DC nap schedule for 15 month old?

SilliRy · May 2012

Bedtime has been a struggle for us lately, and I'm pretty sure the culprit is that DD is completely exhausted by the time she gets home from daycare. We used to nurse as soon as we got home (around 5:30 or so) but I've stopped that because she would fall asleep nursing. Bedtime is usually around 7:30, but tonight she had a total meltdown at 6 and was just exhausted...but didn't actually go to sleep until almost 8 because she was so overtired. This was the most extreme, but she's been taking FOREVER to fall asleep at night despite being just exhausted.

So...out of curiosity, how often/how long does your young toddler sleep at DC? She's taking one nap a day, for 1-1.5 hours at daycare. On the weekends she'll nap twice and bedtime is much easier. I just can't see how this is a good idea--is it normal for 14-15 month olds to only nap once? For an hour? Otherwise, she's awake at 6 am and usually in bed around 7:30 or so.

We're moving in 3 weeks so our time with her DC is limited, and it's not like she can nap more than once because of the schedule they have...but I'm just wondering what's the norm for her age.

pitterpatter129 · May 2012

Our DC has the same schedule. One nap, about one hour long. He is exhausted by the time I pick him up and usually falls asleep nursing from about 4:00-5:00. I just let him have that hour long nap. We don't usually have any bedtime trouble because of it. Thankfully, I teach and today was his last day of daycare until after summer break! Maybe we'll get a good nap routine going over the summer.

meh624 · May 2012

My DS is 13 months. He still takes 2 naps ranging from 2hrs to 3 hrs total a day. He too is exhausted when I pick him up. We usually come home he has dinner, little play time, bottle and bed no later than 6:30. If he is up any longer he is impossible to put down being overtired.

Once he moves to the next room (not for at least 4-5 more months) he will go to one nap a day but it is from 12:00-2:30. One hour seems way too little! They need more sleep than that!!

jlsimon56 · May 2012

We follow The Sleep Lady, who says that they go to 1 nap around 15-18 months. It should be ~5 hours after they wake up. My sisters used TSL with their girls too with great success.

Currently, I nurse my LO when I get her from daycare and we both nap. :-) It abled us to move her bedtime a little later (8pm). TSL says to have them awake for at least 2 hours before bedtime. We nap 4-5:30, so she's awake for ~2.5 hours before bed.

Our daycare wants to move LO to the next room next month (she'll be 11 months old). There is 1 structured nap there. She will not be ready developmentally for that! I wish daycares thought about these things.

SilliRy · May 2012

Thanks for the feedback...bed time is becoming a major struggle for us (and it's now 3:45 am and she's wide awake...). I wish I could be home earlier so I could have her nap at 4 or so, but the earliest we get home is 5:30 currently...and if I let her fall asleep then she doesn't go to bed until after 9 and that's way too late, considering she's always up around 6 am.

Very frustrating! I do wish day cares would realize that one nap is just not enough for young toddlers. The nap time at daycare is 12-230, but she never naps for longer than 1.5 hours and it's usually just 1... I'm sure that once the other babies start stirring she gets up.

skyejo · May 2012

DD switched to one nap at around 12 months. It worked out great for us because DD was an awful sleeper in the infant room with all the noise. Once she got in the toddler room with everyone napping at the same time she napped like a rockstar. All the kids are laid down around noon and while I'm not sure what time most of them wake up, DD will sleep for 2 to 3 hours. She naps the same at home on the weekends too.

I know you're moving but this might be something to bring up at your next DC. If your LO isn't ready for a one nap schedule maybe they would be able to lay her down again later in the day.

ksyknelvr73 · May 2012

We struggle with this exact same thing. DC only offers one nap and they do have a 2 hour time slot, but DS rarely sleeps that whole 2 hours in one chunk. Luckily, my DH is able to pick him up most days around 4:00 so he puts him down for nap #2 when he gets home and he sleeps for usually an hour-hour and a half.

I don't really get it myself b/c it is obvious to me that DS is not ready for just ONE nap and yet the DC really isn't flexible on that. We just deal with it. But the days that I have to pick up DS are a nightmare - I don't get him until around 6 and he is in meltdown mode by the time that happens. He falls asleep eating his dinner sometimes. On weekends, he still takes 2 solid naps. I don't really have advice, sorry...just that we suffer through it. : (

erinruns · May 2012

AT our daycare that age naps once, for up to three hours. A one hour nap is not nearly enough for that age.

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