Return of the 30 min nap at 11 months. Noooooooo!

[oneplusone]

The last few days LO has been having 2 X 30' naps and that's all day. Previously she was doing 1 hr and 20 min twice a day. She's clearly tired and miserable but won't go back to sleep. I think it's too early for dropping to one nap, but maybe not? My son went to daycare at 12 months and was forced into one nap so I'm not sure how long they typically keep on napping twice a day.

Her routine is:
5:30 - wake up (yes early but she's always been an early riser)
8:30/9:00 - first nap X 30'
1:00/1:30 - second nap X 30'
5:30/6:00 - bedtime.

I'm BFing 4 X a day and she eats a lot of solids and drinks water well. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! I was just going to wait it out but it seems to be turning into a pattern...

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

In the absence of any other issues I would she is showing that she may be ready for one nap. Tbh I am not sure what the "normal" age is...all three of my kids went to one nap before a year old, mostly because I am impatient and never liked playing around with A times.

[oneplusone]

Thanks. I think she still needs two because she gets up so ridiculously early... It is easier once they get down to one nap and it's a nice long one! But I thought it was a little young.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

She does get up early but factoring in the bedtime she is getting a good night sleep. With only a 3 hr A time to the first nap I suspect she is undertired for that nap. Is she having any nw's?

[oneplusone]

No NW. Sleeps from 5:30/6:00 to 5:00/5:30 with one dreamfeed. I've been meaning to wean that but now I'm going back to work and have to cut some day feeds so I'll leave the dreamfeed. I'll try pushing the first nap later. She is miserable and acting tired, maybe bc she's up so early!

[oneplusone]

Pushed the first nap to 4 hrs and then got an hour! Yay! But the afternoon was horrible and she refused the afternoon nap and was awake 6 hrs until a 5 PM bedtime. It was too long. She was miserable. Seems like she's headed towards one nap... But it needs to be longer than an hour!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Sometimes it takes a bit for the nap to lengthen on one nap. Even though she is up early, really after 11.5 hrs night sleep it should be no different than sleeping from 8pm to 7:30 am.  It could be learned tiredness from being used to a particular nap time too.

[oneplusone]

That makes sense about learned tiredness. I also wonder if it's not necessarily an EW, but a NW that's later in her sleeping pattern and maybe that's why she's tired quickly? Like she doesn't actually want to wake up for the day at 5:00 AM?

Still up at 4:45 this AM... Another long day ahead.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Have you tried W2S at all for the ew? Is anything environmental happening causing her to stir (heating coming on etc).

[oneplusone]

Nothing environmental. The last few days have made me think it's the beginning of the 2:1. Today she had a 15' car nap on the AM and then a nice 2 hr nap this afternoon. Here's hoping for an easy bed time. Guess we'll just muddle through the next month or so...

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Fx that bedtime is easy! Nap transitions are crappy, here's hoping it goes ok for you guys!

[oneplusone]

Thanks. It's definitely the 2:1 switch plus me going back to work hasn't helped it. Plus side she slept over 12 hours last night due to stupid short naps.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Nice night! Silver lining I guess. Hmm yes the change of going back to work would be part of it too.