Transitioning Naps - Going from Two naps to One...How?

Transitioning from Two Naps to One

Following on from last weeks blog about moving from 3 to 2 naps..........here are the steps to move from 2 naps to 1.

Step 1 : Start by moving morning nap later by 1/2 an hour.  If he usually naps at 10 move it to 10:30, do this for three days, allowing the child to sleep for as long as they like.

Step 2: Whether the child is napping well in the afternoon or not make sure they still have a quiet time in their crib around 2:30.  It will help take the edge off until bedtime.  Leave him in the crib for one full hour.  He may not sleep but at least he’ll have had some down time on his own.  If he does fall asleep don’t’ let him sleep past 3:30-4 so you can keep his bedtime on track.

Step 3: If your baby did not sleep during the afternoon “quiet time” then you will need to move her bedtime up as early as 6:30 to prevent him from becoming overtired.

Step 4: On day four move his morning naptime back another half an hour to 11:00am. And continue with this time for the next three days.  Follow the advice given in Step 2 for your baby’s afternoon quiet time and bedtime.

Step 5: On day seven move naptime back half an hour to 11:30am for yet another three days.  There probably won’t be any time for afternoon quiet time by this point and you may find your child very hard to deal with around suppertime.  Remember, it’s ok to put him to bed early.  It’s much better than living with an unbearable child!

Step 6: On day 10 move your baby’s naptime to 12pm.  This means that you might have to move lunchtime up to 11:30 for a while.  Don’t be surprised if your little one starts nodding off in the highchair for a few weeks.

Keep in mind:

·         It can take up to a month to fully adjust to one nap.

·         To help with morning grumpiness try taking him outside or giving him a snack.

·         Naptime will likely be around the 12+12:30 mark for several months.  A 1pm naptime is more common around 2 years of age. 

·         If you try to push the naptime too late you run the risk of your child getting his second wind and being more difficult to put down later on.

·         If you miss the window of time that your child is starting to get tired you will be in the overtired state which means it will be more difficult for him to fall asleep.

·         Bedtime needs to be earlier to accommodate the lack of a nap during the day. Recommended time is around 7pm.

·         You are not alone, 85% of clients struggle with naps, and they will come with time!  Remind yourself of the accomplishments you have already made and try not to focus on this and before you know it naps will be like clockwork too!

If you want to discuss further or want some help to make the transition one smoothly - give me a shout!

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Transitioning naps - Going from three to two....How?

Transitioning From 3 Naps to 2

It doesn't have to be a night mare, it just needs to be managed right. It isn't as easy as flicking a switch. And don't be sad parents that one nap is now gone....they just need to transition to different lengths at different times!

·         Nap times needs to be adjusted by 30-45 minutes to bridge the gap in daytime hours.

·         If nap schedule was 8:30, 12:30 and 3:30, the new schedule needs to be 9:00/9:30 and 2:00/2:30

·         For some children, this instantly improves nap length or for some children it decreases nap length in the beginning due to over-tiredness.

·         If nap length decreases, a 3^rd nap in the car or stroller can be used to take the edge off before bedtime.  This is meant to be just a short catnap of 15-20 min.

·         In order to make the transition, push the nap time back by 15 min for 3 days (eg. If nap was 8:30, go to 8:45 for 3 days).  Repeat the pattern every 3 days until the desired nap time is achieved.  This may be a time when you use the above-mentioned 3^rd cat nap to get them through to bedtime.

·         You will likely notice your baby still appears tired at their usual naptime, so you will have to distract them to get them to the desired nap time. 

·         Moving bedtime earlier by 30 min for 2 weeks can help with the gap in time and prevent overtiredness.  Even though 6:00 may seem far too early for bed, it is only for 2 weeks to help get through this transition.

·         It takes the body 4-6 weeks to fully adjust to a significant change in sleep patterns so don’t expect your child to adjust immediately.  If it seems that naps are getting shorter or more difficult, please stick with your plan even though your baby may seem a little cranky.  Remember to use the 3^rd catnap and/or an earlier bedtime to get through the transition.

If you want to discuss further or want some help to make the transition one smoothly - give me a shout!

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

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Does Your Child Wake Up In the Night From A Dirty Diaper

Here are some pointers if you have an overly excited pooper on your hands:

I know as a parent who had a night time pooper what it feels like! I  was torn as - I worried it would wake her up in the middle of the night but worse, what if it didn't and she woke with diaper rash! It was a no win situation.

