That third nap!!!!

[mich0902]

We’re struggling with that darn third nap again! It’s the most difficult one as it is difficult to squeeze it in the family’s schedule and DD is resisting it since... well, forever!  But I feel she still really needs one.  Here is her schedule:

6:00-7:00: wake up, nurse
8.30-9.30: nap (lasts 1-2 hours)
10:00-10:30: wake up
11:00: nurse
11:30: cereals + vegetables
12:30-1:00: nap (again, between 1 and 2 hours)
2:00-3:00: wake up, nurse (she needs a snack to make her wait until dinner time)
5:00-5:30: dinner (cereals + vegetables)
6:30-7:00: final feed
7:00-7:30: sleep

She’s starting not to wake up during the night and I haven’t feed her at night for the last three nights.  Yay!  But she sometimes wakes up and I wonder if it’s from being overtired.  She didn’t wake up yesterday because she woke up from her afternoon nap at 2:00, and she has an A time of about 2:30, so she was ready for a nap at 4:30.  She cried a lot and I ended up putting her to sleep in my arms, but she did sleep in her crib for 30 minutes and it gave us a much easier evening and a great night (slept 10 hours in a row!).  But it’s very hard to squeeze in that third nap mainly because:

-   I often need to get DS from pre-school around 3:30-4:00, so she sleeps in the car for about 15 minutes and won’t nap once we get home around 4:30.  Can that 15 minutes be enough for her third nap?
-   Sometimes she wakes up from her afternoon nap around 3:00-3:30, if she wakes up later in the morning (around 7:00 or 7:30); should I wake her up around 6 in the morning so her third nap is earlier?

Should I insist on the third nap or try to drop it?  Do you think an earlier bedtime is the solution?  I’m scared to try that because I don’t want her waking up around 4-5 AM again!  Also, I read babies are ready to drop the catnap once they can stay awake for 3 hours: should I try to extend her A time or is it something I have no control on? 

Before you ask, she doesn’t take the bottle or the paci, she falls asleep on her own at least 80% of the time (although she tends to fall asleep on the breast for bedtime) and we have never done a dreamfeed because she’s too sleepy to drink.

One more question: I notice many of us struggle with that third nap.  Why is it that so many babies have a hard time having that nap?

Sorry this was so long!  Hope someone can come up with ideas for me!

Thanks so much!

Michele

[*Natasha*]

My DD always hated the cat nap it was always a struggle to get her to take. She dropped it at 5.5months when her naps also started to get shorter so i extended her awake time and only gave her 2 naps which was fantastic.
IF you think your DD could handle the longer awake time then give it a try and drop the cat nap. So you could do:

6:00-7:00: wake up, nurse
9.00-10.30/11: nap
11:00: nurse
11:30: cereals + vegetables
1:30-3:00/30: nap
2:00-3:00: wake up, nurse (she needs a snack to make her wait until dinner time)
5:00-5:30: dinner (cereals + vegetables)
6:30-7:00: final feed
7:00: sleep

[mich0902]

Extending her A time seems to make her overtired.  Even 5-10 minutes are enough to give us a crappy nap.     I just tried it, put her to bed after 2:40 instead of 2:30 and she woke up after 30 minutes!      Why is that?

[Tanners Mom]

Hi!!
I struggle with getting DS to take the third nap too but he REALLY needs it. Only is able to go 1.5 hours in first A time and 2 hours in second A time...and I get the same results when I try extending his A time. I'm going to pop him in the sling for this catnap. I read somewhere on this forum that you don't have to worry about AP with this nap so if she really needs it - you could try having her get it in the carseat, swing, stroller or even rocking her.

Hope it works out!!
~Jaci

[KathrynK]

if she will have 15 minutes in the car at 4.30 I would take that as her catnap and just put her to bed a bit earlier.