coordinating naps with 8mo and 2yr old

[thitz]

Hello,

My 8 month old has been on two naps for about 3 months now.  Now he naps at  8:30/9am and 1:00 pm but is taking a long time to settle.  My 2 year old naps around 12:30pm. 

He used to go down super easy for the morning nap (just did our winddown on change table and pop him in the crib and leave) and then took about 10mins of patting for the pm nap BUT he was waking lots during the night.  I dropped the dreamfeed about a month ago and he stopped waking at night so that's been super awesome. 

BUT now it's taking a long time to settle him for both naps.  I kinda feel like he needs more A time but I'm struggling to keep his pm nap to match his sister's nap.  I've shortened his first nap to end by 10:15am to try and get that second A time longer but he still takes ages to settle.  Which is not good cause his sister is trying to nap in the room next door.

What do you think I should do to keep a nap around 1pm ish?  He's always been on the short side of day sleep.  And he's easily awake from 2pm till 6:30pm almost every day.  Goes down nice and easy at night.

Thanks Tarri

[debo620]

Hi there, could you post your typical day, including morning wake-up time, times of first nap, time of 2nd etc. Thanks!

[thitz]

Hi Deborah,

Here's Elliot's routine.  He's pretty consistent.

6:30 wake and prevacid
6:45 bf
8:00 breakfast
8:30/9-10/10:15 nap 1
10:30 bf
12:00 lunch
1:00-2:00 nap 2
2:30 bf
5:00 dinner
6:30 bf
6:45 bedtime (usually sleeps thru night and no night feeds)

Again today had a really hard time getting him down for the second nap.  But once he gives up he's out solid for about an hour.

Tarri

[debo620]

well the only thing that I could suggest is to try a 1hr am nap. Many babies a about 9months or so fall in to a 1hr am/1.5hr pm nap.
I do feel that 2pm until 6:45 is quite a long A time for a 8month old. However, since he is sleeping through and settling easy I don't think this is necessarily a problem for you.
 with a 6:30am wake
I would think am nap 9-10
pm nap 1-2:30

would that work at all?

[*Natasha*]

Yep just wanted to say totally agree with Deb on the above routine suggestion.

[thitz]

Yes, that would work.  Then I just need to keep the baby up for half hour after toddler in bed.  I just hope he starts settling a bit easier as I don't know how my toddler naps thru his screaming at nap time.  But I will get vigilent with waking him at 10am.  Good to know it's a common nap scenario at 9 months.

Thanks Tarri