| This is a really common question and it is always | | | | between 1 sleep sometimes and 2 sleeps at other |
| a great idea to know what to anticipate and how | | | | times. Your baby's body clock needs time to |
| you are going to handle these transitions. I | | | | adjust and needs consistency for this to happen. |
| understand that while we know our children may | | | | *Even though you may have been convinced that |
| need two sleeps a day (at around 6 to 12 months | | | | your baby was ready for 1 sleep, they will whinge |
| of age), they take up much of the day and can | | | | in the morning at around 9-10am when they used |
| make appointments, activities and the school run | | | | to have a morning sleep and appear tired. I call |
| for older children quite tricky. It is sensible | | | | this a 'hump' that you need to distract your baby |
| however to remember that while two sleeps | | | | through (outside is best for fresh air) until they |
| may be sometimes inconvenient, your baby will | | | | get their second wind and can stay up until 12 md. |
| make you pay if they are overtired or miss out | | | | *Your baby may whinge at 'hump' time for a few |
| on the sleep they need. That is why I love car | | | | weeks to a few months until their body clock |
| capsules (for flexible transfers between the car | | | | adjusts to the 1 sleep. Remember that if you |
| and other locations for newborns) and encourage | | | | allow 2 sleeps to creep in sometimes you will |
| background noise on at home during sleeps, to | | | | delay the baby coping with the morning and not |
| enable your child to sleep through noise outside | | | | whinging. |
| the home. | | | | *Baby will probably have lunch at 11.30am. |
| So, how do we know when our 12 month old | | | | *Avoid 'power naps' of a minimum of 10 minutes |
| babies are ready to go from 2 sleeps to 1? | | | | sleep when travelling in the car or the stroller if at |
| *Baby will start to refuse one or both day sleeps | | | | all possible in the mornings. A power nap will |
| but not cope all day until the night sleep. | | | | prevent your baby sleeping at lunchtime and |
| *or reduce both sleeps to around 30-45 minutes. | | | | create a monster to deal with until bedtime. |
| Once you can see this happening for about a | | | | Tip: Remember that your baby needs to earn |
| week and you are convinced they are ready for | | | | their sleep with physical activity, NO TV in the |
| 1 sleep, try the following: | | | | morning and great healthy family meals. Your |
| *Decide on a sleep time and lock it in place. I | | | | baby should be so tired that they are begging you |
| suggest 12 md. Remember you need to keep the | | | | to go to sleep! If not, they haven't earned their |
| sleep in the middle of the day so the baby can | | | | sleep and have spent too much time sitting in |
| cope before and after the sleep until bedtime at | | | | something (a stroller, play pen, swing, shopping |
| around 7-7.30pm. | | | | trolley, walker). |
| *Once you decide to change to 1 sleep, it is | | | | (c) 2008 Natalie Ebrill. All rights Reserved |
| important to keep one sleep and not swap | | | | Worldwide. |