Is my 6.5 mo old UT, and perhaps doesn't need two 2-hour naps??

[nancypants]

It was suggested by one of the moderators in "Night Wakings" to post my nap schedule here to see if anyone has any ideas about whether my DS may be UT.

Our 6.5 month old son  has been waking up in the night babbling for almost two hours in the last week.  No crying until about the 2-hour mark, and I assume that is because he is getting OT by that point.

He is on a 7-7 schedule, and he takes two 2-hour naps.  I wondered if anyone else with a baby this age has different nap times.  The two 2-hour naps seems to be the "norm" as per the Baby Whisperer guidelines, and they were working for a while.

The only other things we can think of are: possible teething, a recent cold (where he WAS up in the night), or GS.  However, he does not cry for food, so  I'm thinking growth spurt is not the culprit.  As I said, he is not crying, just babbling...for a long time.

If others have had other  nap routines for a child this age, I would like to know how they have worked out.

Many thanks!!

[lilac83]

Hi!

It may help to post your daily routine so I can take a look. My DD has never really been a 2 hour napper. She has 2 X 1-1.5 hour naps. Some days she needs a catnap, some days she doesn't. But every baby is different.

[nancypants]

Hi

His routine is as follows:  (6.5 months of age)

6:00-6:30 wake (although I don't get him out of his crib until 7:00)
7:00 - Bottle
8:00ish - Solids
9:00 - Sleep (takes 15 mins or so to fall asleep)
11:00 - Wake and bottle
12:00 - Solids
1:00 - Sleep (again, takes 15-20 mins to fall asleep)
3:00 - Wake and bottle
6:30 - bath and bottle and in bed by 7:00

He hasn't catnapped in the evening/late afternoon for months and months.  However, he is very, very tired come 6:30 or so.

[lilac83]

Is he an independent sleeper in that he puts himself to sleep, no props?

He probably doesn't need the catnap, but he may need a shorter A time before bed. You could try slowly extending his A times to make that last nap end around 3:30/4:00 so he doesn't have to wait so long until bedtime. Try aiming for the first nap to be around 9:30 and then the next one around 1:30/2:00. Only extend by about 10-15 minutes per day so that he doesn't end up OT before his naps. Otherwise your routine looks good!

[Katw]

Hi,

My DS is nearly 6.5mths now and although he still has the catnap, he only naps 1.5hrs for the other two. He would nap longer but I wake him as we've had some night playing too!!

I have just posted as I think we may need to drop the catnap but I am still planning on keeping the other naps at 1.5hrs, otherwise he'd end up with more sleep than he had with the catnap, iykwim....

So yes maybe your LO could cut down to 1.5hrs for atleast one of the naps.....

HTH