9 month old naps

[SherlockSays]

After the last 2 weeks of DD just not being ready to go to bed until 8/9/9.30 I really do need some perspective on her naps.

Routine:
5.30-6.30 - awake
Around 9 - big nap - 1-1.45 hours
Then anywhere between 1&3pm she'll have a shorter nap of 40 mins or so
Bedtime - it was 7pm until the past couple of weeks, now she's wildly awake. We wind down, no exciting games, dimly lit room etc.

She doesn't sleep through and is up at least twice in the night too so doesn't even have a good sleep then.

I read that dropping a nap doesn't happen until 12-18 months but it feels like her second nap is what's ruining everything, today she napped in the car 2.30-3.15 so it's likely she'll be up until 9 now.

Yesterday her second nap finished at 1.30 and she was still awake at 8.

I feel like I have lost my evenings completely now and it's a lot when I'm with her from 5.30 in a morning and have to get up in the night too!

She starts nursery 4 days a week next week, will this help?

There is a sleep regression that can happen between 8-10 months. It could be this? Is she learning or focusing on anything in particular that could be stopping her sleeping (standing up, crawling etc?) I have no experience but I have heard nursery will help make them more ready for bed!

She's been sitting herself up, crawling and standing since 7 months so none of that is new to her. She's trying to walk now though?

I did think the regression too and it was REALLY bad around 8 months - she would be awake for hours in the middle of the night but that's stopped now at least so I thought maybe the regression was done with.

Hmmm it could be the walking. I'm not sure :/ but I hope for your sake it doesn't last long! My boy is waking up more than normal too (8 months) so hopefully they are both back to normal soon x