not enough time in the day for naps???

[frankiesmom]

Hi ds is 9.5 months old and it seems that his awake time is extending and he is going to bed so late that I think sometimes it is causing night wakings.
He gets up around 7:30 but his A time is usually 3 hours and 15 minutes, so first nap is 10:45.  As it is now, I am 80% of the time waking him at the 1.5 hour mark.  Then his second nap is at 3:30 and I wake him alot at 5:00.  Now bedtime isn't until 8:15 or 8:30 and then sometimes he wakes at night and I thought maybe it was b/c of too late bedtime.
So, my question is, do I shorten one nap? Both naps? 
He refuses to go down for his naps any earlier and even if he did, 2 days a week he is out at Gymboree and music class until 10:00 so he couldn't get in his crib until 10:30 anyway.  I have to take ds1 out to keep him sane!!!  These are the earliest hours they have any activities so I really don't have much of a choice.  And unfortunately there are no classes for him after ds1's morning nap.
I hate waking him from naps, especially since I was always trying to extend his naps until he was 6 months old!!!!

thanks, Kim

[lilmonkey]

I know how you feel about working so hard at extending the naps and then discovering that you need to shorten one/two just to keep bedtime at decent time. 

Anyway, dd was like that with the nw after sleeping through for mos.  Have you rule out teething, illnesses, SA, etc?  If these are not the causes for the nw and you would like to keep the bedtime constant then I would shorten the pm nap.  Eventually your lo will consolidate her naps into one and you can treat the pm as a catnap during the transition from 2-1 nap.

Hmmm...just realized that you have a 2 yr as well.  Does ds1 still takes his nap? If so than maybe shortening the am nap is better so you can have both napping at the same time in pm?  I don't have two yet to help any further but have you check out the " And then there were two..." forum?  HTH

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

I'd vote for shortening the am nap - maybe making it around an hour? And try for as close to 10.30am as you can.

This is b/c (eventually, not for a while yet) he will be dropping the am nap to get down to one nap, so it's best to shorten that one, rather than the pm one. Also, it's not so hard on them b/c they are still rested from the night's sleep.

[frankiesmom]

Thanks, so you think 10:30 to 11:30 for the first nap and then 2:30 to 4:00 for the second nap and bedtime at 7:30?
Ds #1 does take a nap at the same time as ds #2's second nap, so it would be better for me if I kept that one long. 
DS #1 always took a long am nap and a shorter one in the pm.  So, I just pushed his am nap later and later and he dropped the pm nap to go to one nap.  What will happen with the way I am doing it with ds #2?  Will I keep shortening the am nap until I phase it out altogether? And then the pm nap starts earlier and lasts longer?

Thanks, Kim

[lilmonkey]

Just shorten the am nap to 60 min and still keep the pm nap longer for ds2.  I would keep two naps for ds2 until you notice some oblivious signs of him wanting to drop to 1 nap and it can for a while yet.  Some of the signs are early wakings, nw, fighting one of the naps.  When that happens, you have two options:  gradually shorten the am nap and move the pm nap earlier or cold turkey and not offer the am nap and move the pm nap earlier. 

It can be a little wacky during this transition phase as you would also need to move bedtime earlier for a few days.  Also, I remembered having to help dd lenghten her only nap to about 2 - 2.5 hrs as the 1.5 hr nap wasn't enough as she can only stay awake for about 5 hrs without being cranky.

HTH

[lulu520]

Thanks everyone for the posts... I've been reading this thread b/c I'm having the same issues w/ my DD.  And like Kim (frankiesmom) says, our days sort of extend themselves b/c she doesn't end up going down for her second nap until 4 sometimes and then I make sure she gets up by 5 for an 8pm bedtime. 

She's only 8 months but her awake time can be up to 3.5 hrs at times.  It usually is me trying to get her to nap a little before the 3 hr mark and hanging out in her room until 3.5 hrs.  Urrgg!!  I've been trying to wake her a little after the 1hr mark in the mornings so she can go for a second nap.  I know she's too young to do 1 nap but I'm just guessing these few months are going to be tricky as the A times go from 3.5 to 4 to 4.5 hrs to eventually needing just 1 nap. 

And then lunch has been superlate since I dont' want to wake her to eat since she just got down for a nap in the mornings.  Do most of you find that thru this transition you offer some sort of snack or part of lunch before the nap in the mornings or just have a late lunch until they only need 1 nap?

Thanks!

[lilmonkey]

lulu520 - I kept lunch at around 11:30 am (give or take 30 min) and offer a snack and milk just before her pm nap (1-1:30 pm)  Even now, dd still gets her milk right before nap even if she just had a big lunch.

[frankiesmom]

thanks, he is fighting his pm nap so I am going to shorten his am nap (ugh, that kills me!)  some nights he is up and wide awake for a little while, too.  So i guess i need to decrease the amount of time he is sleeping during the day.
lulu, I give Luca a bottle shortly before both of his naps b/c he doesn't get one first thing in the am anymore, he just gets breakfast with a cup.  He is taking 3 bottles (10, 3, and bedtime) This holds him over until his next meal.

The transition to one nap is a pain but once you get there, it is pretty nice.  Ds #1 did it really easily for me so hopefully his brother will do the same!  good luck!

Kim

[lilmonkey]

Isn't a drag?  Once you think you have them understood and on a nice routine, they go and change it on you b/c they have to grow up!