Transitioning between 3 to 2 sleeps

My 8.5 month olds have lately been having 2 sleeps instead of their previous 3. Admittedly this has been mostly due to everything being so busy with end of school activities, Christmas, going away on holidays etc.
I'm happy with 2 sleeps generally - as long as they're GOOD sleeps!It all falls to pieces if they only have short naps. I then have to try and fit a third sleep into our routine, which can be really hard woth 2 other children to get dinner and bathed and into bed.
Even if they have 2 sleeps, I have to 'stretch' them out and they end up being sooooooooooooo tired by the time they get to go to bed.

 

Mine dropped to 2 naps at that age, some days were a little rough because they were tired but not unbearable. I think they are ready.

 

Mine dropped to two naps at that time, too. It was SO annoying at first because they would only sleep 30 minutes at a time. Argh. But then they became more active and settled into taking two 1-hour naps; sometimes the afternoon is even 1.5 hours!!! What works best for us and sets the tone for the day is if their first nap starts NO later than two hours after they awaken in the morning. I swear that for the first 9 months I never thought they would be good sleepers, but they've started to be. I'm sure they'll switch that up on me soon, but I'm enjoying it for now!!

 

Our boys switched to two naps around 8 months, so they are probably ready. When we did that, their bedtime went from 8pm to 7:15pm. They are still catnappers, though. No luck there for me! But at least they now sleep until 6:30 or even 7 in the mornings - they used to wake up between 5 and 5:30 every morning!

 

Mine switched to 2 naps about a month ago. DS needed a small cat nap later in the afternoon but he has dropped that nap. Still waiting for the 2 hour naps though. Wishful thinking I guess!

 

Thanks everyone for the replies.
Its really good to know I'm not the only one whoselittle cherubs can't/won't sleep for longer than 1/2 - 1hr! I had foolishly hoped that going to 2 naps would make them sleep longer. Well, the jokes on me! :rotflmbo:

I guess the other not so good thing about 2 sleeps is it gives me less time in the evenings for the other 2 kids and getting dinner ready. I used to use their late sleep to cook, and organise the other 2, but now it's one big lonnnng rush hour, trying to get everything done.

 

Mine dropped their 3rd at 6 months, I basically forced them ... because of my oldest, activities, etc. It was just too much. They were already going to bed early (6 pm) and kept that, since they really needed it. So waking up at 6-7 am, nap at 9 am and nap at 1 pm. First one was short, about an hour, second one about 2 hours.