desperate for 1 yr old to nap

[lizbar]

I am having some major difficulties getting my 12mnth old DD to take a decent nap.  She never was a good napper, but it is getting worse and worse.  I am down to about 1 or 2 30 min naps per day.  She's not cranky during the day, but it seems she is way too young to stop napping.  I have tried early naps, late naps  but nothing seems to click for her to stay asleep for long.  Here is what happened today and she was a happy little girl all day.
6:45  wake
7:30 breakfast
8      milk
11-11:30  nap
12:30   lunch
3:00   tried for nap 2(no success)
6     dinner
7    bed

I honestly am at my wits end with this.  Some days she may sleep for 45 min, but it is basically 30 min.  Sometimes nap #2  will work, but again for 30 min.  She sleeps through the night, but the day is exhausting with no break at all.
Should I try for a much later nap?  Maybe 1 or 1:30?
Thanks for any advice!
   

[andibig]

i'd normally say move the naps earlier as she sounds OT (30 min naps usually a sign) but you say shes not cranky??

she could very possibly be trying to transition to 1 nap esp if she is taking 45 min naps as well.they are usaully a sign of not enough awake time (just to confuse matters-LOL).
i'd start with a nap at around 11.30-12.00 and stick with it for a week.

HTH

[MDHmommy]

I was going to say the same thing - try to scoot that nap to RIGHT after lunch, and maybe make lunch a bit earlier and try it for a good week or so, see how that goes. When they're trying to switch over, sometimes they're not tired enough for a good nap in the early part of the day - but then that little cat nap kind of screws up any chances for a good one in the later part of the day, then they get used to not sleeping for a long stretch during the day and well...it's a vicious cycle!

Can be tough - but do try it for at least a week!

[lizbar]

Thanks for the replies.  I put her down at 12:30 yesterday right after lunch but was awake by 1;00.  This time she was pretty cranky for about 1 1/2 hours.  Do you think after about a week of consistency she will fall into a longer nap pattern?  Someone told me she might be ready to cut out naps completely, but that seems way too early. 
I have my MIL babysit today, so I will tell her to put her down right after lunch. 
Thanks again!

[MDHmommy]

Have you done anything to try to extend her nap at all? If she's in the habit of a short one, she might not just sleep all on her own - you might have to help her through that. And yes, I completely agree that she's way too young to ditch the nap.

[andibig]

shes way too young to cut out her nap!!!!
i was going to ask the same question as the PP.Have you tried to extend the naps at all?

If she is waking consistently cranky then you may have to bring the nap a little earlier.

[lizbar]

I just started WI/WO.  Yesterday I put her down at 1 she slept until 1:35, but I just kept going in her room laying her down saying "night night"  and walk out.  She was not happy about this at all.  It took about 1/2 hour to get her to fall back asleep, but when she did she slept for another hour.  She is upstairs right now crying for me so I shall try this all again.  How exhausting. 

[MDHmommy]

It's SO exhausting, I understand completely - but especially at the age she is...she should catch on pretty soon, this is GREAT progress! And the fact that she went back to sleep for another hour goes to show she was tired!! Hugs to you! And keep up the great work!!

[andibig]

WOO-HOO!!!
30 mins of wi/wo isn't bad at all some mums have had to do it for over an hour to begin with.