Dropping a nap?

[brightcopperkettles]

DD has just turned one. For some time now she has been having 2 naps each day, 1.5 hours each nap. It usually takes her 10 to 15 mins to fall asleep.

For the last week(ish) she's been taking up to an hour to go to sleep for each nap and then only having 30 or 40 minutes.

She was also getting up at around 6.30/7 am but is waking up at 5/5.30 am.

Does this sound like she may be ready to change to one nap in the missle of the day?

middle of the day

Does she appear well-rested on the shorter naps and shorter night sleep? Is she still getting adequate sleep at night (11-12 hours)? Early waking (and short naps) can be a sign of too little sleep, rather than too much.

If she is well rested, it does sound like she might be moving towards a single nap, but I wouldn't rush any changes. As long as she is still going to sleep for both naps, I would keep offering them. I would very gradually move the naps later in the day until the second nap is interfering with bedtime before dropping one. I didn't move DD to a single nap until she consistently was unable to fall asleep for the afternoon nap, and it got so late it made sense to give up and put her to bed early. We still double up on naps in special circumstances (like jetlag). DD will soon be 15 months.

This is just what I decided to do - good luck.

(Full disclosure: I got all smug about naps but recently DD has been refusing ANY nap all day ! Sometimes 2 days in a row! Maybe should start my own thread. . .)

Thanks Teapot. She does appear quite well rested in general, but she is now getting about 10 hours at night with the earlier waking. She is getting a bit crabbier than usual late afternoon, almost as though she didn't get enough in her naps during the day, but she's getting at least 1.5 hours less sleep for naps than what she was...

I'll persist for a while as suggested and see what turns up. Just when you think you've got it sorted they go and change it on you