12 month old has very early nap - is he normal? (still 2 naps day)

[nicv]

hello
i noticed on the sample easy routines that most children last quite well until around lunchtime before needing a nap.
my boy wakes at around 6.3/7.00 am has milk and brekky, and then needs a nap at around 9.00am.  This usually lasts for about 2 - 3 hours.  (I'm not complaining really!!!).
Then he is up for lunch and the afternoon.  i try to put him down again for another nap at around 3.00 but sometimes he won't go, but will if i try again at 4.00.
My problem is that if i put him down at 4.00 he wakes up in an hour in an absolutely horrible state of mind, but if i don't give him an afternoon nap at all he's practically falling asleep at dinner at 5.00pm.  Below is what his day is like if it helps.

6.30/7.00           bottle milk (has about 100ml), then breakfast.
9.00/9.30           goes down for a nap 2-3 hours long!
11.30/12.00       has lunch and a bottle (again around 100ml)
3.00 - 4.00         goes down for nap
5.00 ish              wakes up in horrible mood.  from here i try bottles and food to make him happy.  will have 250ml bottle here.
6.00                   give him a bath to settle him down.  he likes bath time.
6.30                   give him a bit more milk - around 100ml
                         put up with yucky attitude for next hour
7.30/8.00           bed whether he wants it or not.


also he generally cries a lot during the day and is not very independent at all.  this drives me mad as he is too heavy now for me to carry him around all day.  any ideas on how to beat this - perhaps homeopathy?  Has anyone tried that?

thanks
NicV

[andibig]

i think you either need to shorten the morning nap to make the afternoon nap longer (and therefore bring afternoon nap earlier) or try moving the morning nap later. just guessing

[HeatherC]

I was going to say the same as the pp.  It is not weird, and actually, my dd did (does) the same thing.  Her morning wake time is 8, although she sometimes wakes around 7:30, and she is ready for her nap at 10:30.  She could sleep for 2-2.5 hrs here, but if I want her to take another nap in the pm, I wake her after 1-1.5 hrs.  She needs at least 4 hours of A time to need another nap.  Now, however, we're in the process of transitioning to 1 nap, but she still takes it rather early.  Right now, we're at 11-1/1:30 and she makes it through until bedtime.

I'm actually going to move your post to the NAPS forum to make sure you get the best advice in case we've missed something.

[Mom to M&M]

I know I'll have this issue with my DD as well - only two options really - either wake your LO after say one hour in the morning and then get a good afternoon nap in or move the morning nap later (say 11 am at least) and let him/her sleep up to 2.5 hours then...

[nicv]

thanks for the advice and also for moving my message to the correct area.

no way am i waking him up as he gets really grumpy then but i do understand where you are coming from.  Trying to move the nap to a later time sounds like a good idea so i will try that first.  I guess i'll try to lengthen his awake time by half an hour each morning until he is closer to 11 ish.  Hmmm ....... do you give them lunch before putting them to bed or wait until they wake up.  might have to play with that one a bit.

yesterday he went to sleep at 9.30 and woke at 1.00 pm so i kept him up the whole time until 7.00pm.  had to jiggle his bathtime around also but he seemed ok with it and went down easily for his nighttime sleep.  i gave him some chamomilla drops (homeopathic) and his attitude was great.  Just have to see if this was a lucky change or if this stuff really is making a difference.

i really appreciate all of you for your advice.  thanks Nic