35 min naps for 8 month old

[ENMS]

Hi there!!

My 8 month-old DD has never been a good napper but things were going smoothly for us with 2 1-hour naps (sometimes one nap 1h20).  In the past 2 months or so, she would always sleep between 50 min and 1h20.  There would never be 30-45 minute naps. I was glad this phase was over! 

But ever since christmas, she's been consistently having 35 minutes naps and I don't understand why.  We didn't go anywhere during the holidays and didn't change her routine.  We were at home for all her naps almost and she was in bed by 7PM as usual.  My in-laws came to our house but it was nothing unusual.

She sleeps 12-12.5 hours at night, I'm starting to think it might be too much for her?  Here's her routine:

Wake: 7:15
E: 7:30 bf, 8:15 cereal and fruit
S: 10:15-10:50
E: 11:30 bottle, 12:15 chicken or beef with veggies
S: 1:30-2:05
E: 3:30 bottle
E: 5:15 cereal, veggies and fruit
E: 6:30 bf
S: 7:00

She is starting daycare this week progressively since I go back to work on Feb. 1. I know she's going to need her rest and have enough trouble as it is adapting to a new sleep environment, I'd like to be sure her routine is tweaked alright.

She was able to have A time of 3:00-3:30 but now is all over the place lately as I think she's getting OT from the short naps.

Thanks.

[*Jo*]

Hi, well it would seem as though OT is starting to kick in if the naps are only 35miins long. for an 8 month old with an A time of 3.5 hours and still getting 12+ hours sleep at night is great, i know we couldnt fit in all our A times and naps and still get a 12 hour night in.

heres what I am thinking: try giving a 3 hour 15min A time for the first one (just because its in between what she can handle so we are doing a trial and error thing here) and see how long her nap is. if she takes a short nap i would cut the second A time to only 2 hours, after only a 35 min sleep many LO's can only handle 2 hours at that age.
what do you think of that?

[ENMS]

I am sooo scared of losing our nights, I really want to end this.  So I'll try what you're suggesting with 3h15 of A time, and I'll see what I can do for the second nap, usually, even when she has a short nap, the next A time is not cut down, and if I try to put her to bed earlier she doesn't fall asleep.  Maybe I'll just keep the activity really quiet, it might help.

I'll definitely keep you posted!