Confused - 10.5 mth old + bedtime creeping later - reduce a nap or start switch?

[*Carrie*]

So, hoping for some advice here.
I'm sure some folk would say "what have you got to complain about?" but here goes

DS2 is 10.5 months and is doing great except his A time between wake up from pm nap has extended and his bedtime is creeping later and later. He's going down now around 8.15pm and we'd prefer a 7.30pm bedtime.
Routine is as follows

7.15am Woken by DS1 (how sweet!)
10.30 - 12 am nap
3.30- 4pm nap
Asleep by 8.15pm

So, I've been checking out the FAQs about making the switch to one nap because he has always been on the low end for sleep needs and jumped the gun on things like dropping the catnap. As DS1 went to one nap shortly after his first birthday I was thinking DS2 might be needing to switch before then... BUT, it's jumping out at me that he isn't refusing either of his naps, it's just bedtime that's the problem AND everything and everybody seems to scream "KEEP TWO NAPS AS LONG AS YOU CAN"!!

So I was wondering if maybe I should reduce his morning nap to an hour which would move his pm nap earlier and magically bring bedtime closer to that 7.30 magic time??? Or should I just go with the flow for a while longer and suck up the later bedtime?
What do you think??

Thanks, Carrie x

[Khalam's Mama]

I think with increasing A's a later bedtime is inevitable. If you cut his long nap he isn't getting any long restorative naps and may end up OT. A 13hr day is fairly standard at this age from what I read on here and in the books and experience with my DS.

[*Carrie*]

Thanks Khalam's Mama - so you'd say "just go with the flow" and put up with the later bedtime?
Anyone else?
Is it true that we need to make sure at least one nap is an hour and a half?
If we had to choose between two naps, one being an hour and one being say 40 mins or one long nap should we aim for one nap?
I'd love to know more thoughts if anyone's got them xx

[Khalam's Mama]

I think he needs at least one good nap though I hope someone else will jump in and give an opionion too. You could cut his 2nd nap so it is only 20mins (more a refresher to get him to bedtime than a restorative sleep) and then you could cut his last A time since he will be more tired and that might bring bedtime a little earlier. As you say most people say keep 2 naps as long as possible.

[*Carrie*]

That's an idea about cutting the pm nap to say 20 mins... seems so cruel when you've gone through the bedtime ritual and got him off to sleep in the cot... but maybe if it could be a wee snooze in the car or pram perhaps?

[~Kiki]

We were having a similar problem, so I tried messng around with the naps...it resulted in not sttn. Yesterday, I tried not messing with her naps and back to sttn. I know the personal time in the evening is nice, but I prefer a solid night sleep. Especially since with 2 there is no down time during the day Hope you find something that works for you!

[*Carrie*]

Yeah - last thing we want to do is lose the sttn!!! And I know what you mean about no down time - we've got that going on here too (probably another reason we wanted the magic 7.30pm bedtime!) Thanks Kiki - maybe I shouldn't be rocking the boat and just take the later bedtime. It won't be forever. We'll get earlier bedtimes when he does make the switch and I guess I should wait for him to be refusing naps or waking early before we make any moves. Thanks ladies xx

[~Kiki]

Yeah, cutting the nap in the pm just made our lo super overtired at bedtime. In theory it seemed like it would work, but not so much for us Maybe we will try it again in awhile. I know with having the 2 I am SO ready to not have to be locked into the 2 naps anymore. It is funny, lo 1 dropped hers super early and I hated it, now I'm looking forward to it this go around

[Yazzie]

We're right here with you Carrie, used to have an 08.00 pm bedtime & since we started the transition our days are 13~13.5 hrs, so ds isn't asleep till 09.00 or 09.30..!!!..I need my nights back..

That said, everyone keeps talking about sticking with 2 naps for as long as possible & I've also read alot about lo(s) not being ready for 1 nap till they can do 5hrs A time, so I'd just making the PM nap 45 mins, in which case he won't be able to do the 4.15 hrs A time before bed & you can have him down @ 07.15

[*Carrie*]

Thanks Yazzie. Thing is he's doing 4 hr A time on just a 30-40 min nap as it is! So we'll have to cut it to 20 mins if we "do" anything. The more I talk about it the more I think it's not really such a bad thing and we can live with it a while longer.... so maybe I'll just keep the status quo for now.
So what's going on with you guys right now that you say you're in transition? Is Adam showing signs of being ready?