Author Topic: 3 Naps time to transition to 2 naps  (Read 17062 times)

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Offline jreimer

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3 Naps time to transition to 2 naps
« on: December 06, 2008, 01:56:31 am »
I have an almost 8 month old and I think its time to transition to 2 naps - though I don't know how to do it!

Here's our current schedule (it depends on when he wakes (sometimes he sleeps in til 8, but bedtime is within a 1/2 hour).

5-6ish - early waking, bottle and back to bed
7:00-9:00 - awake
       8:00 - solids
9-10:30 - nap - 1.5 hours is good :) (usually can get at least an hour)
10:30-1:00 awake
      12:00 - bottle, solids
1:30-3:00 - nap - same thing here as last one (we usually shoot to wake up around 3:00)
3:00-5:30 - awake
       4:30 - bottle
5:30-6:15 - nap - 30-45 minutes
6:15-8:00 - awake
       7:00 - solids
       7:15 - bath
       7:30 - bottle
by 8:00 - bed

I can't seem to keep up any longer in the morning. 2 hours is sometimes pushing it even. But I can usually squeeze in 2-2.5 hrs. My mom keeps saying he doesn't need a 5:00 nap - but without it, he'd be up for 5 hours! I don't want to move his bedtime any earlier... I know people say to move it earlier and they may sleep later, it doesn't seem to work for us - I've finally gotten him sleeping almost 11 hours (with slight wakings) - I don't want that to change. I can adjust it to 7:30 maybe, but no earlier.

He seems to either fight the 2nd or 3rd nap lately. 2nd nap - getting up early and then konking out during the 3rd (and then I have to wake him) - or fighting going to sleep at all for the 3rd nap.

How do I go about making this transition?

Offline Katw

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Re: 3 Naps time to transition to 2 naps
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2008, 10:43:59 am »
Hiya,

My DS is 7mths today and I am going to go ahead and drop the catnap too. I have been changing my mind back and forth over past few weeks as to whether to do it but now the NW's are getting more frequent and last night he was up over an hour but was chatting not crying , so I am guessing he needs less day sleep.

You will need to stretch his awake times up to 3hrs to drop catnap. So he would be up 7am-10am , sleep 10am-11.30am, up 11.30am- 2.30pm, sleep 2.30pm - 4pm , bed 7pm. This way if you increase his A times you should get two 1.5hr naps for the day.

I have decided to just go for it today as our catnap is only 10mins at the moment and thats what is contributing to our bad nights, so I am going to try 3hr A times and see how we go - figure can't be much worse than now anyway!!!

Hope you do ok with stretching him out, good luck....Hopefully someone else will give you some more advice too.....HTH

Offline becky1969

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Re: 3 Naps time to transition to 2 naps
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2008, 16:53:59 pm »
I agree with PP -- you're going to need to stretch A times.  I think the reason he can't stay awake very long in the AM is b/c nights are a tad too short for him.  He's using that 1st nap as night extention sleep.  Believe it or not, earlier bedtime *will* probably get you longer nights! And not only that, I suspect he'll be able to stay awake longer in AM too!

You don't want to push to 3 hours A time all at once.  You'll have to do it gradually.  We usually say to do it 15 minutes every 3 days.  But in your situation, what I'd be tempted to do is let that PM nap go as long as he wants, and then put down for bed somewhere between 2.5-3 hours later.  That should get you in the 7:30 range for bedtime.  I suspect a 7/7:30 waking is what you'll get in the morning, which puts you on a nice footing for working on stretching A times.

That's hwo I'd go about it! 
Owen, 12/28/05 7 lb 2 oz

Enjoying the toddler years!

Offline JBsMommy

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Re: 3 Naps time to transition to 2 naps
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2008, 02:06:58 am »
I am so glad to see this post!

My DD will be 8 months tomorrow and I am having the exact same issues. She just refuses that 3rd catnap, but her 2nd nap of the day ends too early to keep her up until a 7:30 bedtime. I wasn't sure at what age to drop the catnap, but it seems like this is the perfect time. I will start trying to extend her A times gradually and hopefully notice a difference.
Heather


Offline pdaryani

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Re: 3 Naps time to transition to 2 naps
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2008, 18:55:24 pm »
My DS is 8 months and 2 weeks old. And just recently I was able to move his to 3 to 2 naps.

I have always had the problem with early sleep times. He always wakes up early morning, if I put him to bed early. He strictly takes only 9 hrs night time sleep and 3.5 to 4 hours nap time in day.

So, I have kept his sleep time late (9:30 pm). It just works better for me.

he had a  3 hrs A time when he was taking 3 naps.

Now he has 4 hrs A time. This is his schedule

7:30/8 am: Bottle Feed 6 oz
8:30 am:bath
9 am: 4 tbsp cereal + 1 stage 2 jar fruit
10:30 am: 1.5 hr to 2 hr nap
1:00 pm: Bottle feed 6 oz
2:00 pm: lunch, some home made veggies + fruit
3:30 pm: 2nd nap of the day, 1.5 hr to 2 hrs
5:30/6:00 pm: Bottle feed 6 oz
7:30 pm: Dinner
9:00 pm: last bottle
9:30 pm: goto bed