Second nap today or not?

[croquet]

Hi DD is 16 months old. She sleeps well through the night from 7pm but wakes at 5am. We usually give her milk and try to resettle but that hasn't worked the past few days and today she went down for a nap at 9am (when she usually goes at noon for one 1.5hr nap).

The same happened yesterday and she didn't have an afternoon nap, but then was cranky, v. yawny by 5pm and overtired by 7.

What do you think I should do today?
a) Try and encourage a second nap this afternoon.
b) No more naps til bed-time at 7.
c) No more naps but early bedtime at 5.30 or so.

Help me.

Just to clarify she's being doing well on one lunchtime nap for a few months but a new refusal to resettle in the mornings is meaning she has, the last few days, taken a nap at 9am ish.

My dd2 used to nap like that. Two naps a day, and then we eventually went down to one nap. If she wakes at 5, maybe try putting the two naps together. And give her lunch at 11, 11.30. Down for nap at midday. She may have a couple of hours, and eventually get up later in the mornings.

I would say try a second nap , it might right itself again in a week or so. It may even mean you keep her up until 8pm for few days but it might stop her waking up at 5am when you can return her to her normal lunch time nap. My 16 month old naps at noon if she napped at 9am she would need a second sleep x

Thanks Bedsheets - even if she had an hour or so at 9?
I will try her for a second nap I think. Also good idea about the late bedtime one night to 'reset'.

My 15mo goes to bed by 6 (normally 5:45 but sometimes as early as 5:15 if he's over tired) and sleeps till 6:30/7am, often longer, with a wake for a nappy when he's teething. He sleeps 11:30-1 ish. If it were me I'd get out in the fresh air as much as possible this afternoon then try the early night. We used to have a 7pm bedtime until I got fed up of coping with a clingy grump monster every evening and put him down early - he immediately started sleeping longer and better bit of a pita doing his dinner at 4:30 as I'd prefer to eat as a family, but worth it for the extra sleep!

Wow, I do her dinner separately anyway (she's an only and dh works later). Will deffo try early to bed - would love if it worked!

ok, we're heading for 5.30ish bedtime - I'll report back.
Terrified it'll make her wake up at like 3am instead of 5!!

I hate days with no lunchtime nap. So long....

i find 3 easier to resettle than 5, it's more clearly Night iyswim

ok update: DD went down well at about 5.50 - I was really excited! - and slept through UNTIL 5am on the dot again, and then same as usual: milk, then does a poo, then is awake and won't resettle.

I really am so stressed and pissed off. Why won't she just sleep normally, to a normal time? Can anyone help me please.

5:50 is a normal time for a toddler, sorry

Do you mean a normal wake-up time. Really? cries into coffee

The new bed time was great. I should have said thanks for suggesting it. It's the 5am wake-up my child is so set on that I am seeking to shift. Maybe I should just give up. When do the clocks change - will that help?

So tired, so confused.

I would drop the 5am milk in the hope that if she doesn't get it she won't keep waking for it. The milk is giving her energy to start off her day! Even if she won't resettle, try to make her wait till 6, if that works push it to 6.30. I would avoid a very early bedtime if atall possible. If she gets up very early let her have a small snooze of half an hour tops in pushchair or car and then put her down in her cot slightly later in the afternoon.

For most toddlers a 5.30 bedtime will mean an early wake up. Very few can do more than 11 or 12 hours in a stretch.

Ok, going to go back to the 7ish bedtime. DD not had a nap yet and just been put down for one, though doesn't seem to be settling. What is she playing at? Sigh.

At 16 months ours still had x2 naps. And would sleep 8.30pm-8/8.30am

For you I would aim for:
9am-10am nap
1-3 nap
7.30pm bed

In a few months drop down to just 1-3pm nap. If you don't have to get out the house early I def recommend the lawr bedtime and getting morning lie ins.