2 to 1 nap transition

[BastetBaby]

My 13 mo seems to be transitioning from 2 naps to 1. (Early I know but she dropped her 3rd nap early as well.)

She's in the awkward phase where 1 nap is not enough but 2 naps are too many.

She often won't fall asleep until midday, then sleeps for 45 minutes, wakes, then falls asleep again in my arms for another hour or so. Sometimes she'll fall asleep again in the evening, which really messes up bedtime! (Last night she didn't fall asleep until 10pm.) She can stay awake for 5 or 6 hours, although does get a bit cranky after 5.

My question:
Should I try harder to get her to fall asleep earlier in the day, then wake her up after, say, 30 minutes, and try to stick to a two nap schedule?
Or shall I try to get her midday nap to 2.5 hours and try and keep her awake until (slightly earlier) bedtime?

Added context: she's a terrible night sleeper - wakes 6-7 times and has done since 6 months. We're working on that...

I would go along with the one nap a day , my daughter went from x2 45 minutes to x1 2hour nap at around 13 months . She goes down 12-2 and goes to bed 7:30-8 every night so I would Just go with it it’ll all work out great in the end. Adjusting is hard work but you’ll have far more free time with the one nap so enjoy it…

Dropping to 1 nap at 13 months is normal. I would try lengthen the midday nap! Instead of taking her up and her falling asleep in your arms, could you comfort her back to sleep in her room?

Took a couple of weeks, seemed to go by a bit of a cycle schedule for us:

Day 1: awake 7, nap 10:30-11:30, nap 3-4, sleep 9pm
Day 2: wakes at 8, nap 11:30-12:30, nap 4-5, sleep 10pm
Day 3: wakes 9am, nap 1pm-3pm, sleep 7:30pm
Restart with Day 1 (couple of weeks)

Then it would go to every other day 1 or 2 naps for a week or so, then it was standard he had a 1 nap day 🤷‍♀️

Also mine is not a good sleeper and didn't sleep longer than a 2 hour stretch until over a year old. Found an allergy (mild so wasn't reacting strongly but enough to cause discomfort), which after cutting out stretched out to some 4ish hour stretches. Then obviously started getting molars and up at least every hour again 😅

My 12.5 month old is similar. We usually cap the second nap but if she has 2 naps she ends up asleep for the night about 9pm. If she gets up late she has just 1 nap but still can only comfortably manage 3 to 3.5 hours before the nap. Also trying to battle split nights. I feel like 2 naps have never worked for her and I hope it's better when she does go to 1 nap. It's such a minefield!!

My middle child was on one nap by 9 months! Makes life so much easier

I would aim to keep her awake until 1 then sleep 1-3 . Bed at 7pm.

DD dropped to one nap at that age - mostly thanks to starting nursery as they just couldn’t get her to go down (contact napped at home) for the morning one but she was so exhausted after lunch that she’d sleep then for 2.5 hours. Usually in bed by 7-7.30.

Just go with it! It’s hard at first but it does make life easier and if you can get her to nap in the cot that’s a 2 hour break for you in the day to eat lunch, tidy up etc. My DD is in the process of dropping her last nap now and I really miss that time!!

One piece of advice that never failed me was don't fear the early bedtime during the nap transition. Occasionally I have to put my son to bed at 6, but it does his night sleep no harm.

Ah yes, mine does a very similar cycle. Glad to know it's normal!

Very interesting about the allergy! We've not noticed any allergies in our daughter but my DH has LOADS. How did you find out about you little one's allergy?

if she's getting to midday already i'd defo go for the one nap. DS fully transitioned at 15 months and now always goes down at 12/12:15 for around two hours and bed at 7.