Adjusting the Second Nap

My girls are taking two naps a day. Waking at around 6:30, they take one nap at 9 and then their second around 3. I would like to get the second nap earlier because they usually sleep until 4:30, making bedtime at 7 a little difficult. I don't want to make their bedtime any later because, no matter what time they go to sleep, they always wake up between 6 and 6:30.

Any advice on how I can adjust their nap time from 3:00 to 2:00? :unsure:

 

How long is their first nap? You could cut it short to move the second nap up. I often do this as it's easier to have all 3 of mine sleeping at the same time in the afternoon and because we have things to do in the morning. They often do their first nap in the car on our way to a playdate or other outing as DS goes crazy stuck in the house too long! They always seem to nap for a total of 2.5-3 hours a day so if I make the morning nap shorter they go down earlier and sleep a litle longer for their second nap (usually they do 1 or 1:30 until 3 or 3:30). They are more than ready for bed at 7pm.

 

Could they be overtired if you're not starting the nap routine until 2 and they've been up since 10? My girls can be awake for 3-3.5 hours between naps and sometimes that's a stretch. Mine are often up by 10 from their morning nap and I start putting them down for their afternoon one around 1. Maybe you could try even earlier than 2 and see if that helps them calm down and get to sleep easier. What are they doing until 3 or 3:30 if you start the routine at 2?

 

[quote name='E's 3' date='06 November 2010 - 02:30 PM' timestamp='1289071836' post='1718534']
Maybe you could try even earlier than 2 and see if that helps them calm down and get to sleep easier. What are they doing until 3 or 3:30 if you start the routine at 2?
[/quote]
Wow. Sometimes all you need is a fresh perspective. I should try starting the routine earlier. Duh. Usually they're just sitting on my lap. I'll sing and rock them or we just relax. If they seem to be getting aggitated, I'll read to them and try CIO. nothing seems to work. They could very well be overtired.

 

Yeah-I was going to say going from 10-3 is a longgggg time to be awake, at least at that age. If they wake at 10am, I would try to put them down no later than 1pm. There is the 2-3-4 schedule(which I kinda did with Annabella, I didn't hear about it with the boys). Two hours after they wake in the morning-put them down for a nap. Three hours after waking from that nap, put them down again. And four hours after waking from that nap, put them to bed.

Sometimes even now, at almost 17 months, getting Annabella from 8a-1p is a stretch. DH put her down after being awake for two hours today-and she slept almost three hours!

I would definitely try putting them down sooner and see how that goes! Good luck!

 

Today the girls went down for their second nap at 12:50!!! :yahoo:

 

Yay!!!!