Dropping the 3rd Nap

I think DD is close to dropping the 3rd nap. If she takes 2 good naps that are spaced apart, she doesn't want to take the third nap. Today she got up from her 2nd nap at 2:30. She was clearly very tired at 5:30 p.m., so I nursed her and she fell right asleep. She woke up an hour later screaming hysterically. It took her at least 30 min. to return to sleep. I went in there to try to console her by patting her back, but to no avail.

Do you think she thought that was her 3rd nap? Did any of you have this problem with dropping the 3rd nap? Should I have gotten her up and put her to bed a couple of hours later? I don't want this to happen every time she doesn't take the 3rd nap.

 

Yes she might of thought it was time to get up. It took ages for my girls to get used to not having the 3rd nap and sometimes if the afternoon is a long one they will get overtired and will have a restless time falling to sleep. It takes time for them to get used to being up longer. I wouldn't of got her up at 5.30 as then our bedtime would of been far too late, i aim for 6 but no later than 7. When is there normal bedtime? I hope it goes better today but for us it took a while.

 

my girls dropped it all on their own. suddenly they were fighting me with that 3rd nap. every once in awhile they will take a 3rd, but only if their day was all screwy or if we go out. i usually wake them from their second nap if i see that it starts to run into their bedtime routine. does she normally go to bed at 5:30?

 

It might take her a few days to adjust. We went down to 2 around 9 months, I believe. I would try pushing that 2nd nap a little later so she can make it until bedtime.

 

Mine dropped the third nap at about 9 months. Then they had to go to bed at 5:30. A minute later and they were completely over-stimulated and fought me for over an hour to go down. Just stay consistent with the bedtime. They will get used to it.

 

Their normal bedtime is about 6 pm.

 

My boys take a nap around 4:30-5:30 for 30-60 min, and than go to sleep at 7:30 or 8. I can't put them down for the night so early because they will wake up thinking it is a nap. Only a few times they went to sleep at 6, when they were really tired.
Maybe you could let them nap for 30 min and than get them up for another hour or so and than put them to sleep for the night. Just a thought. You know your LO's better. GL