how on earth do I get my DS2 aged 6 months to sleep longer in the day?

[carocaro]

He sleeps for an hour max at lunchtime if that, 40 mins in the morning and is pooped by 5.30pm, full on eye rubbing screaming tired, therefore gets up at 5.30am - 6am, 11pm feed and about 3 ounces at 4am. I've tried an afternoon nap about 3pm-ish but he will have none of it. I am convinced if he slept longer at lunch, his bedtime would be later and he would sleep through HA DE HA HA HA. Tips much appreciated. I have big bags. DS1 aged 5 on school hols so it's GO GO GO all darn day long, DH away Mon - Fri, help me.

He might still nee d a little 3rd nap. Ihated this one as you have to manufacture it e.g. put him in a swing or take him out in the pushchair. I used to do that one from about 4.45 to 5, just as dd got a bit tired but before she started to go crackers!

Yeah my dd2 used to be like this too. I used to put her in the buggy about 4ish and take her for a walk. Facing the sun if you can, I then used to park the buggy in the hall and then about 4.30ish make loads of noise making the dinner. She had long enough to npot be terribly tired and the fresh air made her hungry. She automaticaaly fell into a longer sleep routine after doing that for about 2 weeks.

My Ds was still having a short nap late afternoon at that age but I always made sure that he was awake by 5.30 - maybe you should try that.

Other than that, his sleeping pattern at 6 months was very similar (short naps) - he gradually fell into his current pattern of having a 90 minute sleep in the morning and another 60-90 minute nap mid-afternoon (I now don't let him sleep past 3.30 otherwise he is not tired at 7).

At six months my lo was having 45mins in morning (she got up at 7 to 7.30 every morning), from about 9.30 or 10am, another hour or so at 12.30 or 1pm, and then (she had a milk feed at 2.30) another from 4 or 4.30 til about 5pm. She has always still gone to sleep at about 7pm with no problems. That extra 30-45 mins makes all the difference. We tried to cut out this nap but it didn't work as she's 7.5 months and still needs it!

agree with maybe needing third nap- my dd used to have about half an hour at 4.30 til she was about 9 months.

We did the same as puffling. He still went down at 7 okay. I still do it ocassionally if he is exhausted and hasn't slept much in the daytime. It does require the pushchair though - not always convenient!

DS is 7mo, and still has an afternoon sleep for 30 mins, even if he has an hour in morning, and hour/hour & half at lunch. Usually, we go out in the afternoon to do an activity, get some air etc, and I usually find he snoozes in the car on the way home about 4 or 4.30pm, which gets him ready for tea etc, and is in bed by 7pm and asleep by 7.30pm. No night feeds either. According to the volumes of sleep books I have, they need 3 hours at this age in the day, so keep perservering with that little sleep in the afternoon if you can. 3pm sounds a little early still, so maybe make it a bit later?

Do you have a sling? Wrap or something like that? I agree... fresh air is so good for them and it makes them more tired. With my LO we go for a long walk/shopping/etc everyday in the afternoon for 1hr or so, that way she has a nap on me for 20-30min. You could do it at home too.
She is 6 1/2 mo now. She has lets say... 1hr in the morning, 1hr at noon and her nap on me in the afternoon. She goes to bed at .... 7,8, sometimes 9pm.
HTH and hope this makes sense. (Forgive my English)