Long morning nap - do I need to intervene?

[Abbottscat]

Hi all, I've posted before when I was at the end of my tether with my DS sleep. I'm so pleased to say he's now routinely sleeping through the night, 7-6ish. Thank goodness. He's even kicked his 30 minute nap habit, but now I'm worried he's napping too long! He's nearly 11 months and sleeps 9.30am - 11am most days, with a 30 min top up around 2.30pm. From what I've read it's preferable that his long nap is post lunch, but if he's ever woken early in the morning or I've had to wake him he doesn't make up for it with a longer afternoon sleep and is just grotty and prone to waking up in the first few hours after bedtime.

His current routine isn't a problem for us really but he starts nursery in a month and I'm a bit worried he won't fit. Any thoughts or similar experiences?

My son was like this at 11 months, and he still has a long morning nap a year later. I'm of the opinion that you don't mess with sleep if the sleep is good! All kids are different, some like morning naps. Some prefer to sleep in the afternoon

If it's working, stick with it! It's normal to have a long nap and a shorter nap at that age - if your baby prefers to do the longer one in the morning that's obviously working for him if he's sleeping well at night. A good nursery should be able to work around individual routines for young babies.

It definitely seems to suit him, he goes down so much easier for his morning nap. Afternoons can be a fight. I've left him to it up till now because I'm definitely in the don't wake a sleeping baby camp, especially when it's been quite fraught up until now, I'm just worried once he's in childcare he'll end up not getting enough sleep if I can't train him to nap after lunch instead.

Mine always prefered a morning nap! I think it's fine.

You might find he naturally moves his nap at nursery anyway, if there is lots going on in the morning and then a quiet time, with curtains closed and most of the children resting on mats after lunch.

Thanks, I think I just needed a bit of reassurance. I might have a chat with nursery, they seem pretty good about working with us so far so fingers crossed.

I encouraged it with my two - gave me an hour to breathe!

They continued napping until they were 3-ish.