Getting day and night balance right

[munzle]

I think I need some help here to see what's going on with DD. She's 27mo and always been average-high sleep needs and quick to get OT. Her day used to be:
A - 7am
nap - 1-3
Bed- 7, asleep somewhere near half past.

But about a month ago she would spend ages talking at bedtime and not go to sleep until after 8pm. Then we started getting the early wakings (6 - 6.30) but still sleeping 2 hrs in the day. So I have tried cutting her daytime sleep to 1hr but now we're all over the place and she seems really tired. I'm getting nap resistance and bedtime resistance and I've no idea whether she's UT or OT. What kind of A times did others do at this age? I suppose if she's having shorter nights her morning A time might need shortening?

[*Becky*]

could you go back to letting her nap longer and do a later bedtime?

[munzle]

Have tried that, but if she doesn't go to sleep until after 8, she still wakes up between 6 and half past (maybe road noise or her brother), then struggles to even make it to half 12 for her nap and it means we have to cut our morning activities short. I think a 10hr night is way too short for her.

[*Becky*]

Yes ok, I can see that although there are some lo's who do seem to favour long naps and short nights but if this is a sudden change then i guess the routine is just off somewhere.
i think that at 27 months a 4 hour a time after a 2 hour nap is very low. My DS needs 5.15-5.30 after a nap that length and he is 20 months. My guess is the UT is causing some OT. If the longer nap and later bedtime is not working then i would put her down for a nap as early as she will take it i.e. 12.30pm and cap it to 1.5 hours. so a 2pm wake up and aim for a 7pm bedtime. Maybe that will suit her better?

[munzle]

Well she is certainly OT. We had 2 night wakings last night, followed by a very EW, then screaming before a very early nap (11.30am) which stopped suddenly, which means she zonked out! Am going to let her have as long as she wants today as it was such an early nap, then will see how she is this afternoon to try and figure out what time to do bedtime. She has always favoured long nights and long naps! I'm going to try your suggestion when she starts to get out of her OT cycle. If she does happen to sleep longer in the morning (occasionally she'll sleep until 7ish) she probably won't be ready for a 12.30 nap, in which case do you think I should put her down at 1 but still wake her at 2?

[*Becky*]

If it were me i would try to set it a little so 12.30pm but on the occasions she sleeps in then maybe alter the nap time by 15 mins or so. i find with my DS that even on the days he sleeps in he only needs the nap pushed back a little. I guess if she is high sleep needs and used to having 2 hours i would probably only cut to 1.5.

[munzle]

Thanks so much for the help - sometimes you just need a fresh pair of eyes. She went down without too much screaming tonight so fingers crossed for tomorrow.

[*Becky*]

great - keep me posted x