Dropping naps, or consolidating

[cwolff]

I posted a big whine session about this too, but I just thought of something.  Do you think that 5.5 months is too young to begin to do the two big naps and maybe a catnap?  I'm thinking that the fighting and 30-45 min naps my dd is doing may be due to that fact.  I don't think I overstimulate her, but I know she gets overtired by the end of the day from poor napping.  Sometimes she'll even nap well in the early afternoon and still wake tired.  But how do I get her to the 2 naps and catnap stage?  Do I still extend for 15 min, no matter it she appears tired or not, because she appears tired from 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours on?  I would love for her to do the 9am, 1pm nap thing.  And then maybe a catnap.  But I don't know when that develops, or how to "encourage" it to develop.  Thanks for the advice.

[Meg's Mom]

From my personal experience the 45min naps have always been fixed by extending A time.

I don't think your LO is too young to do 2+cat nap. 

But how do I get her to the 2 naps and catnap stage? Do I still extend for 15 min, no matter it she appears tired or not, because she appears tired from 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours on?

I would gradually extend her A time (15min every few days) until you get to the 2 nap + cat OR until the short naps go away.  I always extended A time by doing non-stimulating things like having a longer wind down or going for a walk in the stroller (just make sure she doesn't fall asleep in it).  I will take her a while to adjust so be patient, it takes 2-3 weeks for infant’s bio-rhythms to adjust.

Hope that helps.

[julieb]

Didn't see your previous post, but my DS had actually eliminated his catnap by 5.5 months!  What really helped us get over that first 45 min nap stage was increasing A time and giving him LOTS of floor time which tuckered him out enough to take those long 2 hour naps.  This also is why he probably learned to crawl (and now walk) so early!  :lol: