Okey dokey, I think we're close. I'd bump that A another 10mins for the afternoon one tomorrow. Then do wake to sleep.
The key is with it is to know their sleep patterns. For the first 20mins, they are in light sleep and can be easily disturbed unless they're absolutely knackered and have crashed. So no disturbing them in the first 20mins. After that they move into a deep sleep. I would suggest you go in at the 30minute mark and very gently stroke her cheek.. Enough to hear her breathing change (or they sigh) and back out very quietly. It can be used on older babies. I did it for mine at around 8.5 months and it just taught her to sleep longer. I think as she was so used to 45minute naps she was habitually waking then, even when the A time was long. I had to do it for a good week, then when she regressed back (I mentioned it in an earlier post) I had to up the A and do it again for another 3days. Don't get me wrong, there were days when it didn't work and I felt really down about it. I'd do w2s and she'd still wake up at 45mins!! But looking back it was because her A time was too short for her.
Worst case scenario is she wakes at 30mins, but hey, that's only 10mins less than you're getting anyway so it's worth a shot?
To answer your questions - mine is 11.5mo. After help on here, her sleep improved within a week or so, regressed, then was good for another month until the 2-1 transition craziness started. But luckily I was well informed this time, and have ongoing support on here which helps.
I think your LO sounds so much like mine. I think if we get the right A for her, she will sleep longer it just takes a little more time than most. Probably because we let it go on for so long! There's obviously an element of learned behaviour so wake to sleep is probably our best option. Yes, they do go backwards sometimes (as mine did and still is), now I just know what to do the next day to sort it out! And EBT is key on the days it doesn't work!