Transitioning from two naps to one.

What a difference a week makes!

This time last week I was at my wit's end, my little boy was fighting sleep at every turn. He was needing his morning nap, but struggling against it, it would take two hours in the afternoon before he would give in to 'much needed' sleep and then at night he was no longer a happy chappy on a routine, but a soldier fighting the good fight!

Then I thought - even though he's only 9 months old, maybe I should try changing his routine?

So day one (I picked a Saturday - so work schedules wouldn't get in the way) I kept him going all morning at 11.30 he was beginning to struggle, but I brought lunch forward a little and that powered him up! Then it was to the nursery at 11.50, stories and then a blissful 50 minute nap.

50 minutes may not sound much, but until late January he only ever took ten minutes in the morning and ten or so in the afternoon! He did then move this up to maybe 30 minutes each time, until last week........a very long week!

Continuing on from his one nap we made it through to 4pm and then a lot of eye rubbing took place, so we had an additional mini snack time, new games and fun and made it through to start the normal 5pm winding down for a 6.15 bedtime! Hey presto no fighting and back to his good as gold self!

Keeping this routine on the Sunday, I was able to drop the extra afternoon snack and again he went to sleep well. Bingo - life was looking good again! Having previously seen my little one tired, cross and frustrated, it was wonderful to have him back to his happy, laughing normal self.

Then on Monday he was at his Gran's for the morning to fit around mine and my husband's work schedules... he slept for 1.5 hours! Wonderful - we haven't been able to re-create quite that long a nap since, but I am going to get some additional blackout material for his room as I think that may help, his blinds do cut out a lot of the sun, but not as much as at Gran's - so fingers crossed! What could I manage to accomplish in this additional time?!

So my thoughts to you are if you are in a similar boat - trust your instincts, by all means read up on the recommended advice, techniques etc, but above all else go with your 'mummy gut' - if you think that this is what your little one needs, then try it and try it for a few days, it is normal for them to fight it a little (I think my son had got all his fight out of him the previous week!)

Good luck, be strong and above all be flexible to finding what timing work's best in your household!