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Hi Paven,
Based on what you’ve shared, it’s absolutely okay for your baby to have a later bedtime, especially since you’ve observed that he’s sleeping well with a 9:30 PM schedule. Since he’s getting longer stretches of sleep at this time, it might be worth sticking to it consistently for a few days to see if it reduces those bedtime false starts. If it does, that’s a good sign that 9:30 PM could be the right schedule for him at this stage.
If you’re aiming for a 9:30 PM bedtime and he’s taking 6 naps during the day, that’s perfectly fine as long as he’s getting enough total sleep. You’ll likely notice that he has more frequent, shorter naps (or brief naps while feeding) during the fussier late afternoon and evening hours, which is normal.
The good news is that while 9:30 PM might seem late right now, his bedtime will likely start to shift earlier as he approaches 3-4 months of age. As his circadian rhythm matures, his bedtime will naturally move forward, likely settling around 7-8 PM. Plus, the fussy period known as the Period of PURPLE Crying will start to decrease and usually disappear by 3-4 months, making bedtime smoother.
If he’s naturally waking up around 7 AM, I recommend maintaining this consistent wake-up time, even with the later bedtime. Keeping his wake-up time stable will support the maturation of his circadian rhythm, which will, in turn, help gradually bring bedtime earlier and make it more predictable.
I hope this helps!
Emma