ews 3 nws 45 minute naps ot 13 month old help

[Hayleyp]

My daughter is spirited child and I  have been struggling with sleep since the day she was born. she wakes up at least twice a night which I do shh and she goes back to sleep sometimes right away other times it can take over an hour of wiwo. I'm trying to change her to one nap but I  can never can get  her  to nap more then 45 minutes it dosesn't matter if she takes two naps or one nap. I don't know how to stop the nws ot to lenghten her naps. she does fall asleep on her own at bed time and nap time but she always wakes up at the 45 minute mark. I'm now struggling getting her down for two naps and having her really ot at bt. not sure where to go from here.
her easy last night is
7:00 p.m sleep
nw 2:30 20min wiwo
4:30 and 5:30 ew

nap 9:00 -9:50
nap  2:30 3:30
  she has only sttn a handful of times since she was born. I'm not  sure where to go from here. My husband is in the miltary so i'm a single parent right now and I'm also six weeks pregnant.

[babybarr]

Do you stick to those nap times pretty much every day or does it vary?  Have you tried any one nap days - say with nap at 11am?

(((hugs))) it's horrible having a short napper.

[Hayleyp]

 I think I will try going cold turkey to one nap. she's awake at 5:00 a.m every day and exhausted by 8:30 that's where I'm struggling getting to one nap.

[babybarr]

Why don't you give it a shot.  Also if you do do one nap you will need a much earlier bedtime - especially if she short naps.

How does she go to sleep - does she have a paci/dummy?  do you sit with her?  Does she ever sleep with you?

[Hayleyp]

she goes to  sleep with a pacifier on her own. I do not sleep with her. She goes to sleep just fine on her own and at naps but it's getting her back to sleep after a nap and ew or short nap that is tough.
today she slept from 7:00 p. until 4:30 ew at 5:30. I kept her up until 11:00 a.m and she slept only one hour. she refuses a second nap.  I'm not sure what time to do bt or how to stop the short naps ew. I see other parents have the same problems.
she is a low sleep needs baby and has always had longer than average activity times.

[babybarr]

If she only does an hour nap at 11am - I would have her in bed at 6pm at the LATEST! 

Have you tried a really short am nap followed by (hopefully) a longer pm nap?  ie am nap = 20mins?

[Hayleyp]

I got her to bed at 6:15 the earliest she would go down. I tried long a.m short p.m without sucess. I always end up with one hour naps and it's tough.  I can never seem to bump the Ot to get her activity levels right for her age. She is constant Ot tantrums, crying and the whole nine yards. I know she can be so much happier with sleep.
I tried C.IO out of despertation when she was younger and she would make herself vomit after five minutes. it was awful. I don't know where to start with her. We have had a few good nights in a row but that's it. She is teething  now but her sleep problems have been ongoing  since she was four months. I'm going to have two under to so I need work on her sleep now.  any help would be great.

[babybarr]

Can she put her paci back in herself?  It may be that this is causing her to wake.

I think at this stage if she is really OT then you shouldn't be doing one nap - what about something like
Nap 9-9.30am
Nap 12.30pm - for as long as she wants
Bed 6pm

Stick to this quite strictly for at least 5 days and see what happens.

[Hayleyp]

A 6:00 bt seems to work wonders for my lo. The last two days she slept from 6:00 until 5:45 no nws.  she is an early riser I'm going to stick to a 6:30 bt. She was going to bed at 7:30 ish and still waking up at 5:00 or 5:30. I'm o.k with the ew because I'm a sahm and can take a nap when she sleeps.
I'm going to tackle  the 2 to one now it I have to go to one nap cold turkey. There is no other way with my lo. She's an all or nothing girl.with such an ew I'm not sure where to start with only one nap. 9:00 she's really tired  but it's too early for one nap.

[babybarr]

I would do nap at 11am, hopefully you'll get a 2hr nap and bed at 6pm, if she short naps I'd do earlier bed if poss.

Great news!  Keep me posted.

[Hayleyp]

Her nights have gotten better 11.5 hrs last night without nws.
But the days are very tough. She is waking up at 5:45 napping for one hour 11:00 p.m until 12:05. The problem is the she is having a meltdown at 4:00p.m. because of short nap and ot. She will not do catnaps I just have to keep pushing through until 6:00 p.m  my question is How long does the 2 to one take? should I stay consisent or go back to two naps. She is almost 14 months now and I want to tackle it now while I still have my sanity! lol
thanks babybarr for your help.

[babybarr]

Could you do an earlier bed?  Say 5.30pm ?  I know that seems crazy but until she starts to sleep longer?

The other option which is a little risky - is to try pushing the nap back to say 11.15/30am and see if she sleeps longer?

[Hayleyp]

I'm losing my mind with naps. I've been doing the 2 to 1 for two weeks now and have had no success for naps. Her nights have gotten better 11 to 12 hour nights but naps are a horrible! She can never seem to make it past the 30 to 45 minute mark no matter what goes on. Her routine is sleep at 6:00 p.m until 5:30 or 6:00 and nap at 11:00. I tried a   10:00 a.m nap and as far as 12:00 p.m.  By 11:30 or 11 :45 she is up for the day. I've tried staying in the room with her, she still wakes up. Waiting 5 minutes before going in, wiwo all not working.  She will only nap once a day now.  long, short do not work with her.
she will be 15 months old in a weeks. She is very happy in the morning, great nights,  but late afternoons are tough.

[babybarr]

Try sticking with 11.30am for at least 4/5 days and see if you can set her body clock.  You need to do it for several days to see any difference.  Hang in there I know how hard it is with a short napper.