Nap getting shorter

[Lindsay27]

Hey ladies! So we've been solidly on 1 nap for about a month now both at home and at daycare (at daycare it's been more like 6 weeks).  At first things were great and she'd go down at around 12:30 and sleep 2.5-3hrs, however now naps have shortened a lot, yesterday was about 1.5hrs and today only 1.15hr, which is clearly not enough on 1 nap.  WU is usually 6:30 and we set nap at 12:30 and she falls asleep almost immediately. 

Anyone have any suggestions, I'm really sure not why her nap had shortened so much

[lily_layne]

I don't really have any suggestions but just wanted to say that DS did the same after being on one nap for a month or so. I couldn't do much about it since 5 out 7 naps were at daycare so I just let it be and they lengthened again on their own.

[Martini~]

We had the same. I presume because that's the moment we went from A-naps to set naps.

[Conniesmummy]

I've come to the conclusion that maybe some kids do this. My little girl dropped to one nap around 15 months and would do a good 2.5 hrs and sleep 11.5-12 hrs overnight. Nows she's 18 months and her naps can range from 45 mins to 1.45 depending on where she is and what she is doing. If she has less than an hour she is clearly more tired at bedtime and I will bring bedtime forward to account for this. She does quite a good job at catching herself up, but I still watch this and will occasionally cap a nap and not allow her to sleep in excessively. This is cos I like my evenings and if she sleeps past 7 am it's an almost 8pm bedtime, when usually we wake around 6:15-6:30 with a 7 ish bedtime.

[creations]

however now naps have shortened a lot, yesterday was about 1.5hrs and today only 1.15hr, which is clearly not enough on 1 nap

Maybe it's a blip?  Or could be some tooth movement causing a bit of discomfort (if not proper pain from cutting, just a bothersome nag) so she comes fully awake when in the light sleep rather than transitioning.
Or, there is a possibility that she is only sleeping one cycle and UT for the next.
I do remember trying to find out about sleep cycle length many years back.  Although babies have a cycle length usually 40 or 45 mins long Tracy said their cycle lengthened from 6-12 to become closer to that of an adult.  It might be that your LO's full cycle is 1hr 15 mins.

For one or two days I would just call it a blip and continue your set nap and BT but for longer than that or for an upset LO crying from being tried I'd consider trying an additional 10 mins A time (ie move set nap 10 min later) but I don't know if your day care allow for this kind of tweaking so it may not be an option for you.  If the longer A time is needed but day care have set nap times I suppose longer term the option could be to wake her a bit earlier in the morning so that nap stays at 12.30 but she can be tired enough to sleep two cycles? Just ideas 

[Lindsay27]

On Sunday when she did the 1.15hr nap she sat up and then laid back down and tried to go back to sleep, and she wasn't crying so I just watched her on the monitor, and she tried for a good hour to go back to sleep but for whatever reason she couldn't.  I know she obviously has more stimulation at daycare, I kind of float the nap a bit and it has been as early as 12:15 and as late as 1pm depending on WU and her general mood, but I would say most days at home it's 12:30.  I guess I will see how this weekend goes, she seems to be ok at daycare.

[lily_layne]

I kind of float the nap a bit and it has been as early as 12:15 and as late as 1pm depending on WU and her general mood, but I would say most days at home it's 12:30.

This is what we do too. It worked for both DD and DS.

[Martini~]

As said before - we had the same situation. It went as short as 1:15 which occasionally mean I did have to do 15min catnap in a pram around 4:30. I tried pushing the nap but it was a disaster, so I just stick with 12:00 noon with 7am wakeup. At nursery I couldn't move the nap so that was it. Finally he settled at 1.5-2h depending on the day around 14/15mo, and from 16 months till 18mo he did a solid 2h every single day.