Should we go back to two naps?

[Elisanah]

Hi! Just looking for some advice and experiences of the 2:1 transition for my 14.5 month old.

I'd been hoping to keep going with two naps for as long as possible but about 10 days ago, my LO started sleeping 2+ hours on the days she was only having one nap (i.e. the days we were at a group in the am). Prior to this, she'd been having two naps but I had cut the am nap back to 10-15 minutes as she was struggling with her afternoon nap if she slept for longer. She would generally sleep for 1-1.5 hours in the afternoon nap.

In the middle of this we went away for a few days where my dd had two naps a day as she slept in the car to and from places. When we got home she went back to a 2.5 hour nap for one day but the last two days her nap hasn't been more than 1.5 hours. I'm guessing this is from OT?

So I'm just wondering whether I should persevere with the 2:1 transition and keep up with one nap or should I try going back to 2 naps to prevent OT?

Is it normal for the nap to shorten initially before lengthening again?

I was in heaven for those few days as my lo has never been a good napper 

The last couple of days look something like:

Wake - 6-7
Nap - 12.15 - 1.45ish
Bedtime - 7-7.30

Ideally I would bring her bedtime forward during this time but she really fights sleep if I put her down before 7pm.

Any suggestions or stories would be appreciated, thanks!

[Haribo2012]

Hi there, it took a while when we went to 1 nap to get a reliable long nap, I mostly stuck with it or we ended up with stupid late bedtime on2 naps.

You could try a 20 min CN in the afternoon or EBT but you've said this doesn't tend to work. I would say he's OT with that nap, you could bring it a little earlier and see how long he sleeps?

[Elisanah]

Thanks for your reply! I've ended up going back into two naps for now as she was getting so overtired. I think my ideal would be to offer an afternoon catnap like you suggest but she tends to fight a second nap if her first is longer than 30mins

It's good to know that it's probably normal for naps to take a while to lengthen though!

[Buntybear]

Hi, I was going to say what Zoe said really! if she does have a  short first nap and you do feel it is contributing to OT then could you APOP a catnap? Out in the buggy or car maybe? I had to do that in the buggy around his first birthday (January - wet, dark and miserable!) as he would no way to sleep on his own. It is probably only for a few weeks until she can stay awake that bit longer without getting so OT.

It is the or an early BT TBH. Some people have found super early bedtimes to help?