Help! 15mo suddenly dropped a nap!!

[soji]

Hi there -

My 15 mo used to do 2 naps (9:30 (until about 11:20) and then again at 2pm (until 4pm)).  About 2 weeks ago, her afternoon naps were getting a little shorter - about 50 minutes in she'd wake up and then she may sleep again for another 20 mintues, but not getting the full 2 hours anymore.  Then suddenly last week, she stopped sleeping one of her naps.  From day to day it changes from dropping the morning nap to the afternoon nap.  THere's no rhyme or reason.  I was thinking about starting to shorten her morning nap to just 1 hour or 45 minutes, but at this point I don't think she will even go down at all!  I don't know if she's going to sleep her morning one really well or her afternoon one really well.  And when she does finally take her nap, I know right away b/c she'll be down in a few minutes (b/c she's so tired!!)  If she's not down w/ i 20 minutes, she won't go down at all.

Luckily, this hasn't really affected her night time sleep (still 7:30pm-7am).  But it's driving me crazy.  I've been sticking w/ the 2 nap schedule b/c it's her routine and i thought she would eventually fall back to it, but now I don't know. Here's what's been going on...

Sat: 9:45-11 played in crib/ 1:25-3 slept, then played until 3:15pm (not putting herself back down)
Sun: 1130-12:30 slept (we put her down later on Sundays b/c of church - we actually had to wake her b/c we had a family luncheon)/ 3:00-4:25 played in crib
MOn: 9:40 in crib. Slept from 10-11/ 2-3:25 slept (this was the only good day this week!)
Tues: 9:40-11 slept/ 2:10-3:45 played in crib
Wed:9:30-10:45 played in crib/2-3 slept, then played in crib until 3:40
Thurs: 9:30-10:30 played in crib/1:30-3 slept, then played in crib until 3:30
Fri: 10-11:30 slept (tried pushing back nap a little later)/ 2:30-3:30 played in crib
Sat (today): 10:30 in crib/fell asleep by 10:50 and sleeping right now (thank GOD!)

I've reread BW book 2 (can't remember the long title) and Tracy's gradual plan to drop a nap, but I just don't think it will work for me.  Any tips, suggestions would be great.  I'm not even sure what I should do this afternoon.  I am going to let her sleep as long as she can this morning, just b/c I think this will be her only nap today and I'd rather her sleep for 2 hours now then wake her up after 45 minutes and then watch/listen to her play in her crib in her afternoon nap.  I will put her down this afternoon again (depending of course on what time she wakes up from nap 1), but I'm not expecting her to sleep.  I think it's good to still put her down, tho, b/c it gives her downtime by herself to rest, if she chooses to.  Should I jsut start on a 1 nap schedule?  She hasn't been catnapping at all, just playing the entire time!!

I need a plan!  FYI: She will be starting day care in 4 weeks when she's 16 months and they will only do 1 nap from 12:30-2;30.
 
please help!!!

[soji]

well, she just answered my afternoon nap question.  She jsut woke up so her morning nap this mornign was from 10:50-11:30.  I'll put her down for nap 2 at 3 and shoot for 1 1/2 hours.

[Layla]

Hi Soji....

A couple of things you can do:

* continue to offer the morning nap but shorten it to 30mins & offer her the afternoon nap 3hrs later...
* If she is playing in the crib for the duration of the morning nap & you see she's not having anything to do with sleep (just not tired) then you could get her up, do 1/2 lunch or big snack & shoot for 1 nap around 11.30am - let her sleep up to 2.5hrs
* If she continues to refuse the pm nap on as little as 30mins morning nap then I would forget the morning nap altogether & go cold turkey on 1 nap.... do the 1 nap about 4.5hrs from the time she wakes & bedtime about 5hrs from the time the nap ends
* if that 1 nap is short (like 1hr short) then do beditme much earlier & aim for 12hr night

At this age they can go from 2 naps to 1... I would be tempted to go cold turkey on 1 nap especially that in 4 weeks time she will be at daycare & thats what they provide

How did the afternoon nap go?
Layla

[soji]

Thanks so much Layla!
She (remarkably) slept an afternoon nap on Saturday.  She went into her crib at about 2:30 and fell asleep around 3:15.  She woke up at 4:30.  SInce it was Saturday we went out for dinner and she was asleep by 8pm.  and up the next morning a little after 7am. 
Sundays are difficult b/c of church.  SHe did a nice 1 1/2 hour nap (11:45-1:15) and then played in her crib from 3-3:45 (we wanted to at least try, you know?)
It is now Monday and I put her down for her am nap at 9:56.  She played a little but i think she's down (it's now 10:27).  I'll get her up by 11:15 and try her afternoon nap at 2:30. 

well, i'm watching on the monitor and it looked like she was about to fall asleep but now she's on her back playing with her feet.  She is lying down at least.  Sometimes she just walks around the crib for an hour!!!

Thanks again.  I'm so reluctant to move her schedule around, but maybe it's time.  Well, it's time. I jsut need to accept that!!  Any other tips are most appreciated!