Talking and playing in crib before bedtime...

[Carmela's Mom]

Carmela has been taking her nap at 12:30 for about a week now and it's been working wonderfully but hte last two days she's been playing and talking before going to sleep. Is that a sign of being overtired?  i've been letting her go and yesterday she was up for 1/2 hour and today it looks like it'll be longer.....any suggestions?  Should I put her in earlier? Or just let her work it out?

She's 19.5 months old and Her schedule is:

6:00-7:00 wake up (sometimes as late as 7:30 but not regularly at all)
8:00 breakfast with water
11:30 lunch with water
12:00 milk
12:15 clean up, get ready for nap
12:30-2:15 nap (wake her up at 2:30 if she's not up yet)
2:30 snack
5:30 dinner
6;00 bath
7:00 snack (yogurt)
7:15 bedtime routine
7:30 in crib for bed

She does wake multiple times a night but right now for about 3 seconds each time and is right out (when does that stop?!?!)  ... she either cries out or will talk but either way usually goes to sleep quickly.

[jacks mom]

My kids have been known to play in the crib / bed for up to an hour before they fall asleep. I think its a good sign, that they are comforable and happy in their bed,and they can fall asleep on their own when ready.

[Carmela's Mom]

You are lucky that they can play in their crib and fall asleep...oru problem is that we get an overtired little girl that eventually cries hysterically

[elfin]

I say just leave her.  Myles will go through stages where he is awake for awhile before falling asleep.  I'll hear him bouncing in his crib, talking, laughing, singing, etc.., sometimes for up to half an hour to 45 minutes, and then he eventually falls asleep.