How long does lo's nap schedule last before it changes again?

[centrestage88]

How will I know when to increase lo's A time? For how long should lo's current schedule last?
How do I  fit in his 2 naps in when lo's A times increases to 3.5 hrs? Will one of his naps naturally shorten?
already with an 3hr A time, lo's naps end just in time for him to go to bed at 730pm till 730am.

He's 5.5mths.
Naps: 3-3.45hrs
Night:12 hrs with Nf

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That all looks great
How I would have loved such a marvellous routine when mine was 5.5 months!!!
Honestly, just keep going now. Try to relax, all is good

Totally normal to have that night feed.
This routine could last a good while, it's impossible to know exactly when a change would be needed, if you keep capping the last nap at 5pm to maintain BT at 7.30pm that's fine.

Wonderful news

[centrestage88]

Thks creations! I feel more confident when I put him down to nap now. Still anxious but I'm getting a bit more confident when I handle him.

He slept 1030am-12noon, payed happily on his own in the interim and only started making noise at 1230.
Do I count his nap as 1.5hrs or 2 hrs?

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I'd count it as a 1.5hr nap but you can still continue with set times which is the point of them, you don't have to worry about how long the nap was (or wasn't).

Good to hear you are feeling more confident putting him down for nap.

[centrestage88]

I can't make myself put him on set naps. I just feel too anxious to put him down after 2.5A time  if he sleeps too long for his first nap. So ive been doing 3hr A times.

I think my anxiety is preventing me from putting him down at set times. Cow I'm scared of him crying at nap time fr being UT or too OT.

So far sticking to the 3A times, he has gone to nap without crying.

Thanks for your invaluable help ladies!

[centrestage88]

I just realized that I may have gotten my A times wrong. Lo stays awake for 3hrs, and I put him down at the 3hr mark. It takes him anywhere from 5-15 mins  to go to nap. So does this mean that his A time is actually more than 3hrs?

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So does this mean that his A time is actually more than 3hrs?

Does it matter?  If you are able to put him down and he's happy to go to sleep then you've got it cracked!
Keep doing what you are doing.

...and try to remember that baby crying is his communication, it may not always mean he is UT or OT but perhaps he just has something to tell you before he goes to sleep.

[centrestage88]

Thanks creations! i am trying to remember that crying is a baby's form of communication and it doesn't just mean that he is distressed.

Tried the schedule nap times with him for the past few days and he took it very well.

So glad for all your help!

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I'm so happy to hear things are going well for the time being

[centrestage88]

Was wondering if baby's schedule needs tweaking again or keep it as such?

Lo has just turned 6 months. Bedtime is fixed 730pm. Naps are fixed around 1030am, 330pm.  5 fixed day feeds. 1 NF ( 4-5am dependingg on him). I pick up him at 730am.
He has been taking to this very well.

He used to wake up at 730am, but for the past 3 days, he has been waking up at 7am, but happily playing quietly in his cot until I get him at 730am.  ( i monitor the video camera fr 645am)
Despite the earlier wake up, I feed him at the same fixed time and put him to nap at the same fixed times. He isn't very hungry at his first feed at 8am (snacks) and goes down very well for his naps and bedtime.

Should I change things or keep it as such? Below is his daily routine now. Everything is the same( feed, nap, bedtimes, morning pick up time) except he is waking up 30mins earlier and his nap length changing (first nap is getting half an hour longer, and second nap getting half an hour shorter).

A times: 3.5 hrs/2.45 hrs/3hrs
wu: 7am ( i pick him up 730am)
feed: 8am
feed: 10am
nap: 1030-1245 or 1pm
feed: 130pm
nap: 330-430pm
feed: 445pm
feed and sleep: 730pm
1 NF: 4-5am

Thanks!

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It sounds like he is happy and well rested so I would just leave the routine as it is for now.
It would be fine if you wanted to wake him from the first nap (at say 2hrs) to encourage the second nap to be longer but honestly if mine was doing the routine you have now I would just leave it.

If WU becomes regularly earlier than 7am I would think about a tweak, just moving that first nap a little later.  In that event the second nap may be able to stay where it is and may stay the same length or become a little shorter again.
Whilst he's happy though just hang in there and enjoy the relative predictability you have with that routine

[centrestage88]

Thanks creations, I'll stick to his current routine while it lasts. =)

Just in case, he starts waking up earlier and earlier

If WU becomes regularly earlier than 7am I would think about a tweak, just moving that first nap a little later.

As in, moving the first nap a little later? That would mean later than the current 1030am? Which would take the first A time to be more than 3.5 hrs?
Which would make his second A time less than 2.5 hrs? ( as his nap time is fixed at 330pm. will he take his second nap with such a short A time?)

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Try not to worry about it until it happens. There are so so many 'what ifs' you could drive yourself mad trying to plan for every different eventuality.

But, yes, it would be a later nap because we often see LO waking earlier when their first A time is too short.  He may continue to take the second nap on the shorter A time with either the same length or a shorter nap. This means, in theory the A time from nap to BT is either the same length or a little longer and so maintains BT without having to move it later.  If he was to start refusing the second nap we could tweak that nap time accordingly.
Further down the line most people look for 1 long nap and 1 short nap anyway, as LO gets older and doesn't need so much day time sleep.  These are all things we can deal with when they arise.
Don't panic. Either I or someone else will always be here to help with tweaking of nap times.

[centrestage88]

Thanks creations! I will try not to catastrophize.

Is it possible to move his wake up back to 730am?  Even though he plays happily when he wakes up earlier and doesn't call for me until I pick him up, a 730 am wake up allows his dad to spend more time with him.

Should I change his set nap times? ( currently fixed 1030am, 330pm. 3 Hr A time based on a fixed 730am wake up) 
 Should I cap his naps? When should he wake up from his last nap? ( I used to cap his last nap at 5pm but am thinking of capping it at 430pm as it seems his A times are increasing)

Today he woke up at 7am ( possibly earlier but I only checked the video monitor at 7am) ( happily played quietly)
Went down for his naps happily, woke up happily
NF:4am
WU: 7am   ( pick up: 730am)
E: 8am
E:10am
S: 1030am-1pm ( I woke him up at 1pm)
E: 110pm
S:330pm-415pm
S:730pm ( sleepy)

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At this point I would recommend leaving the routine just as it is.
He's sleeping well, he's happy. Plus you are just starting some medication for yourself. I really think right now is not the time to be shifting things unless his sleep goes right off track.

His naps a bit unbalanced with 1 being so long and 2 being short but I'd actually only change that if he is unhappy with it, which he is not.  This could be the perfect routine for him, or close enough.

Sorry, when is it that Daddy can get to spend more time with him?  Is it in the evening?  So you'd like a later morning WU so that BT comes later and Daddy can see him more?  If this is the case I would be more inclined to not cap the second nap earlier but instead just allow BT to move a bit later naturally. I say 'naturally' because it looks like he is tired at 7.30 just now but if he begins to stay a bit more alert for an other 15-30 mins you could put him down 15-30 mins later without worrying about moving the whole routine. (although looks like the second nap doesn't need capping as he's taking a short nap there anyway)

It really is up to you if you are determined to move the routine. I just wouldn't do it now. Some LOs are relatively easy to move, they seem to take the same length night and nap if you move the times gently, others though (like mine) have extremely strong internal body clocks. When I tried to move his routine on to get a later BT and later WU (I was living with 5am WUs) he just continued to wake at his body clock time so all that happened was he lost night sleep if I put him to bed later. Leading to OT which I know you wouldn't want.