I'm sorry, i'm always on here looking for advice but i haven't been able to implement any of your suggestions before as we've been about to move house. Now in new house and staying put (I am never moving again!) so i want to look at his schedule and tweak it.
This maybe a naps question as we've always had bother with naptime but i think his whole routine may need looking at. I'll post it on the sleep forum too.
Looks a bit like this:
Awake 7.15ish plays in cot for 20 mins, comes into bed with us for 10 then downstairs
E at 8
A time: until 9/9.30
then Sleep. Some times he does an hour and a half, most often an hour. sometimes only half an hour.
the only other definites in his routine are that he eats at 12 and 4. Occasionally i can get him to do half an hour in the afternoon usually he won't sleep until 5.30pm. He does an hour or so then before i wake him up and start bath/bottle/bed routine at 7.
He's out like a light and sleeps until about 4.30am when he wakes, takes an entire 8 oz bottle and sleeps again until morning.
We read a couple of stories before each naptime, usually the same ones, so he knows it's sleep time. It works in the morning but is patchy at other times. I put him down awake and he self settles usually. I ignore whinges but if he starts to howl, i usually pick him up.
I suspect the main problem is with me, not him as i don't do set routine very well. I am more of an ad hoc kind of person. I have tried to institute a little routine but i think i need to be more precise.
Any suggestions?