Is it broke? Should I fix it?

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Hello all.

Dd1 has been a dream sleeper since 10 months old in every sense of the word.

She has been on one nap a day since around 15 months old.  Loved it that it took that long.

She is almost 2.5 years old and here's her schedule:

7.30 I get her awake or not (always have)
1.30/2.00 nap (depending on dd2's day for down time for me)
3.30/4.00 I get her again awake or not
8.00/8.20 bed

The "great" thing about dd1 is that she never never calls for me.  She lays there and lays there away until I come in at the given time.  She understand alot and speaks well and I've told her to call for mommy when she is awake and done her nap.  I just figured she loved laying there warm in the dark.

So lately, like tonight, I put her down at 8.20 and at 9.00 she was calling my name because her toe nail got snagged and needed some minor surgery.  She was wide awake and I asked her if she slept at all yet.  She said no.  Awake mommy.  I asked her several times in different ways (happy of course) if she had slept yet.  Again no, awake.  So I asked her if she sometimes stays awake during nap or if she sleeps.  She said awake??? I said sometimes you sleep and sometimes you are awake.  She said sometimes.  Now I am guessing she doesn't know what she's talking about or what I'm asking but either way somethings up.

I know 11 hours at night and 2/2.5 hours in the day is on the long end for her age but she's always been on the long side.  Do I wait and see for a bit or do I try to adjust her sleep schedule?  p.s. I am not ready for her to drop it.  I'd rather she was awake longer at night tbh.

Can I also say that the other night she chatted to herself until 9.00 and was a bear the next day.  Yawning and crying constantly beginning at 10.00 a.m.  I've lost my way in this post now ... dh just got home so I'll go now.

Any advice would be great.

[Peek-a-boo]

I'm going with not broke.    She's demonstrated that she can and will call you if she needs you, so if the routine is working for your family, giving you much needed down time, and not upsetting her, I'd stick with it personally.  Even if she's not sleeping, just resting and relaxing can be recharging and if that changes and she needs you, it sounds like she'll call for you. 

JMO   

[rinajack]

I agree.  My DD is quite a bit younger, but does not always nap for long during the day (nor does she nap in her room or sleep through the night but back to my point LOL) - if she is at all grumpy, I give her quiet time and she seems to be to be equally recharged from that as she does from a nap - in fact she is often happier from a rest than she is from a nap - so if she is happy in there resting, then let her go for it!

[Lilah'sMommy]

The only thing I could see to fix would be to move nap up in the day... usually you have the same A time before the nap as after.  She may not be tired yet by bedtime because she's only been up for 4.5 hours.  So aim for the nap starting at 12:30 or 1:00 pm, ending no later than 3:00.  That gives you 5-5.5 hours A time in the morning and another 5-5.5 in the evening.  My DD1 also needed about 13-13.5 hours at 2.5 years, and this was roughly our routine.

I bet, though, that your putting her down later so you get more nap overlap between your DDs.  I do the same-- Lilah's nap has gotten pretty late, though actually, it's worked out well for us, because she hasn't been ready to fall asleep until later anyway at nap time.  She now starts her nap at 1:30 or 2:00.  If you want to keep that nap time, you may need to adjust her wake up and bedtimes to later times so she'ss still getting enough sleep.  Is she always up at 7:30?  One day, let her sleep as long as she wants, and see when she wakes.  She might go till 8:00, making a 1:30 nap pretty reasonable.

That said, if it seems like she's getting enough sleep and is happy and healthy, you don't really NEED to fix anything.  I never changed things until it was apparent that they needed changing.  So if it's not apparent to you, then I wouldn't go to the trouble.

[*Natasha*]

Totally agree with pp Catherine does 11/11.5hrs at night and generally 1.5hr naps but sometimes 2hrs. So also is happy in her room till we come and get her and sometimes takes a little longer to fall asleep at night especially lately if DD2 is unsettled.

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Oh ladies.  Great perspective.  Thank you so much. 

I think she does do better when she goes down a little bit earlier, ie, before 1.30/2.00 in order to shorten the time between nap and bedtime.  I am hoping dd2's nap straightens out a bit ... in my favour ... so I can put dd1 and her down closer to 1.00.  We will see if I can hold dd1 off until dd2 is on one nap a day.  Here's to hoping.

In the meantime I won't fix anything and just be happy with the wonderful sleeper/rester I've got.

Thanks for helping ladies.