I have some new kids joining my group, and have to rethink my sleeping plan. I have 2 14 month olds that are currently still on 2 naps (most days). I'm thinking of transitioning to 1 nap and nap mats over the next month or so.

My youngest DS moved at 16 months, because we moved and I didn't want to set up the crib again. But, that was my child in my house, with 3 older sibs that also helped with supervision.

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I moved my last at 15 months. It was easy with him. He is a terrible night sleeper and is exhausted by the time nap time gets here that he goes right to sleep and sleeps for at least 3 hours.

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Personally, I don't have a certain age that I move kids to nap cots. I take into consideration their development, how easily they fall asleep for naps, how much supervision they need at nap time, and their interest.

I have moved a 13-month-old to a cot because she really wanted to be on a cot, slept easily, and would sleep & stay on her cot for the duration of nap. On the flip side, I have a two and a half year old now that is still in a pack and play because he will not settle and sleep on a cot but will in the PNP. If you think the kids are ready and will be safe and will sleep, go for it. You can always switch back if it doesn't work out.

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earliest I've done is probably about 18 months, but most not until closer to 24 months. I have never really had a child I felt was ready earlier and just don't want to deal with the struggle of transitioning if it needs to be "forced". It does depend on the child though - some may be ready earlier!

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Same here. I consider each child's individual development, how easily they fall asleep, listen to rules and their need for supervision into consideration as to the right time to make that transition.

The youngest I think I've ever had sleep on a nap mat successfully was around 13 months, although I think for me 14-15 months is average. I have had kids near 24 months still in a PNP though

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The centers where I used to work would automatically move kids to nap mats at 12 months, since they didn't have enough room for cribs in the "older infant" room. Here, I used to wait until closer to age 2, but just recently, I have a little guy that would scream in the pnp. I put him on a mat with the other kids, and he loves it, and sleeps so much better (11.5 months). So, I guess I would say the same as a few have said above, you have to take into consideration what the child's temperament is, and if you think it will benefit them. I know I personally prefer packing away the pnp's since the mats take up much less space for storage.

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I think in California they have to be in a PNP until 24m. I could be wrong. Still learning all the rules . Can any one let me know? I have a 19m old starting as soon as I have my license. (soon I hope)

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I move them at 12 months because that is when I am allowed to.

Mats take up less real estate than cribs and are easier to disinfect.

We are all in the same room and the little kids love to join the big kids (often sibling groups).

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I don't even have a pnp as an option here anymore. ALL kids sleep on mats from day1. I take ages 18m+. Never had a problem.


Annnddd you know it's Monday when I thought you meant what TIME is the earliest you've ever moved to mats. LOL! I was thinking "drop off?"

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We can move them anytime from 12-18 months. I do it as soon as possible. I start by getting them on 1 nap first, so that they are in the same room as every one else while sleeping. I like to have as few playpens sitting around as possible, so the day I can get them out of the PNP and onto a mat, they are out!

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a lot depends on how motivated the child is. I had one little girl who moved to a mat at 18mo. She wanted so much to be like the older kids that she stayed put and slept so much better there than in her port-a-crib. Usually, the kids are 2-2 1/2 before they will actually stay on their mats.

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Same here. My last two moved to a cot on their birthday. By the time they turn 1 here, they are usually already on one nap a day anyway. They get too interested in what the big kids are doing to sleep

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When I worked in a center, they were transitioned to a cot a soon as soon as they were in the toddler room-they had to be at least 12 mo. and walking, so some were 12 mo. and they did great. But...there was more than one person with the kids.

In my home dc, I do the same as Leanna. It can be done at 12 mo., but it's impossible to sit and pat backs so it's all up to how the child is on a cot vs. in a pnp. I'd say my earliest here was 18 mo.

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we have to at 12mnths

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We have to transition by 15 months. The earlies I've done it was with my daughter at 9 months! But for daycare kids at 12-13 months we try to transition. Most of the kids have slept better once they are in a cot.

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18 months but he would have probably been ready earlier!

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So....some of you said that your kids slept BETTER after transitioning to a mat. I've got a very feisty 14 mo who sleeps and hour, then parties like a rock star. Screams, yells, throws toys and pacifiers out, etc.

Currently, he sleeps in my room (in a pnp) in the farthest corner, and he does OK with one nap. In fact, he seems to sleep a little better with one. I used to have the other 14 mo in the same room, but he would wake and/or keep her up.

You're basically saying if I move him to a cot, he may do better? If I did that, he'd have to be in the same room as my big kids. What are the chances he'll let them sleep? They are awesome nappers now.

I am "home" style, btw. I don't stay in the room with anyone, nor do I want to. Each kid currently has their own room and their own bed and I only go in when nap is over or if someone is totally freaking out (something's wrong). Problem is, my group may be growing and I'm running out of rooms.

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I transition to mats at 12 months as well.

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Some do better on a cot/mat and others don't. For your 14 mo. old, you'll probably have to just do it one day and see. I have a child who I put on a cot and it sometimes takes him forever to go to sleep and other times he goes right to sleep. I'm like you, I don't sit in the room with the kids either. I have 3-4 who sleep in the same room from 18 mo. to 3 yrs. When I worked in the center, the kids that were tougher to put to sleep, eventually saw the other children and followed suit and were easy after a while, but then there were other people there to help.

I have the youngest child he is 23 mo. now) go to sleep first and then the other 2 or 3 older kids (depending on who is here) go in about a half hour after. It seems to work out well, but they all usually sleep. If my two oldest go in at the same time as the 23 mo. old, it takes them forever to fall asleep that's why I have the two different nap times. Sometimes my ds wakes up crying and sometimes the other kids wake up and other times not. Hope this makes sense. It did in my head...lol

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I've had several kids who turned out to be better nappers once they were allowed to nap on mats. You won't know until you try it, though. When I try them out on mats for the first time, I have them nap right by me so I can supervise closely. Some kids settle in right from the start. Others, who weren't quite ready, sit up, talk and try to get up and walk around. After the first 1 or 2 warnings from me, they go right back into the port-a-crib and we try again another time. Evnetually, they learn to settle right down and fall asleep quickly.

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