45mins naps are back - routine or teeth?

[JCN]

So, up until 4-4.5 months  old we battled 45min naps day in and day out.

Then at around 5 months old, something clicked and we’ve been enjoying 90min-2hour naps a majority of the time, with me having to often wake him to keep to schedule.

He’s now 6 months old and 2 weeks and the last weeknor so we’ve been struggling to get him to self settle for naps and then he’s waking at the 45min mark and needing APOP (rocking in arms mostly) to settle back off - normally takes just a few mins.

He *is* cutting his first tooth. Is this likely to be the cause or is it time to shake up our routine?

[Katet]

Teeth can always add to the situation.
Also is he on 2 naps. It might be time to start trying for 2 naps.

[JCN]

So, I’ve tried to push out A time and the naps are lengthening to 90mins again which is good.

I am really struggling with the 3-2 nap transition. We are at a point where the CN at 4/4:30pm just isn’t working, but his A time isn’t enough for 2 naps.

Currently looks like this:

WU 6:00/6:15 (I don’t generally mind this time as my toddler is up at 6:30 anyway and on childcare days when I return to work, we have to be up at 6ish anyway)
E: 7:00 (bottle)
E: 7:30 (solids)
A: 2hr45
S: 9:00-10:30 (if an earlier wake up then he sometimes needs to go down earlier at 8:45)

E: 11:00 (bottle)
E: 12:00 (solids)
A: 2hr45
S: 13:15 - 14:30ish (this nap can vary - sometimes wakes at 14:00 & resettling is hit or miss, sometimes wakes at 14:30 or 14:45)

E: 15:00 (bottle)
A: 1h45
CN 16:15 - 16:45
*this is where it’s not working, he’s obviously not tired enough and takes quite a bit of APOP to get him down (10mins of rocking)

E: 17:00
A: 2h15
BT: 19:00

He then wakes at 22-22:30 so I feed, and again around 2:00. Sometimes a couple of other NWs. Then unsettled from 5:30am - APOP til 6:15.

I know I need to drop to 2 naps but not sure what timings would work. I’m not sure he can stretch to 3 hours A.

E:

[Katet]

I found it took a couple of months of back and forth with 3 naps and 2 naps to get there. Definitely had later bedtime on 3 naps, which was easier with my DS2 as he only ever gave 10hours overnight.

[JCN]

Yesterday was :

6:15 WU
S: 9:00-10:30
S: 13:15-14:45
BT: 18:30 (I had aimed for 18:15 but DS1 got in the way, and DS2 didn’t show tired signs until 18:20 anyway and was coping ok)
NWs: 19:30, 21:30- took a lot to resettle, 00:30 (feed), 5:45 EW and APOP until 6:30.
😴

[JCN]

Another 2 nap day and already lots of night wakings.

6:30 WU
S: 9:20-10:20
S: 13:15-14:00(resettled)14:00-15:30 (woken for feed)
BT 18:30

So far woken at 20:15,21:45, 22:15 (dream feed early)

[MiniNs]

I’ve found that new routines can often take a week to settle and show better impact on sleep. Also, you mentioned teething, so perhaps whilst the switch in routine is right for him, those nasty teeth are still causing discomfort and NWs regardless?