Dropping the catnap

[*Kimberly*]

Hello all.  I am fairly new here.  I usually never post anything because I get all my questions answered by just reading you guys. 

I too am struggling with the whole afternoon catnap thing.  My little one, Brendan, is 6 months old.  Here is his schedule:

7am Bottle @4oz
8am Solids @3oz
9-11am Nap
11am Bottle @4oz
12pm Solids @3oz
1-3pm Nap
3pm Bottle@4oz
4pm Solids @4oz
5 or 5:30 to 5:45 6:15pm Catnap
7pm Bottle @5oz
9:30 Dream Feed 4oz, would drink more but that is all I give him.

I try to extend his wake time but often it just makes him more cranky.  I am not sure if extending the time between the bottle and the solids would help.  Sometimes he is starving within an hour of his bottle because he is not eating a lot.  I am not sure if I am trying to do too much by trying to get rid of his dream feed and the cat nap.  He is also teething, his first, right now. 

I am not sure how much this has to do with his sleep/activity time but he has had a lot of problems with constipation.  When he is constipated he eats less, so could this also affect his ability to stay awake?  We have cut everything out of his diet that might possibly be a problem and he is still not very regular. 

Thanks.
Kimberly aka TinkerBeal

[*Kimberly*]

He sleeps pretty well at night.  Lately he has been waking up off and on from about 5-7am.  I don't go in and get him, I just let him talk or play because he doesn't cry.  It does however affect his morning nap sometimes because he is tired and goes down for his first nap early.

There are days that he will skip his afternoon catnap completly.  Right now he seems to be pushing it back so far that I am afraid that it is going to start affecting his bedtime.  There are some days that he will stay up till 6pm and then want his nap.  Should I let him have it and then just extend his bedtime or should I try to put him down a little earlier so that he will still go to bed at 8pm?  I try not to let him sleep more than 45min and not past 6:15 or 6:30pm.

Thanks for all the help.

Kimberly

[*Kimberly*]

We had been going for a walk inbetween the bottle and dinner, I can easily move it to after dinner.  There are days that he ends up with only a 15 or so minute nap and it does seem to refresh him some.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I will try it tonight.

Kimberly