Sleep Sacks (www.sleephuggers.com)

 

Now if all else fails there is always the relief that other parents are going through the same thing as you, so sit back and read – “Go the F**k to Sleep” by Adam Mansbach (www.amazon.ca/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/1617750255) This book is NOT a bedtime story for your kids, it is a book for you to relate to and have a chuckle over, and believe me, you will.

 

Sweet dreams!!

Written by Jackie from Urban Chickadee,  www.urbanchickadee.com

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Baby, sleep, Toddler

Holiday’s and Sleep

8 Dec

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!  It is also one of the most exhausting times too.  There is so much to do, many places to be, and family and friends to visit.  How do we fit in our little one’s need for naps and a good night’s sleep?

A well-rested little one can handle variations in his schedule and will just ‘roll’ with little changes without disruptions to his sleep.  Here are some tips to help you through the season and the bigger disruptions to his regular routine.

1)      Travelling during nap time (if they will sleep in the car) will help fit in a little bit of sleep.

2)      Packing light is never an option so be prepared with regular items that your child finds comforting and part of his regular routine: blankets, your sheets because of the familiar scent, a special lovey, books, night light with extra bulb, a white noise machine (or radio tuned between stations), and a playpen or even a crib.  If you find you are regularly visiting the same place throughout the year and/or have family that also visits and has a little one – perhaps investing in a second crib is worthwhile.  Another option for frequent travellers is to use the same playpen all of the time; it will be one more thing that is the same.

3)      Having a base ‘camp’ is a great way to enable you to establish a predictable routine during your vacation.  Instead of jumping place to place to fit all of the visiting in; you can pick one house to ‘camp’ at and have all of the visiting done here.  You can pick one family’s home for this visit and the other family for next visit.  Everyone is much happier visiting with well-rested children and the visits can be longer because you aren’t packing up to get back before bedtime.  You will also be avoiding the struggle of getting him settled at a new home each time you move.

4)      Staying in the same room?  You can have a little family meeting with your little one(s) and explain that “at Grandma’s house we can sleep together because it is a special visit but when we go home you will be back in your room”; of course you will need to remind them of this when you return home.   You would be surprised how much little ones do understand!  Remember that choosing to use old sleep crutches, such as rocking or nursing to sleep, on a holiday will be OK as long as, once you are back home, you are prepared for a couple of nights of his refusal to go back to the regular routine.  Consistency, as always, will be key.

5)      We all want to avoid disrupting everyone else’s sleep wherever we are staying.  Try very hard to establish a good bedtime and be consistent with your responses throughout the night.  Predictability and consistency will help everyone (usually the first night is the test and then the remainder of the holiday will go smoother).

6)      You always need to follow your little one’s sleepy cues; vacation or not.  Your best chance to get him to sleep is when you follow his sleep windows.  You know what happens if you don’t – that second wind hits!  An over-tired, fussy child is difficult to deal with and you want to avoid adding stress to yourself.  Once your little angel is sleeping it is time for you to relax and enjoy yourself too.

7)      Accept help and give yourself a break.  Family understands – most of the time ;)

Written by Heather Plante – a certified Gentle Sleep Coach; mentored by Kim West, LCSW-C – The Sleep Lady®, Heather is the owner of Soothing Angels -  www.SoothingAngels.ca

Photo courtesy of Heather Wagner Photography, www.heatherwagnerphotography.com

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Baby, Holiday Season, sleep, travel