1 nap issues

[Nauvoo]

So DD is 16months old and she switched to 1 nap about 3 months ago but I just can't seem to get her into a good routine.  It was a rough start when DD1 transitioned but then once she started taking a long nap it was so easy from there on out.  So naturally I'm frustrated that DD2 isn't so easy.   
we are mainly dealing with EW's, a lot.  It seem in 1 week we will get 1 or maybe 2 decent wake up times and I think I've got it figured out and then she EW's again.
currently we are doing 5hrs A time in the morning and at night.  however with EW's at or around 5:30am she sometimes won't go down until noon as we are out doing things with DD1 and I just can't keep DD1 away from her activities because DD2 is EWing.  When she does have a very long A time in the morning she will wake about an hour or so into her nap but go back to sleep easily.  Then I shorten the last A time and do an EBT.  sometimes this will work wonderfully and sometimes we just get a 5:30am wake up time.
i have tried to push out the first A time to 5.25hr but she wakes at the 1hr15min mark and will sometimes go back to sleep and sometimes not.
I just really want her wake up times to be consistent and not at 5:30am.  What am I missing here?  I really truly thought my nap problems would be gone once we switched to 1 nap. 

[*Becky*]

wow - exact same here. will be listening in. we also have never got the magic 'lying in' that everyone talks abut once 2:1 is done.

[jessmum46]

Not sure I'm in the best position to advise as our naps and wakeups are nowhere near consistent, but we're generally having most success with a set nap at a time that works for us, and a fairly set BT with option to go a bit later on the rare occasion we get a good nap.  I mean rare - probably three or four naps over 2h in the last couple of months! 

So we do:

WU whenever, was in the 5 something's for a long long time but now more likely 6.15-6.45
Nap set at 11.45 give or take a few mins - usually 1-1.5h, sometimes more, sometimes horrendously less!
BT 6.15-30pm, very occasionally later if she pulls a really long nap

I've kind of accepted that with the constraints we have (nursery 3x a week, nap fairly set at that time) then short nap and longer night is probably what we're going to get.  Regular 2h naps aren't likely here! 

From what you've said, it looks like longer morning A gets you a better nap (even if you have to resettle) so how about fixing nap at 12pm and see how you go?

[Nauvoo]

I did try a set nap time for almost 2 months and OT was so horrid!!!!! she was so OT because she was still waking soooo early.  Then I figured that I needed to cut that last A time with such EW's but she still wakes early but not as OT.  well i guess I just got somewhere as I typed that.
On a better note, she woke at 6:45 this morning after going to bed at 7pm and having a very very very short nap yesterday.  I guess she was so tired she made up for it.  hardly ever happens.  she did wake at 4:30 breifly but I didn't need to go to her.