But seriously...short naps for 7.5 mo twins

[Eminvc]

I am just so frustrated. I truly have tried everything and I think maybe both twins are just the dreaded "short nappers." So how do you do EASY?
The problem: they each do at least one nap per day that is only 30 minutes. A long nap is 1 hour and 10-20 minutes. A 2 hour nap? DOES. NOT. HAPPEN. I really do watch for cues and although we managed to drop the CN for 3 days, for the past week they have needed it again. Here is what EASY should be:
E: 6:30 WU & formula bottle
(A 6:30-9:30)
7:30 cereal
S 9:30-10:30 (dare I hope for 9-10:30)
E: 10:30 formula bottle
(A 10:30-1:00)
11:30/12:00 solids
S 1:00-2:30/3:00
E: 2:30/3:00 formula bottle
(A 3:00-5:45)
5:15 evening solids
5:45 bath, formula bottle, wind-down
6:30 bed

What is usually, actually goes like:
5:15 WU and babble, not hungry
E: 6:30 formula bottle
A: 6:30-9:30
7:30 cereal
S: 9:30-10:00
A: 10:00-10:30
E: 10:30 formula bottle
A: 10:00-12:30/1
11:30/12:00 solids
S: who the heck knows? Can be 12:30-1:30, can be 1:30-2:30 in which case don't need CN; if morning nap was an hour then they will only do 30 minutes here no matter when I do the nap and they will then need the CN.
A: 2:00-4:00
E: 2:30 formula bottle
S: CN 4:00-4:30 or 3:30-4:00 depending on when WU from 2nd nap
bedtime routine is always on. 5:15 cereal, 5:45 bath, bottle, 6:30 bed

So I know I need to drop the CN and all these problems are signs of needing to drop the CN. But where to start???

[Layla]

Hugs,

Babies as early as this age start to have a preference for 1 long and 1 shorter nap and to be honest my DD has only done 2 hr nap a handful of times! As you mentioned, the CN may need to go and it might be a matter of not offering it or shortening it altogether to stop the cycle of shorter naps and needing the CN. So I would probably try and do an earlier bedtime rather than a CN and hopefully they will adjust and their naps (or 1 out of the 2 naps) will lengthen.

I probably wouldn't push the morning A time anymore at this stage but you could try and maybe add some more A time before their pm nap so that the naps are spread out a little more, making bedtime not too ridiculously early. So even if they have a longer morning nap and shorter afternoon nap, by stretching their A time before the afternoon nap, you hopefully don't have to do the catnap. I would try 15 mins every 3-4 days and you probably don't want to push A time anymore than 3.5hrs.

So perhaps something like this:

9:30-10 - morning nap
1:15-2:45 - afternoon nap
6:30 - bedtime

What do you think?

[Eminvc]

Thanks, Layla! That does seem like it would work. I don't know if it's because it's twins or I am just not recovering my pre-baby brain, but I just haven't been able to figure out a "schedule." I will try to push the early-afternoon A time further. They are generally pretty awake at that time anyway.

I can accept one short nap a day if I know they're doing a long nap. I just feel like seeing others' EASY schedules has me constantly thinking, why can't mine do 1.5-2 hour naps all the time? But perhaps tweaking it around their natural rhythms makes more sense.

eminvc