Where to go from here?

[Kellyjs]

Hi, just thought we needed a routine check if that's ok? Not a desperate plea for help for a change! 

DD is currently going through (what I think is) a little language leap and I've just found the last remaining canine is on it's way after being teething-free for a month  . Based on how the rest of her teeth came through, this probably means her 2-yr old molars are on their way soon so thought if a routine tweak is needed it's probably best to do it now?

We're currently doing:

Wu 6.30am
Nap 12.45-2.15pm
BT 7.15pm

She has always taken 30mins to settle for sleep at BT no matter what I do. However, I did let her sleep a little longer yesterday for 1.75hrs (oops) and she didn't fall asleep until 8. This did make me think the nap needs playing around with a little. I should mention as well that when we were away for the Easter hols, for one day she only napped 30mins in the car at 12pm, had a late BT of 7.30pm and still took 30mims to go to sleep    .

She's being a little bit grumpy when I wake her from her nap lately and is also trying to sleep in here and there in the morning so I'm actually wondering if she's having enough sleep even though she could if she actually went to sleep at BT 

So what do I do? Stick with the 1.5hr nap as is for a while? Or do I look at moving the nap later again? She can handle mammoth A times in the morning no problem at all (ie 8hrs once or twice on a full-on day) but now I do feel she's more of an ASN LO than on the lower side like I first thought when she was younger, due to her being able to handle A times much higher than the average. I feel like as we've been on this routine (give or take 1/2hr sleep) for well over a year, surely we must be due a change up?

TIA xx

[creations]

If moving the nap later is going to move BT later (or rather when she will fall to sleep) then I wouldn't move it.  I really do think if it's working leave it be.
Mine liked super long morning A times or wouldn't nap but seems your DD is napping even though she *can* manage a longer morning A but that the afternoon A is where you need to watch to make sure she can get to bed on time, for now at least.  If morning WU was getting earlier or nap was shortening I would look at moving the nap later and either capping the nap to maintain BT or for a while sucking up the later BT.
Just to keep in mind about toddlers, some manage a shorter and shorter nap and maintain night length well, others don't. Mine really needed a full length nap to be fully rested even though it meant a shorter night as we moved closer towards the nap drop.

I remember 21 months being prime time for a language leap - awful sleep disruption but right back on track afterwards - enjoy the new words!

[Kellyjs]

Thanks so much creations. I had to chop some of the nap back as previously i woke her at 2.30pm and she still wasn't going to sleep until 7.45pm with a 7pm BT. Thanks for reminding me about that.

Funnily enough I think she could actually sleep longer for her nap if I let her! Definitely a first here if you remember?! I'll definitely keep an eye out for EW as she is v prone to that when she needs a later nap ( or did do before). I just thought the norm was to move the nap later and later until it's dropped?

I do think she does better with an 11hr night rather than these 10/10.5hrs she's having now. That might get better after this language leap and teething I suppose? I have noticed when we go out for the day and she has a 40mins car nap she can tack on and do close to a 12-hr night and be right as rain. Don't suppose we really need a 12-hr night now the weather is getting better though do we?! 

Oh and new words seem to be 'dirty' and 'mess'! Not good for a clean freak like me  . Had to Hoover twice yesterday to keep the little munchkin happy  xx

[creations]

Give her the vacuum and let her get on with it (we have one of those small hand held type which DS has used for a loooong time - who needs toy vacuums??)

I just thought the norm was to move the nap later and later until it's dropped?

For some. I've seen LOs go down to a 15 min or so micro nap before dropping altogether. For others though, no way.
Another option is to leave the nap longer and begin the odd no nap day, napping say 13 days out of 14 keeps them tired enough to do the nap, then gradually increase the number of no nap days. This was not our route either though. A single no nap day and he was a danger to himself. I did try it because it's one of the standard routes but it was a real no go.
We had a very steady routine of set nap 2-4pm, BT 8pm for a good while before the transition. When things went off track he was UT at BT so didn't sleep until 8.30 or 8.45, nights ended up getting shorter and shorter, that's when I tried various options such as capping and NNDs - huge mistake for us.  It was a tricky period of transition for sure but after some wobbling he eventually went back to 2-4nap and 8pm BT. The one day he had hand, foot and mouth, very poorly, slept a 2.5hr nap because I couldn't bare to wake him when he was so ill. He never napped again!  That was it, dropped cold turkey over night.  Yeah the odd micro nap in the car (even now but rare), and after 2 weeks he was pretty OT and slept a 2 hr nap in my bed with me (unheard of!), but as far as routine went he just dropped the nap from 2 hours to zero. I know there are a few other LOs here have done the same.
It really does depend on the LO.

It sounds like she's maybe looking for a bit more sleep somewhere, how about trying a one off lie in at the weekend if you don't need her up for anything?  if she's regularly woken in the morning and from nap too she doesn't really have a place she can catch up if needed (to self regulate), she may just need a bit more sleep due to teeth or developmental leap rather than as standard in her routine.

[Kellyjs]

That's so interesting, thanks for sharing. You're so right as usual, I really haven't given her a chance to self-regulate, silly me. I did let her lie in this morning, she only managed to 6.45am though  .

I'm thinking she might not be able to handle a NND yet, maybe because she's being super grumpy atm, but it's definitely something to bear in mind. I'm sure as summer gets under way and we're out more in the day time, there will be not as many at home naps anyway. I have a feeling we'll either end up going down your route and keeping a longer nap and shorter night, or just gradually capping the nap back. I do like having a plan for the future!

Thanks so much as always hun, we'll just keep plodding on and I'll peruse what others have done further down the 1-0 to prepare myself  xx

[creations]

Oh there's no rush to do no nap days at all. Just keep going so long as your routine is working. Don't forget some LOs are still napping at 3yo+

Sounds like you will have a lovely summer though if she's able to nap out and about and tack on at night when needed!  I always had to get DS home for his nap so our days basically ended at 2pm when his nap started, by the time he was up at 4pm it was too late to go anywhere plus be back in time for dinner, BT routine etc.

[Kellyjs]

That's what has been nice about capping the nap back from 3pm initially now to 2.15pm, we can actually go out for a nice walk or something without getting her up and start cooking tea!

She will nap in the car (no chance ever in the buggy) but only after a minimum of 4hrs A and will only do 30-40mins max. Bless her though, if we are out and about she's usually in such a good mood anyway I think she forgets she's tired! Roll on summer