Wanted to bump this topic back up since I am working through similar issues mysef. DD will be 6 months in 9 days and I have been tweaking her routine as of late. After a week or so of short naps and overtired baby, I have tweaked her A times and her wind-down routine and back to good naps for now (knock wood). She generally wakes up herself happy after 1.25-1.5 hours in am, 1.5 hours in afternoon and 35-45 min catnap. If she's not up after 1.5 hours for the first two naps, I have been waking her.
At night, she goes to bed anywhere between 7:20-7:50, depending on previous naps, dinner time, etc. Doesn't seem to make much difference to her as long as A times don't change too much.
No matter what time she goes to bed, she is quite restless between 4-5:30 am. If she can get through this time she will generally sleep to 6:15-6:30 but sometimes it means she is up at 5:30 for the day (although I won't get her out of bed until 6am unless she's really upset).
It doesn't seem she's ready to drop the catnap yet - not until she can have A times of all 2.5 hours plus (she's currently at about 2 hours and 5-10 mins in am, 2:10-2:15 in afternoon and 2:15 before catnap. These times include wind down and then it takes her an additional 5-10 minutes in crib to fall asleep). She's also VERY active - lots of rolling, creeping, trying to crawl, squealing, kicking legs, etc. But is she getting too much total day sleep and would she sleep more restfully/longer in morning if I cut it back slightly? For example, instead of letting her get about 3.5 hours of day sleep (sometimes a bit more) should I cut it to just 3 total and maybe make her first nap just one hour, second nap 1.5 and then catnap of 30 minutes? And then bedtime no later than 7:30?
Trying to find good balance. Would love if she could get 11 hours at night instead of 10-10.5 but still want decent naps too since she seems to need them!
Many thanks.
