Still needing 3 naps at 10 months?

[TheSleeperandTheSpindle]

I know all babies are different but should my 10 month old still need 3 naps a day? He wakes around 6 and then wants a nap at 8.30-9.30, 12-1 and then 3.30-4.

Some days he will do a 2 nap day but that's mostly because he gets up later and so it doesn't leave any time for a 3rd nap. On 2 nap days he struggles to make it until bedtime and is asleep by 7. This then makes him wake up early and so means he needs a 3 nap day again. Also some days he will do a 2x 1.5hr naps and some days all his naps are 45mins!

DS usually sleeps 11ish hours each night with 1-2 wake ups. These are usually just easy bum pat resettles and sometimes he'll have a small feed during 1 of the wake ups depending on how much he has eaten the day before.

I read of 10 month olds having a consistent routine or going 3-4 hours between naps and then look at my DS who sometimes struggles to be awake 2.5 hours

The other day I tried to stretch the time until the first nap so he wasn't using it to catch up on his early morning but that just led to him refusing to nap at all. He was then awake 6.45-11.30, slept for 45 mins, another sleep 2.30-3.30 and then was a mess until bedtime

Your last paragraph would tell me all I needed to know if it was my child - he needs 3 naps, at least some days. There's nothing wrong in following babys lead in terms of developing a routine.

I've never done this thing where you stretch baby's awake time deliberately. The opposite in fact, it's more difficult for me to deal with a tired baby than it is to get baby to sleep. So if baby was tired, baby went to sleep and that was that.

The beginnings of a by-the-clock routine come from a routined morning wake up time. You don't mention wake up time, but I assume it's early from your 8.30am first nap? How would you feel about setting an alarm and waking baby up before he wakes, at the same time, every day?

A set wake up time means you also have a set first nap time 2h-2h30m from waking (or whatever works - but it gives you a by-the-clock time that will be the same every day). And first nap is usually the easiest/longest. Then the need or not of the 3rd nap comes from how long the naps are, rather than from lie-ins, or not.

Thanks for your reply FATE

Wake up times aren't set at the moment because I'm off work for summer holidayd but are anywhere from 5.30-7. I go back to work in 2 weeks so will be getting up around 6.15am which makes it easier to have a set routine.

I think I struggle to see how he will drop to 2 nap days when his wake up is so early. If he wakes at 6am then he will need a nap at say 8-8.30. Even if he sleeps for 1.5hr that only takes him to 10am. He'll want his next nap 1ish and even if he has another 1.5hr then he'll be awake from 2.30-7pm which seems too long for him.

Apologies....I'm waffling. I suppose maybe his awake times will naturally lengthen and then we'll be able to drop to 2 naps? It's not too urgent because DM and MIL are doing childcare for us so DS won't have to fit in with nursery times or anything

DS was definitely still having 3 naps at 10m, and at 18m still will have the odd day with three if he's had a bad night's sleep.

For a long time three hour was the most he could do before another nap time, and then naps got longer and he could be awake longer and we eventually got to the point where only two naps was possible.

Typically up around 6am, nap at 10/10.30 til midday then another nap around 3 or 4, always woken before 5/5.30.

Now we're heading towards one nap and it's all changing again! My only advice would be to go with the flow, but FATE's advice has been my saviour since before day one!

Thank you for your reply Handbag it's reassuring to know that there are others put there who were still on 3 naps at 10 months!

I'm such a control freak (primary school teacher) and so used to being in charge and organising my time that this whole motherhood thing is hard to get to grips with. I do try to go with the flow but then my MIL or HV will make a comment and my chilled out zen state goes out the window!

Like you I've always tried to follow FATE's advice as it hasn't put me wrong yet

My ds has just turned 9 months and his schedule for naps follows yours completely. I'm pretty relaxed and will let him drop and move his naps himself. I go back to work after Octobee half term so he might end up with a different routine to suit nursery but hopefully it will work out.
I think your ds is totally normal.

My DD never had 3 naps but her 2 naps even now at 13 months are still longer in total, I wouldn't drop a nap until he drops it naturally and just enjoy the peace