Naps never consistent

[Fleura]

Hoping someone might have had a similar experience and could offer some advice. I have a 7 month old EBF whose napping schedule, or lack thereof, is playing havoc.

He typically has three naps a day, all of which can vary in length from 30, 40, 1hr up to 2hrs day to day. Trying to keep to a set bedtime is near on impossible as I never know what time his last nap will be and for how long - we generally aim for anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30. Likewise making plans are a nightmare since I can never rely on him having a long or short nap.

To give you an example, this week, I pushed him for 5hrs to avoid a 6pm nap so he fell asleep feeding. Tonight, he's woken up from his nap just before 6pm so has been alternating between moaning and playing in his cot for the last 45mins. I really look forward to having time to myself in the evenings but it's just not happening.

He can self settle - recent teething has admittedly upset proceedings - and usually does so in 10mins. If not, he'll have worked himself up into such a state, I have to go in to calm him down by pacing the room with him. He doesn't sleep through the night - the first block of sleep is the best, typically 4-5hrs, then it's up every 1.5-2.5hrs after that. I feed him twice although am trying to cut out the 4am feed by dropping the time he feeds for.

This might of course all be very normal behaviour but any advice would be very welcome!

[fledermaus]

Can you not wake him at 4pm from his last nap to keep a consistent bedtime?

[Fleura]

He's usually been up for a few hours by 4pm so he'll either be due a nap which, if it's 30mins, is ideal or he'll still have an hour or so to go who his when we then have problems at bedtime

[MsBug]

Do you need to have a set bedtime?

I used to let dd nap in the sling or buggy if I thought she would still be napping when we needed to go out, could you do this?

[Koothrapanties]

I had to start waking dd if she napped later. I would just let her have a 20min snooze to help her cope until bedtime. It's a tricky time because they are nearing the two nap changeover, but can't quite do it yet. I just shortened that later nap until she didnt need it anymore.

She now usually has two longer naps, but that can still change to three if her early naps aren't long enough or happen too early. It's never set in stone, but making sure that third nap is very short enables us to keep a set bedtime. At worst I delay bedtime by an hour.

Your dc might grizzle a bit when you wake them from the late nap, but I found distraction with toys or a snack soon cheered dd up.

[fledermaus]

I would start putting him down at regular times - eg. up at 7am, nap at 9am for 30-60 minutes (wake at 10am if still asleep) then another nap after lunch. If he sleeps badly at that nap maybe let him have another cat nap of 20 minutes or so but awake by 5.

[2kidsintow]

I didn't worry about a set routine until my dds were way past 1 year. They slept when they slept and they fed when they fed. I made plans and took them. If they slept through something then I might try and gently wake them, otherwise I left them.

[Koothrapanties]

Fleder I tried that with my dd and it ended up with her getting rather irate. She naps in HER OWN TIME, when SHE is ready! she is very much like that in all areas though.