• Evaluate your child's diet. Have you recently started to give solids or new foods? Time may fix things and possibly even more solids (though too much at once may make things worse).  Maybe you can change around the timing of when you give solids or just change the type of food you give at certain times. If you are having night poop problems, high fiber early on in the day may help your child poop then and not later.
• Evaluate your diet if you are nursing. Some moms swear their babies poop shortly after eating or drinking certain things.
• Look at the timing. Maybe she is pooping right upon waking in the morning and not actually in the middle of the night. 
• Are you potty training? Some kids will hold in their poop during the day then go during sleep times because they relax and/or because they are put in diapers/trainers.
• With a younger child doing the eat/wake sleep cycle can help avoid a poop during naps. With an older child, letting her run around for a few minutes before a nap, often in private, helps to get out the poop, if there is one, before the nap.
• Wait it out. If you have a newborn, it'll probably go away on its own. If you have an older child, still wait it out. More likely than not it'll pass before you know it. If not....
• Try good old wake to sleep like I did. I know. I mention wake to sleep a lot but it is such a nifty sleep tool.

One extra thing. Whenever my kids have taken longer than usual to fall asleep and they are playing like nobody's business, it is often a poop. So make sure to check this out. You'll probably figure out exactly what your child does in this situation after some time.

Wait, I just thought of another thing. If you've got a child that likes to sneakily poop during sleep (as in they wake, poop, then drift off to dreamland again) then make sure you put some diaper ointment on their little bums. You don't want to wake up to some sore red bum cheeks in the morning. Ouch! While we're on the subject, I suggest lansinoh or aquaphor or really, anything that doesn't reek and stain everything white or brown or any other color.

And that's enough about poop!

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Keep Sleep On Track When Spring Arrives

What Daylight Savings Mean To A Parent!

Yay! An extra hour in bed,,,,,if you don't have children! Spring is here and Summer is to follow. Flowers are blooming and new life and colour are everywhere. Let's jump for joy.....say people who have no children or older children! Daylight savings starts each Spring season.  It is time to “spring forward” the clocks.   It can be a dreaded time for parents of young children because with this, comes an adjustment that does not happen immediately.  This is because children tend to be more structured in their bedtime and wake up around the same time each morning. That is why people can usually see a greater affect on children when the time changes. 

So let's make this as easy as possible parents. Here are some things you can do to help make the transition to the new time go a little smoother.  My recommendation is to leave your clock alone Saturday night.  Wake up Sunday morning, have breakfast, then go around your house and change your clocks.  Psychologically, it will feel much better for everyone if you wait until Sunday morning to change the time. 

Children-My best advice for children to help them with the change is to split the difference with the old time and the new time.  How does that work?  If you have a child that does not nap and normally goes to bed at 7:00pm, you would put him to bed at 7:30pm on Sunday night, the first night of the time change.  Do this for 3 nights, putting him to bed 30 minutes later than normal, then on the 4^th night put him to bed at the normal time, 7:00pm or whatever the normal bedtime is for your child.

Toddlers-If you have a toddler aged one and older, on Sunday the first day of the time change, you would put him for his first nap 30 minutes later than normal.   So if he naps at 9:30am usually, you would put him down at 10:00am.  You would do the same with the afternoon nap if he takes one.  For bedtime, if his normal bedtime is 7:00pm, you would put him down at 7:30pm.   Do this for 3 nights after the time change and then on the 4^th night, put him to bed at 7:00pm and on 5^th day move naptimes back to normal time.   So if your child naps at 9:30am, put him down at 9:30am and so on with the rest of the day. 

Infants-If you have a baby and her bedtime has become predictable (usually over 6 months old) meaning she is always going to bed around the same time each night.  For example if bedtime is normally 7:00pm move bedtime 15 minutes earlier each night until you reach the normal time.  So the first night you would put her down at 7:45pm, the second night 7:30pm, and so on.  In four nights you should be back to 7:00pm.   If their bed is not predictable (0-6 months old) simply jump to the new time Sunday night as if you were traveling to a new time zone. 

Another little snippet of advice that is helpful is to darken your child’s room.   Your child may wake up too early with the sun rising so early now in the morning and may struggle to fall asleep while it is still light outside so darkening the room can be very helpful.  Even though there is extra hours of daylight children still need the same amount of sleep.  

And finally- relax. It may take children and babies a bit more time to fall asleep, this is normal, since the time is different initially they won’t be as tired.   It usually takes about a week for children and babies to completely adjust to the new time, some children it can take up to a month.  Be patient and consistent, it will happen.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

www.timetosleepconsulting.com