at what age did you drop the third nap?

Both DS and DD are STTN now, more or less. They do wake once each (at different times, of course!) but are able to soothe themselves most of the time. So usually they are in their cribs for a total of 10.5-12 hours. Their am nap lasts from 1hr and sometimes 1.5 hours. Their mid-day nap is again usually about an 1 hour and by around 4pm they are cranky again. We usually give them a short catnap about 30-40 min and then they can make it to bedtime around 7pm. Some days they skip this last nap and we survive until bedtime but they honestly look like want that catnap.

Do i give in or just keep them awake. at what point did you wean your kids off of the third nap?

Thanks

 

I stopped the late afternoon cat nap when it was a struggle to get them down. It took a little easing in to move their first two naps around, pushing them both back a little. Now they both go down at 9:30/10 and 2:30/3 depending on how tired they seem. They also only sleep about an hour each nap, 1.5 if I'm lucky We totally cut the cat nap out a few weeks ago, so a little under 8 mths. I would try moving that second nap a little later so they are not so tired at the end of the day and need that cat nap.

 

My guys were never cat nappers, so ever since 4-5 months they have only had 2 naps. I think that if they want to sleep, let them because they grow during their naps/sleeps. I agree with the PP, if bedtime is starting to be a struggle, that is when I would cut out that third nap.

 

My girls were 7.5 months. Their first nap was never very long so that was the one that went (it was usually only a 30 min cat nap about 1.5 hours after they woke up). Now they go down around 9am and then again around 1:30. They are usually up from their afternoon nap around 3. At first it was a bit of a struggle to get to their bedtime at 7 (very cranky) but now it's much easier.

DS was around 8 months when he dropped to 2 naps as well. I found with all of them that there was usually a week or two of "trasition" time and then things got easier.

 

Our guys were total catnappers. We just dropped the third catnap about a month ago (a little over 8 months). For a few weeks, some days they would take it, and some they wouldn't. Like a pp said, we totally dropped it when it became a fight - at that point, they seemed okay without it. When that happened, their bedtime went from 7:45 or 8 to 7 or 7:15, though.

 

We're in the process now. Today was a chore because they both woke up at 4am, but most days they'll be happy to stay up for longer stretches with the first nap being around 9 (when they wake up at 6:30) and the second nap being around 2. If I see that they're irritable, I'll do a three nap day (9, 12:30, 3:30), but if they're fine, I just move their bedtime up from 7 to 6:15-6:30.

 

We just dropped the third nap 2 weeks ago and mine 7 1/2 months It was a struggle to get them to their normal bed time of 6pm without getting too overtired. They nap 2 hours in the AM from 8-10 and then usually from 12-2 in the pm. They are now able to make it close to 4 hours (2pm-6pm) without a nap. It's nice to finally have a long stretch of time to go out and run errands or have play dates. Usually they sleep 6pm-6am but now that I dropped the third nap they are sleeping in until 6:30 some days. I read somewhere that the third nap is usually between 3pm-5pm and disappears before 9 months of age. Like others mentioned, once it effects their bed time or the third nap becomes really short then you know they are ready to transition to just 2 naps.

 

My boys were never affected by the times they went to bed/woke from nap. Very weird. They could wake at 5pm from nap, and go right back down between 7/7:30pm. Never fail.

That third nap-gone by nine months.

 

Mine have always liked to nap! We didn't drop to 2 naps until closer 1 and were about 22 months before we finally got down to 1 nap. I think most are typically sooner, but I wasn't complaining! They slept about 11-12 at night too. Once we finaly got to 2 naps, we tried to stick to a modified 2-3-4 schedule. They usually napped around 8:45 and again around 1:45. I've found figuring out naps has been one of the toughest things!

 

Mine never took a third nap. Well, they might today because they were up at 5am, and are already on second nap here before noon. But barring outlier days, never did.