daytime naps - please help!

[sammiplus2]

Hi

I have twin girls aged 6 months (4 months corrected) they have never really slept more than an 1hr to 1hr an half for their morning nap.  Would you just assume this is just the amount they need or would you try and push them to sleep for longer?
Yesterday Madelaine also woke at afternoon nap after only being asleep an hour, tried sshh pat and pu/pd but she just got more agitated and in the end I got her up at about 2pm, they usually sleep for about 2 hours at this nap.  Could this be developmental?

I have posted my routine to see if it sheds any light but i'm not sure if their is a problem or if it is just their natural bodyclock.
The only problem is if they wake at 10.00 am it throws the routine off slightly i have considered extending A time what do you think?

E 7.00 am
A 7.40 am
S 8.50 - 9.00 am
y  Wake between 10.00 and 10.30 am have tummy time before feed.
E 10.45 am
A 11.25 am
S 12.30 pm
Y Wake about 2.30pm have tummy time until next feed
E 2.45 pm
A 3.25 pm
S sometimes have a 30 min nap anytime between 4.30 and 5.30 just look for the cues.
y
E 5.30 pm bath and bottle at about 6.00pm, bed for 6.45 pm, dreamfeed at 10.00 pm

Any advice much appreciated x

[Colin Macs Mom]

How are they sleeping at night? Well? If nights are good, then I'd just keep doing what you're doing.

Generally speaking, you want the morning nap to be shorter than afternoon because the morning nap is an extension of night sleep.

[mini_egg282]

I'd try extending their A time. At around 5 months my lo started taking shorter and shorter naps until finally they were all lasting only 45 minutes. It took a while but when I realized that he just need more A time I gradually bumped it up from 2 hours to 2h50 and now he has great naps! Some babies need more A time than average and some need less. Try recording the length of every A and S time and look for correlations. Focus on the first nap of the day first - if that one is short it throws the other ones off. When my lo takes a short nap I get him down for his second nap by about 2h40 instead of the 3h A time he usually has now. It took me at least 2 weeks of playing around with the times to figure it out. Remember that A time should go from eyes open to eyes closed. On a good nap day we don't need the catnap anymore, but we try to fit it in if the naps are too short.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[sammiplus2]

Well last night they slept through for the first time ever.  I think this has something to do with the fact that I weaned them off their pacis, have been paci free since monday night now.
Today they slept for an hour and half in the morning and 2 hours at their lunchtime nap so i think thats ok.  Will see how tonight goes x

[Colin Macs Mom]

Oh - well there you go!