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Evening cat nap - when to drop?

RomeRomance06RomeRomance06
in D.C. Area Babies

DD is almost 5 months old. We get home from DC around 5:30 and she usually goes down around 6:00-6:15 for about a 30-minute cat nap. Some times, if she's particularly active that day, she won't sleep until almost 6:45 which screws up bed time because I usually start the routine (bath, jammies, nurse, stories) around 7:15so she can be asleep by 8:00. I just find this 3rd nap annoying because I'd rather spend the time playing with her rather than figuring out if she's tired, should I put her to bed, etc. Any suggestions as to when we can drop this nap? Should I just put her down for bed time earlier or is it too soon?

ETA: She takes two naps, one in the morning and afternoon, that are about 1 to 1.5 hours long.

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Re: Evening cat nap - when to drop?

  • DCtoLowcountryDCtoLowcountry
    For us, the cat nap stopped naturally between 5-6 months and then we Ferbered with an 8 pm bedtime because that was the start of his longest part of sleep. For us, it was worth the inconvenience of the cat nap rather than try to fight with a sleepy DS.
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  • SofkaSofka

    I think after 6mo you can start encouraging her to drop the 3rd nap and go to bed earlier

     

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  • kafunderkafunder member
    We dropped the third nap at 6 months. Since then, we start bedtime routine at 6:15pm and they are asleep by 6:45pm. Their last nap ends at 4pm. They've done really well on this schedule.
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  • ArtslvrArtslvr
    DS dropped it around 7 months, but he still gets really fussy around that time, so we actually still put him in his crib for about 30 minutes and he coos and watches his mobile.  I guess he just needs some chillax time right around then, even though he doesn't actually sleep.  (He's 9 months).
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  • RomeRomance06RomeRomance06

    imageArtslvr:
    DS dropped it around 7 months, but he still gets really fussy around that time, so we actually still put him in his crib for about 30 minutes and he coos and watches his mobile.  I guess he just needs some chillax time right around then, even though he doesn't actually sleep.  (He's 9 months).

    Huh, this is what DD does when she doesn't want to nap. I put her in there and if she's not sleepy she'll just chat to herself or the mobile and seems happy. Sometimes she'll just fall asleep but if not I take her out and she gets cranky. Maybe I should just leave her there and let her have the down time, even if she doesn't sleep. I think she does need the nap though. Thanks for the advice!

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  • umdbrideumdbride

    I was about to post the same thing today! DS is definitely sleepy around 5:30/6 but I'm wondering if taking that 30 minute cat nap is messing with his ability to go to sleep around 8 and stay asleep for a longer stretch. 

    Last night we tried giving up the cat nap and moving bedtime up to 7:30 and it seemed to work...until DS woke up at 8 refreshed from his "nap".  it took over an hour to get him to go back down for the night - but then he slept awesome, with only one wake up at 3 am. 

    I'm not sure what the plan for tonight is now...any ideas?!

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  • SofkaSofka

    try 7:20, then tomorrow 7:10, then 7

     

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  • MommalovesBugMommalovesBug member
    DS is about to be 10 months and he still takes his some days. It's never interfered with his bed time at 8 so it doesn't bother me! He's always slept through the night! The cat nap has never really been constant. He only takes it when he's been really active during the day!
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