experience with taking away the nap!

[morvayc]

Hello all.....just wondering if anyone has any experience with intentionally taking away the nap, even when your LO is willing to nap? LO is 22.5 months, and has never been a great night sleeper....lots of NWs and EWs.  On the very rare occasion that we get a wake-up past 6am, it has come after restless early morning sleep.  Our schedule is not totally concrete, because one day she will go down no problem, the next it will take 45 min.....but generally, she has about 6 hrs A time before and after nap, with a nap of 1.5-2hrs.  When I have intentionally shortened the nap, or she short napped herself, she never seems to make up the lost sleep at night, and will often only get about 11-11hrs30min sleep per 24hrs.

[creations]

I don't have experience with exactly what you are asking but I'd say dropping the nap completely is quite a big step to be considering at this age.  It might be more productive to increase the first A time and shift the nap time later, have a decent length nap, a later BT and shift morning WU time later.
for a while my DS's routine looked like this:
6.30am
2-4 2hr nap
BT 8pm
over night 10 hr 30
Whilst not all LOs would be happy with a short A time before BT for some it is suitable.
It isn't always about how much sleep they get in 24hrs its about when they need that sleep. As mine out-grew the above routine his nights went down to about 9hr per night, still with the 2hr nap so 11hr total but he couldn't cope with no napping he needed the sleep in the day and capped naps didn't help his day mood or night sleep, he just ended up in a mess.  When he did finally drop his nap his night lengthened and he did 12hr nights so overall got more sleep but he couldn't have drop his nap earlier than he did if you see what I mean.

Having said that some LOs drop the nap at 24months so it could be possible.  Have she ever done a no-nap day?

[morvayc]

Never a NND, but close......with about a 30 min nap.  She didn't make up sleep on those days either.....sigh. 

[creations]

There are lots of LOs who will not make up time at night unless either the nap is capped consistently (so not a one off short nap but every single day) or drop the nap completely.  Like I said, I really do think it is young to be considering dropping the nap now, it is substantially different from getting through on 30 mins nap even though 30 mins doesn't sound long.

When do the NWs tend to happen?  Before midnight or later?

[morvayc]

She's sooo inconsistent, but if I had to say, I think the majority occur from midnight on.....with really restless sleep from 4am on.

[cath~]

There are lots of LOs who will not make up time at night unless either the nap is capped consistently (so not a one off short nap but every single day) or drop the nap completely.

^^ this.

If she's currently napping for 1.5-2hrs, going to no nap at all (esp at this age) is a huge jump.

I'd try capping at 1hr or 1hr15 maybe and see what difference you see.  Like creations said though, it may take a while (few days or so) before her nights lengthen so you'd have to stick with it for a while to really judge if it's working.

HTH x

[creations]

I'd try capping at 1hr or 1hr15 maybe and see what difference you see.

Great idea. I'd do that and also move the nap later so if you usually put her to nap at 12 then I'd go for 12.30/1.00 (move in stages if needed, a few days 10/20 mins later a few days another 10/20 min later) so that you have a 'set' nap time but that it is 'set' with a longer first A and shorter second A.
If you are worried about her resisting BT if the second A is shorter then:
- she will have had a shorter nap so may not be able to do the longer 6hr A to bed
- if she really resists BT you can move it later