15 month old (nearly 16 months), low sleep needs?

[kimmbba]

First, I'm looking to know of any other people who have 15-16 month olds that sleep less than 2 hours during the day and about 10-10.5 at night.  I think technically, this is just on the low end of "normal".  I guess I really want to know that I'm not the only one as it seems like everyone I know IRL has kids that sleep SO much better than this.

Here's his typical routine (and when I say typical, for the last week):
Wake 6
Nap 12 (lately for about 1 hour 15 min)
BT 7-7:30

The week before last, he was up at 6:30, nap at 12:30, BT 8.  He was sleeping for 2 hour naps and 10.5 hour nights for a few weeks in a row.  I thought I died and went to heaven.  We have had some chaos, DH has been gone for 4.5 weeks, mom came for a visit, we went on a 2 day trip to see DH, teeth.  So I don't know if this is why everything fell apart, or if I need to once again extend his morning A time?  I've tried everything between 5-6 hours and get the same result. 

[~inbalance~]

It is tricky, isn't it!  I found that with DS1, 1hr 15min naps were his specialty, and if ever he slept longer then something fishy was up!    I wonder if it is your DS's natural rhythm to have 1hr 15min naps, but the 2hr ones were due to a growth spurt or something like that.

My DS1 was probably very similar to yours around this age, I know he was teething and it really threw everything off.  He actually didn't start taking 2hr naps consistently until after 18mos.

What about an earlier bedtime on the days his naps are shorter?

[sianie]

Hi Kim!

I agree that it's tough to work out whether an LO is low sleep needs or whether it is a combination of teeth/development etc etc all added into the mix.

I think your DS transitioned early to one nap didn't he? A lot of lower than average sleep needs LO's do tend to transition earlier to 1 nap/ no nap etc & do tend to be able to manage longer A-times for their age.

I agree with Martina about the earlier BT on the back of the shorter nap....(unless he's just more likely to wake earlier?).

[kimmbba]

Thanks ladies.  He's notoriously been a short napper, so when things got longer I was really excited.  I think he doesn't need as much sleep as I wish he did   I will put him to bed a little early if he doesn't take a longer nap and/or is really crabby and sleepy earlier than when his BT is.  It sometimes means a gamble on an early wake up, but other times he surprises me and sleeps a little longer too.

[~inbalance~]

I hear ya Kim, he really does sound like my DS1!!  Actually earlier bedtimes worked well for him as he would tack sleep onto his nights.  I always hoped he would nap longer too, but sometimes they just get their sleep in different ways than we had in mind.