question about 8 month olds

I was just wondering how long your 8 month olds stay awake between naps.

Our day goes something like this

7am wake up
7:30am bottle & cereal
8:30am nap
10:30am wake
11:00am Bottle & lunch (veggie & fruit)
12:00pm nap
2:00pm wake
3:00pm bottle
4:00pm - nap if needed (only if they are fussy and I know they won't make it through dinner)
4:30pm dinner (comb jar & fruit...juice & baby mum-mum if wanted)
5:30pm bath
6:45pm bottle
7:00pm bedtime


Should they be able to stay wake longer? I would have thought by now we could go 2.5 hours between naps. Our days go ok so I don't think there is really anything wrong with our routine. Should I be training them to stay awake longer by 15 minutes to start with?

 

Mine did stay awake longer at that age. We did an early nap in the morning, they usually woke at 6 AM at that age, and would go back down at 7-7:30 and nap until 9 AM. Then we would get up, do solids, and play... I tried to keep them entertained. I would put them in their walkers let them follow me around the house while I cleaned, or they would scoot along behind me on the floor, if they weren't in their walkers. Around, 1 after bottle and solids lunch they would take another nap. Then we would get up and play all over again. I tried to keep them up as long as I could, and they didn't always take a later evening nap, but like you said if they were fussy, I would put them down for one.

 

I copied our schedule from the schedule sticky at the top of the forum.....

7am wake/bottle
830 fruit and cereal
930 nap
11 bottle
12 fruit and veggie
1230 nap
2 snack, usually puffs
3 bottle
330 nap
5 fruit, veggie, cereal
530 bath
7 bottle/bed

I pick up my older kids from school at 2, which is why we are still on a 3 nap schedule. The middle nap is a very short one. They are starting to be able to eat some table foods, soft pasta, very cooked fruits, and veggies.


Our schedule at that time was very similar to yours.

 

Mine are 7.5 months of age. They are able to stay awake for about 2-2.5 hours, although I sometimes push them a little. If they wake really early at 6am, then they will want to nap at 830am. They normally wake around 645-700am and nap at 900am. Try pushing them 15 minutes if you want. I understand what you are saying because if they nap too soon in the early afternoon they will need a third nap. What I have been doing is putting them down around 130 for their afternoon nap and wake around 330. They can usually last until bed-time, unless they wake too early then they become pretty cranky.

 

mine are 8 months too and am always concerned that they don't seem to stay up very long. they get up at 6am and are sometimes back down for a nap at 7:30!!! they even sometimes need a 4th nap during the day!! they usually go to bed at 6pm...but we have been trying to get them to go to bed at 7pm now. it is pretty much every 2 hrs. from when they get up, they go back down.

i'm not too concerned, but i really would like to get to 2 long naps. lately, they have been taking longer naps in the morning. if i have something planned for the afternoon, they tend to stay up longer between the 2nd-3rd nap...therfore, not needing a 4th one.

i also think they get bored w/ their toys. i have been trying to change up the routine a little...playing in a different room or outside, go for a walk. i have also started putting all the toys away at night and in the morning take out a different set for them. i used to always have pretty much all of their toys out at once. i've also made some toys...baby jar filled w/ buttons for them to shake, pulled out the tupperware, etc.

i'm still finding it hard to fit all their meals in! i'm still only doing two. my pedi says i should be on three by 9 months. i think we are behind though (they were born 6 weeks early...that is my excuse).

good luck!

 

It is amazing how simliar our twins schedules are. The girls just turned 8 months about a week ago. Here is their schedule:

5:00 Awake & Bottle
7:30 Oatmeal
8:30 Bottle & Nap
10:00 Awake & Play
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Botth & Nap
3:00 Awake, Bottle & Play
5:00 Dinner
6:30 Fifteen minute nap if needed
7:00 Begin Bedtime routine
8:00 Bedtime

They seem to sleep about the same time that your twins do.
Carrie

 

well...it sounds like what I'm doing is ok....I think I'll try keeping them up an extra 15 minutes to see how it goes. With summer coming we will be going up to the cottage a lot on the weekends and I was hoping they would be awake longer to enjoy the beach!

Thanks for all your input...it really helps!