Afternoon napping

[pipnchops]

I've currently got my 14mo fast asleep in her high chair, she fell asleep mid dinner! I feel awful! She's always been tricky to get to sleep during the day, but is really good at night. Lately she's been ok at going for a morning nap but doesn't seem to be tired enough to have an afternoon nap, so today after half an hour of trying to get her to go to sleep at 3ish I gave up and I let her go without, and now I feel awful as she obviously needed it. My question is, obviously it's too soon for her to drop her afternoon nap but could I move it a bit later, to around 4pm, so she's more tired, or is that a bad move... Our should I bring bedtime earlier? But she already wakes up at 5am every morning so I don't want her to wake up any earlier. Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom?

Mine dropped her afternoon nap at ten months - it was early, but it does happen. I just gradually moved her morning nap later til she was sleeping 12-2 most days.

Mine went to one nap at 13.5mo as he was fighting the afternoon one. He slept 10.30 until 12.30 then bed at 6.30. Now at 20mo he naps 11.30 until 1.30 then bed 7 - 7.30pm

I would transition yours to one nap, moving the morning one later every couple of days by 10 to 15 mins.

Just pull bedtime forward? I have a 13mo and if he naps his usual 12.30-3, he goes to bed at 6.30. If he has an earlier nap he is in bed for 5.30/6.

Mine would never be tired enough to go to bed 3.5hrs after waking up from a nap at that age. Had to be minimum 4hrs. Just goes to show how different kids are!

Thank you, I'll try moving her morning nap a but later and dropping the afternoon tomorrow and see how that goes. I would rather not move bedtime forward as my husband wouldn't get to see her when he gets home if I moved it any earlier, plus I would dread her potentially waking up any earlier in the morning, so that would be a last resort. Thanks for your advice.

We went to one nap at 14 months. Lunch at 12 then straight down for around 3 hours

I would let her nap later tbh. At 14 months mine slept roughly 9pm-8am, 11am (45 mins), then 3-5.30pm. Meant we could actually all spend time together in the evening, all eat together, and getting up at a good time in the morning

My daughter dropped her morning nap at around that age. She'd be exhausted by 5:30 but overtired and wouldn't settle well.

Tricky times, I remember them well.

Art that was our routine from c.11-14 months - it was great

You might find by pushing the am nap later and dropping the pm one that the 5am starts become later...

Early lunch and then nap after! Gradually alter times so she eats midday and then has a nap. It may be you need to give her lunch at 11 or so until she gets used to it & then gradually move it to midday. It means she can go to toddler groups and is good prep for nursery/ preschool.

Also I had an early riser and there was no correlation between her going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. I could put her to bed at midnight or six and she would always be awake by 6am!

To give you hope trust your instincts and don' t give up naps too soon they are important for development! They also give you respite too...