What time is your 5-and-a-half mo's last nap of the day, and how long does it last?

[BotBotticelli]

5mo DS's daytime naps are very erratic, never at the same time each day, and never longer than 45 minutes (see multiple other posts ive made about this!).

In the last few days he seems to have fallen into a pattern of needing a nap around 5pm for 30 mins which he really fights but desperately needs (ie. he last had a 30 minute nap from 2,30pm - 3pm, so dont think he can get through till bedtime without one).

I get the impression that putting him down for a nap this late in the afternoon is making him harder to settle for bed, even though I then put him down at 7.30pm after a nice bed, bottle, book routine which we've had for months now also i would much rather he went to bed at 6,30pm, so I can have a nice long evening to myself, which he quite happily does, without waking up much earlier, if his naps fall a bit more sensibly...

Anyone else doing late naps which seem to be interfering with bedtime??

*bath bottle book bed routine, obviously..

At 5 1/2 months my dd was having a good two hours from 12-2 ish and then having another 1/2 hour or so from 4.30-5 ish - I did have to force her to have a sleep by either taking her out in the pram or putting her in her rocking chair. She was still in bed by 6.15, any later and she was a pain to get to bed due to overtiredness!

My lo is the same. He's 5.5 months and often has a nap between 5 and 6. Yesterday he woke at 2.30 from a 2 hour nap and won't last till bed time (7pm) so tends to have an hour if he will go down. I try to get him down by 4.30 but often he refuses. So it's nearer 5.30 some days and I go with it even if it means bed time is a little later sometimes. He still settles and sleeps. Yesterday he wouldn't sleep tho so was awake from 2.30 till 7.30
Id much prefer the extra hour nap at teatime x

If your preferring him to be in bed for 6.30 I would miss that late nap and just try keeping him going till bed.

I try not to let DD2 (nearly 5.5 months) sleep any much later than till 5. She is usually asleep by just after 7. She can generally stay awake for 2 hours before needing to sleep, so 5-ish seems to work. However, this can be scuppered if we are out somewhere later and in the car or she is in the pram and she falls asleep....

She does need to have a late afternoon nap though, as otherwise she can't last till bedtime.