Hey, yes I keep thinking it's teeth but it seems to go on for so long that I then to start to wonder whether that's just an excuse!
Last A time is most short yes. We've tried later bedtimes but that does seem to bring on the worst of the EWs. Around 5am sometimes. Which results in a wholly knackered and grumpy family all round.
There's been a few times when we've had no nap or just a short nap in the car when we've gone somewhere for the day and that has just resulted in meltdowns and a distressed baby bear by around 6pm. Who still takes ages to go to sleep and wakes up early
I was at work today and got home around 6.45. My lovely mother in law had her in bed and I sang her bedtime songs and did the usual routine. She was awake until half 8, just mucking about and singing for the first hour but when I went in at half eight (having left her for 40 minutes) there was lots of eye rubbing and crying. I stroked her hair and gave her a little cuddle and she's gone straight off. It's like this a lot.
Like the loop idea. Think you are right. Her routine is:
Wake - Between 5.45 and 7
Milk with daddy downstairs and a story
Breakfast - 8
Activity - 9/9.30
Lunch - 12
Nap - 1 - 3.30 (sometimes more, until 4)
Tea - 5.30
Bath/Wind down from now till 7.15/7.30
Then hold breath till sleeps.....
We are getting some NW, maybe a couple a night. She's quite groggy from her naps when she wakes up and can take up to 30 minutes to properly wake up. Then it's full steam ahead and she's often quite hyper after tea. (Teatime is also quite hard at the minute - refusal to eat, bad behaviour, demanding cuddles and sit on my laps to eat..) It can be a bit of a mare to wake her up before she's ready. She's been like that since she was born. Naptime has become something that she dictates when it ends. We've had to wake her a few times recently to go out or because it's getting late and it has resulted in 10-15minutes of utter sobbing and confusion from her followed by an afternoon of difficult behaviour.
Sorry - an essay!