Only getting 11.5hrs of sleep in 24hrs. Are we close to dropping the nap?

[My little Liam]

DS is 27 months and for a good 2 months now he will not do more than 11.5hrs in 24hrs. It doesnt matter if the nap is 1hr (then he will do 10.5 at night) or 2hrs (9.5hrs at night).
If i do a NND he will get a bit closer to 12hrs, maybe 11hr40. By the end of the second NND in a row he is exhausted. He is also teething his 3rd 2yr molar and has been teething them pretty much nonstop for the past 2-3 months or so. Could this be EW because of teeth? I do give DM every night otherwise nights are horrible. He wont seem to settle before a 13.5hr day on a 1hr nap anyway...
Is it possible we need to completely drop the nap and nights will lengthen after a while? Or maybe he is very close to dropping the nap but not there yet? Should i wait for him tp finish teething? It could take another two months as he is a VERY slow teether.

Any experience with nap dropping will be welcome!!

[HenaV]

It could be that he's ready to drop the nap. No advice there, Rs still napping. Just to throw it in there, R did go through a wonky period sleep wise at this age. It was characterised by long NW and/or EW. She too was teething molars. I cut her nap nap by 15m o 1h 45m but
Other to that anything I tried was futile. You may just have to ride it out and do what you need to to manage the OT

For the sake of completeness can post his day in EAS fomat in case there's something obvious there

Hena

[Buttonbobs]

I agree with Hena that it could be developmental. Having said that, this was this time when E started to have the odd NND and when she did nap, she too was getting very short nights - in or case characterised by very late BTs (9/9.39pm) but her nap was quite late 2/2.30 ish for a couple of hours and she would sleep until7am ish.

We just went with it and let her nap if she needed it but had the occasional NnD if we were out or if something important was going on as it suited to let her be awake. You might find as Liam is already managing to self regulate (a longer night with a shorter nap) you could try capping the nap and see if it helps in the long term. He'll be far less tired with a 10.5 hour night and 1 hour nap than with a shorter night and longer nap. Perhaps if you try a shorter nap for a week, he'll settle into a longer night generally.

Am I right in recalling that he's never been HSN?

[My little Liam]

No, he is not HSN. We have been doing a 1hr nap and 10.5hr night for at least 1 month, if not longer.
This is our routine currently
WU 630
Nap 130-230
BT asleep by 8 (if i put down earlier he just rolls around and chats to himself until 8 )

If we do a NND he will be asleep by 645/7 and usually wake up around 630/645 so his night only lengthens by a bit. I thought that of i did a few NNDs in a row that when i did do a nap he would still have a longer night to make up for the NNDs but it seems that is not happening and we go back to the shorter night.

I really miss my 7am WU but am not willing to have him awake until so late at night...
He handles the 1hr nap fine most of the time but he is tired and yawning all morning until the nap whigh makes me feel like he needs a bit more. I just dont know how to get him to sleep more!

[koe2moe]

Hi!  I would try two things.  1) more gradual way: have him down for his nap 15 mins, so he would be less tired for his nap and wake him after 30 or 45 mins, same bedtime.  Or 2) cold turkey: drop the nap and have him in bed 11.5 hrs from WU time.  So on the ebt side for the first night.  Then aim at 12h from WU as bt for two more nights to see how it goes. 

[My little Liam]

1) more gradual way: have him down for his nap 15 mins, so he would be less tired for his nap and wake him after 30 or 45 mins, same bedtime.   

So you mean to give him a nap at 115-145/2?

2) cold turkey: drop the nap and have him in bed 11.5 hrs from WU time.  So on the ebt side for the first night.  Then aim at 12h from WU as bt for two more nights to see how it goes. 

We did have 2 NNDs in a row last week. The first night i did 11hr45 after WU and he sleet 11hrs40. the next night he was in bed after 12hrs and i am not sure when he woke as i only heard him when his groclock came on(he is usually quiet in the morning so i only know exactly when he wakes in the morning when i am awake before him) so i am not sure if he did 11hrs40 again or if he slept closer to 12hrs, but he was really tired around 4pm of the second NND, almost crying about everything, then it passed and he was fine again for our usual EBT.

[scruffymax]

Hi there, just to throw a spanner in the works could you try giving his nap earlier? Then he would have a longer stretch til bt, and be more tired. Might work particularly if he's looking tired all morning like you said. I just wonder if he's really ot and it's perpetuating the cycle. I could of course be completely wrong as I know children of this age can stop napping. My dd is about 2 months older than your ds and she finds it hard to sleep if I leave it til 130pm to put her down for her nap, and she wakes later than your ds. They are of course all different, so please ignore me if needed as you know your lo best!

[My little Liam]

Thanks for your input! I have tried that as well but anything under 6.5hr of A time in the morning causes really bad EW...

[Buttonbobs]

I think the fact that you've been on capped naps for a while anyway, why don't you try capping a little more (say 10/15 mins less) and put down for BT at the same time as usual and see what happens. You could pull the nap slightly later too and see if overall the helps him sleep later in the morning too.

[My little Liam]

Well i actually happed to try what you are sufesting today ashe didnt fall asleep for his nap until 150. I woke him at 235. In bed at 730 as usually and he is still in there talking to himself... I think i can blame teeth causing nap and bt troubles today because the tooth is cutting at the moment, but i am sure it is not the reason on a regular basis so i will give it a try for a week and get back to you. Thanks!