When to go from 3 to 2 naps?

[Vally]

Just a quick question.

My DS is 6 months and naps have gone crazy although think some of it is due to illness and teething.

When do you go from 3 naps to 2 naps? The cat nap sometimes causes problems getting him to bed but not sure when to drop.

[annette.xx]

Hi Vally...

my turn to reply to you now!!

my LO dropped catnap early at 5 months!!! she just wouldnt take it anymore (actually just saying that alarm bells are ringing in my head now thinking thats the reason why 3 hrs A isnt enough for my LO...shes probably past that already!!)

so think when thay start rejecting it and bedtime settling becomes hard thats when you start dropping...

is he going down for catnap easily?

for it to work tho you need to slowly start stretching out the A time to 2 hr45/3 hrs you do this very slowly to avoid OT!!!

whats the routine like now?

how much A time can he handle?

are naps starting to shorten?

Annette.xx

[*Liz*]

Catnap is usually dropped once your lo is able to handle 3hrs A time.

Average age to about 6-7 mths.

[Vally]

Annette

He tends to wake at around 6.30am and STTN. He goes to bed at 6.30pm/7pm.

He has been on roughly 2.5 hour A time which seemed to work well until he got a cold. Since then (although he is still not 100% better) he is a nightmare to settle for a nap at 2.5 hours and then even when stretch to 3 have been getting 20 mins but this could be because he is still poorly. To be honest I am just really confused now as to when to put him down and after 10 mins of screaming I have been giving up so I tend to have a day with 3 or 4 20/30 minute naps. His cat nap tends to be out in the car or pram which I have done on purpose as I am worried that he can't make it from 2.30pm to bedtime.

Today his day was:

awake 6.30am (I think) he did wake at 5am but I am sure he went back to sleep
E 7am solids at 8am
A
S 8.45 to 9.20am
A

E 11am
A
S short nap in car at 12noon to 12.20pm. Again at 2pm to 2.25pm (this was out in pram, he was soo tired I had to get out with him in pram)

E 3pm
A
S 4.45 to 5.10pm (in car)

Bath at 6pm, bottle and bed at 6.30pm

I decided to get him to bed at 6.30pm as although he had that brief sleep in the car he was so tired and really upset I had to get him to bed. He settled ok.

So really all day he was OT because of short naps. Am I getting all his times really wrong? Should I leave him in cot to cry to sleep?

[annette.xx]

as youve seen im going through the same at the mo and im now convinced its cos shes ready to move on to a bit longer A...

that morning A - try and stretch it to 2.5 or even 2.75 A ...I bet you will get a much longer nap...this is key to ovoid OT in pm....

then next A time try and do same again....the am stretch I found was the most important stretch cos if you cant get this then the whole day gets difficult on 2 naps....

why dont you increase by 15 mins to both naps and then still go out for catnap time and let him have 15 mins if he needs it...

gradually after every few days you can add a little bit more onto A time until you get to 3 hrs...then catnap will be dropped and routine would look like this

wake 6.30
S...9.30 - 11
S...2 - 3.30/4
BED 6.30/7

Mine was perfect until recently and now mine must be ready for more A cos the naps once again have shortened!!

its so hard isnt it!!!

Annette.xx

[Vally]

Annette

That is great advice and I will try and increase A times. I definitley agree that the morning nap is the key one to get right. I am hoping that once his cold has completely gone this will work.

Good luck with your LO. Keep me posted

[annette.xx]

FINGERS CROSSED FOR BOTH OF US!!!!!!!!

good luck!

Annette.xx

p.s I will update you tomorrow...hope its good news!!

Annette.xx