2.5 yr old nap advice

[fandangofandango]

After some nap advice!

DD (2.5) gets up at 7.30, then has her nap 1-2.45. 1pm is definitely the right start time as she's happy to go up and is asleep within 5-10 mins.

Night time is a different story though! We start the routine at 7 with a bath, and then we usually leave her room about 7.45 after book etc. However, shes not getting to sleep until 8.30, sometimes 9! We can see her wriggling etc on the monitor so she's trying to settle but it's taking ages.

So I'm wondering if I need to cut her nap maybe to 1-2.30 as I'm assuming she's just tired enough and that's why she's taking so long to fall asleep?

Any advice much appreciated!

I don't think a 15 minute reduction in sleep time is going to make any difference sorry.

We'd dropped a nap entirely by that age (but he rarely slept longer than an hour anyway) as it made such a huge difference to bedtime. Yes he was tired but we just had to go with it and push through as even a 10 minute 'oh he just nodded off' at nursery makes bedtime hellish

I'd say cut it to an hour, max, see if that helps, and if not, ditch it entirely and accept you will need earlier bedtime for a week or so til she adapts

@Harrysmummy246 thanks! Definitely won't drop the nap as she still needs it but perhaps an hour will be enough for her now.

Is there also any chance of moving it say 10-15 min earlier, give a bit longer awake time til bed?

But i've got a very poor sleeper (who takes after me and I still can't do it 'right' at 38!). But we had to stop his naps about 2y 4 mo for the sake of my sanity and while he did struggle sometimes (and still does at just turned 3), he's mostly been ok

At least you're allowed to leave the room while she sorts herself out. How does she sleep once she goes off?

@Harrysmummy246 Really well most of the time! Sleeps all the way through, occasionally I may need to go in and pop duvet on her / put her comforter back in bed but she'll then go straight back to sleep. So can't complain really...!!

@Harrysmummy246 yes good idea I could definitely bring nap forward sometimes!

11h overnight sleep is the expected amount at this stage. So if she's getting up at around 7.30am then her natural bedtime is around 8.30pm.

Therefore no need to change the nap. Its bedtime you need to change.

I'd suggest moving bath and bedtime routine all an hour later. If you want a 7.30pm bedtime, then start waking her up in the morning at 6.30am.

My twins are nearly 2 so younger than your daughter. They also wake at 7.30 but their nap is usually at 11.30/12. They sleep for 2 hours then are in their cots for 7pm and fast asleep by 7.15.
If they have a later nap, so at 1 or later, then they won't fall asleep until 8.30/9ish
So i find making sure their nap is earlier, is key.