Dropping from 2 naps to 1 - what's the best time of day?

[FootieGirl]

My DD is 16 months and is usually taking two naps a day- mid morning and then mid afternoon for long periods, usually at least an hour to two hours both times.

But recently she's been more reluctant to take the afternoon nap and this last week she has often not slept at all in the afternoons.

So I think I've reached the stage of just one nap a day but I'm not sure what to do about the timing of that one sleep. I've read that the nap should be in the afternoon so they last until bed time however my daughter seems to still need and enjoy her morning sleep. So I'm not sure what to do?

[theclockticksslowly]

I'm not sure what's best but my now 15 month old (wish she had lasted til 16 months having two naps!! ) who sounds very similar to yours in terms of the timing and length of her two naps started dropping the afternoon one, was a struggle to get to sleep in the afternoon etc. back when she was 13 months old.

As she would definitely be tired in the morning she currently naps from 11ish for hour and a half to two and a half hours. If she seems very tired she'll nap from 10.30. On odd occasions she's also had a very short half hour nap at 4ish.

[donkir]

We started to cut the morning sleep by 15 mins each week and then moved lunch forward to 11.30. He'd then go down for 2 and a half hr sleep at 12.30. Now he's just turned 2 and lunch is at 12.30 and bed is at 1.

[TerrifiedMothertobe]

After lunch. 1-3 works well.

[andadietcoke]

My 14 month old DTs have a couple of hours at about 10.30. I've tried to wait until after lunch but they were too tired to eat and then too hungry to stay asleep long. They're moving up a room at nursery though and they all have a nap at the same time after lunch so will see how that goes!

[evelynj]

We're in the same boat-dd is nearly 16 months & often has busy mornings with tots groups. My trouble is I don't finish work until 1 & pick her up after to go get ds from school at 2, yest she fell asleep in the car which is fine if I can get her to have the same routine everyday, (if she won't go over in the car, we'll have a hellish 30-40 minutes in the car waiting for school to get out!). She just started walking on her own 2 weeks ago & won't sit down since so is getting more tired even tho she's sleeping less.