Getting rid of catnap???

[Katw]

Hi,

DS is nearly 6.5mths now and I am wondering whether we need to push out his 'A' times to cut out the catnap. We seem to have been at the same activity times for awhile now and so I think he should be able to go longer.
Also he has started waking earlier in the morning for the past 10days or so and I am wondering if its because he is getting too much day sleep.

This is our routine at present:
Wake - 7am (often 6amish but does go back to sleep after alot of shouting and laughing to himself)
E- 7.15am bottle, solids 8.30am
S- 9.30am-11am
Solids - 1130am
Sleep - 1.30pm-3pm ( only from today -  has been 1.15pm-2.45pm )
E- 3pm Bottle
S-5pm-5.15pm ( catnap ) (only from today , has been 4.50pm-5.10pm )
Solids - 5.20pm
Bath-6.30pm
Bottle-6.45pm
Bed- 7pm
DF-1030pm

The trouble is I can't see how to cut out the catnap without doing a big jump in 'A' times up to 3hrs. I need to keep bedtime at 7pm as I often have to put DD to bed as well and don't want her bedtime to get too late, but if he starts to up his 'A' time how do I stop the catnap creeping later and later until its too close to bedtime?
DD dropped the catnap at 5.5mths but we then battled at bedtimes for so long that I really want to avoid an OT baby!

Also am wondering if the DF would be causing the EW's and whether I should be starting to cut it out yet?

Any advice would be great...TIA....

[lilac83]

It does look like it's time to start getting rid of the catnap. Slowly increase his A times so he doesn't get OT and then decrease the length of the cat nap. Am I reading correctly that his catnap is usually only 20 minutes long? If so then you should have a real easy time dropping it. Probably once you've stretched both naps just 15 minutes later, he won't need it anymore. You may not even need to shorten it as it's already pretty short.

[Katw]

Hi,

Thanks, will give it a go at stretching his 'A'times out. I imagine it will still take a couple of weeks and by 7 mths then hopefully he will manage without it.

Yes its only been 20mins for awhile and today have cut down to 15mins. Only thing is at the moment he can't cope without it as he is up at 3pm and can't last until 7pm. So I guess at some point it will be maybe just 10mins until I can get him sleeping until 3.30/4pm from his 2nd nap.
Thanks

[Katw]

Ok so not sure whats going on again....

Last night he woke up at 3.25am until about 4am. He wasn't full out crying and I didn't have to go in but it was close. He wasn't very happy but eventually he mumbled himself back to sleep.
Last night DH did the DF at 1055pm and it was 5oz as trying to cut back in preparation of dropping it so I am wondering whether it was too late and it affected his night time sleep???  Should I be cutting it out now he is on 3 meals a day ?

His 1st 'a' time is 2.5hrs and past two days the 2nd 'a' time has been 2.5hrs too but then only 2hrs before catnap. TBH he will go to sleep whenever he is put into his cot and I haven't stretched catnap later than 5pm as don't want it to affect his bedtime.

Do you think I need to jump his A times up again to maybe 2.75hrs? But then he would be up from 2nd nap at 3.15pm , in which case do I do the catnap or not??

Sorry to seem a bit thick here but not sure which is the best way to go about things!!

Thanks very much,

[lilac83]

Hi!

What you may need to do for awhile is alternate 1 day with the catnap and a slightly later bedtime, the next day without the catnap and a slightly earlier bedtime. If you think he can handle it, starting to stretch his A times will definitely speed the process up. The DF may be starting to effect his sleep. Usually it's recommended to drop this feed at 7 months, so starting to wean him from it is a good idea. Perhaps try to keep the DF around 10:30pm until he's weaned if you think it's starting to effect his sleep.

[Katw]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I am going to start doing the DF earlier every few days so we can drop it in the next couple of weeks. I did it with DD and it was fine, even though I kept thinking she'd wake without it!

Will give stretching his A times a go as tonight DD had swimming until 5pm so DS's catnap was 5.30pm for about 10mins which seemed crazy but I thought 10mins maybe better than nothing! We'll see how tonight goes......

Thanks again,

[Katw]

Last night was not good...He kept waking during the evening - which he nevers does - and I had to keep holding him to settle him before I could put him back in. So I am wondering if teething is an issue here as its not like him at all....

Am not going to stretch A times today as I don't want him to get OT from the bad eve and night sleep ( also up from 1.25am-2am ) really not like him at all......

Naps today been fine and he seems fine but he also seemed fine yest before he went to bed, so who knows.....

[lilac83]

Yeah, it sounds like something was bothering him last night. How were his naps yesterday with the stretched A times? Hopefully tonight will go better. Does he have any teeth yet?

[Katw]

Hi,

No he has no teeth yet and DD didn't get any until nearly 8.5mths , so not sure whether he's teething or not....it seems to last so long and takes ages before any pop out!

I have kept A times at 2.5hrs between nap 1 and 2 and then he had 2hrs between nap 2 and catnap, which was 15mins. He has gone to sleep ok but is coming up to the time he woke last night, so keeping my fingers crossed!

Think I will try stretching him to 2.75hrs next week as I am out this weekend so its easier having him wake earlier from his 2nd nap.

Thanks again!