Confused-not enough hours in the day??? Help!

[* Paula *]

Good luck, keep us posted on how you get on.

[ckcole]

Hi Paula,
I really feel like I can't manage to get him 3 hours of naps unless I wake him up early in the morning.  If he happens to wake at 6am (very rarely on his own, maybe once a week), then his morning nap is 9-11 (he wakes on his own) and his afternoon nap is 2:30-3:30 (I wake him) to maintain a 7:30 bedtime.  This kid can just stay up for hours! Yesterday he woke from afternoon nap at 3:30, I put him in his crib at 7:30 (usually falls right to sleep) but chatted and played in his crib until 8:00! Of course, because of the "later" bedtime, he was up earlier this morning (6:15), so today will allow for a bit of a longer nap. 
But, on days where he wakes at 7am, there's not enough time in the day for 3 hours of naps.  What to do!?!

[* Paula *]

If he wakes at 7 - you can aim for:-

7-10 A time
10 - 12  nap
12-3 -A time
3-4 nap time
4-7 A time
7:00 bed time

[ckcole]

He tends to need at least 3.5 hrs A time before bed, but usually 4 hrs (on occasion he has done 4.5).  When I am able to somehow get him down at about 3.25-3.5hrs, he usually wakes in the night or wakes early in the AM.  I guess I'll just keep playing with it.  Thanks again for your help