u/ContributionGreen949

I can't figure it out. My boy is happy during the day (mostly) but shows other signs of being overtired, like falling asleep within a couple of minutes, false starts, early waking and frequent night waking. Often split nights too with an hour or 2 of crying, fussing and cruising around the cot.

He's 9 months now, and we haven't managed to get back on any sort of routine, not even consistent bedtime (though the aim is 7pm), for last couple of months after an illness and teething. I know his sleep needs have changed since then but I'm not even sure if he should be on 2 or 3 naps based on his wake windows. He really struggles to make it last 3.5h.

Because of his early wakes, and advice from various places, I've tried to keep the first nap at 9am and keep it short so it doesn't encourage the waking, but this means his day often looks like 3.5/3.5/3.5... but definitely not consistently.

Overnight we got down to 1 feed around 2am before ask the drama, but recently he's up earlier and more frequently and doesn't take much milk. So I think it's time to wean completely.

I'm ok to CIO or use ferber style approach, which is what we did very early on and so he's a very good independent sleeper at the start of the night, but I'm wondering what to do with the day naps while I wean and CIO for night wakes/ split nights. Should i be allowing him to catch up on missed night sleep to avoid chronic overtiredness, or call the naps to encourage night sleep?!

Also, love to hear from people who are still doing 3 naps at 9 months what your timings look like. I'm wondering whether I dropped the third a little early and should have just made bedtime a little later instead to fit with increased wake windows.

I'm here writing this at 3am during one of those notorious split nights and could really use the solidarity of knowing another parent has my back while I listen to the crying.