Your approach sounds sensible MusicLover, as does bluebicycle's (post 3). Everyone is different, so it's hard to say. As long as you take your time and monitor as you go, it should be alright.

I've had Xanax prescribed for something like 8 years now. Early on I recall it was a scheduled dosage, but since then it's been PRN, most often for sleep. Sometimes most nights, other times not. No real problems with reducing (though I can appreciate that coming off long-term high dosage would be quite different). I've tended to alternate my meds approach to sleep to try to avoid body habituating to it, and think that is a help with my experience with it.

Which... strikes me as maybe being similar to the buffering(?) effect of your Abilify in tapering down. If that makes sense.

In other words, sounds like a plan! Let your Pdoc know, and keep them apprised. Good luck!