help please

[clare076]

I posted a thread in the naps forum regarding dropping the 3rd catnap (LO's decision not mine) and also LO's early waking now I am more confused then ever. I hope this post makes some sense

First of all usual routine;

E - 7am
S - 9am (1.5 - 2 hours)
E - 11am
S - 1pm (1.5 to 2 hours)
E - 3pm
Used to have a 40 min catnap at 4.30
then bath / bedtime activities start
E - 6.45 then in bed around 7
D/F - 10.30

LO is 5 months old and was sleeping 7 to 7 up to around 5 days ago. At this time she decided she did not want that 3rd catnap anymore, and started waking around 6am. I know that at this age 11 hours sleep is enough so the 6 am wake up is ok, but I would prefer to extend bedtime to 7.30 hoping she wakes around 6.30.

OK now, the problem is that if she drops the 3rd nap she will be overtired by bedtime. It was suggested in naps forum to put her to bed at 6.30 if she goes without a 3rd nap, wont she then just wake even earlier?

It was also suggested to extend A time so her naps are a bit later through out day, so she doesn't have such a large A time at night, the problem with this is, if she wakes at 5.45 like this morning, she was exhausted and needed to be back in bed by 8.30, how am I supposed to get the naps a bit later in the day this way? I feel like I am going backwards.

Please can someone help?

Should I try keeping her awake until 7.30 and then do w2s in the morning?

Any other ideas

Clare

[Jaime]

i checked your other thread... you did get some really good advice...

5 months is a bit early to drop the catnap, so i would really try to keep getting her to take one a little longer.  but if she won't, putting her to bed earlier will help her get the sleep she needs.  i know it sounds weird, but it's only until she can handle the longer A time.  what it does is prevent her from being overtired, which can lead to night wakings & earlier mornings

i would keep the first A time at 2 hours, but you can work on extending the A time inbetween naps as she gets closer to 6 months.  after 6 months or so, you can kind of become a clock watcher... if her nap is normally at 9am, then you want to keep it as close to 9am as possible, even if she wakes a little early that day. 

HTH a little more!