Do you limit naps?

JulesDiane · February 2013

Up until a week ago, I would allow DD1 to nap as long as she wanted as long as it didn't go past 5pm. However, bedtime has been a bear (well, nap time is too). She is so hard to get to go to sleep. She "parties" for at least an hour after we put her down. Nap time is similar, sometimes worse. After doing some reading, I decided to limit her naps to 90 min to 115 min max in hopes to improve bedtime. We have done this for over a week, but I don't think it has changed anything at all at night time. I don't know if I should continue this even though it doesn't seem to be helping going to bed at night. Maybe I should give it more time? Do you limit nap times? Do you struggle with getting your LO to bed at night? Is there anything you have done that has helped with bedtime?

EastCoastBride · February 2013

What time does she wake, what time do you put her down for a nap, when is bedtime?

I want to get a better sense of time because getting UP from a nap close to 5 just seems REALLY late. I'm wondering if she shouldn't be going down for her nap earlier.

Grk_Natasha · February 2013

Don't have much advice....but I'm in the same boat. DS has been taking 3-hour naps lately and talks in his crib for an hour at bedtime before falling asleep. Ne never sleeps later than 4, however. Curious to see what others recommend. DS wakes at 7, naps from 1-4, and falls asleep around 9/9:30 (we put him to bed at 8:30).

Technically, he is getting his 12 hours of total sleep so I'm not worried. I just hate putting to him to bed and having him wide awake for an hour....

JulesDiane · February 2013

She goes down for bedtime around 9pm. I put her down for a nap when I think she is ready. I usually try to put her down by 2pm. However, for example, yesterday, I put her in her room at 1:00pm because she said she wanted to nap and was tired. Then she proceeded to "party" until 2:30pm before finally crashing for her nap. There have been times that she has not fallen asleep for nap until after 4pm even thought she is tired. She is in a bed (although usually falls asleep on the floor), so she often leaves her room, and we have to keep putting her back in the room.

shaw · February 2013

I have also limited naps. J takes his nap with a sitter from 12-2. He is woken up at 2:00. I try to put him to bed at 8:00....but he hasn't been going to sleep until closer to 9:30. I have to wake him at 6:15 for the sitter

Danaz1 · February 2013

If she doesn't fall asleep by about 3 I take her out and she crashes at 7 if she does take a nap she talks till about 9 before falling asleep I am okay with this since she is in a crib though

Mom2Mack1 · February 2013

DD doesn't always take a nap. For the last couple of months a few days a week she just won't nap.

When she does nap I do limit the length. Never more than 2 hrs, and 2pm is the cut off time that I'll put her down for a nap. I don't like her sleeping past 4. Her bedtime is at 8. Typically she will go right to sleep at nap & bedtime.

I noticed your DD is almost 3 years old. Do you think she's ready to drop naps? That may make bedtime easier.

TriciaandSean · February 2013

The only time I limit naps is if we have some place to go. Our normal routine is up around 7-7:30 nap during the school week 1-3/3:30 and on the weekends 12:30/1-3:30/5. Bedtime is pretty consistent around 8. I'd say he usually is sleeping for both nap and bedtime within 10 minutes or so. We've just transitioned to a queen bed from the crib two weeks ago, prior to this he'd be asleep within 2-3 minutes.

technigirl · February 2013

What time does she wake up in the morning?

I have found that regardless of her nap schedule, what helps DD (27 months) to fall asleep faster at night is to make sure she doesn't "sleep in" in the morning. She goes to bed around 8 to 8:15. If she is not awake by 7:30AM we wake her up (sometimes earlier). I find that helps keep her on track. With naps, we put her down around 1 and never let her sleep past 3PM, although she usually wakes up by 2:30 on her own so that's rarely a problem.

As PP mentioned, your DD could be getting ready to drop her nap entirely, but before age 3 I think most docs recommend you at least give them an opportunity to nap every day.

technigirl · February 2013

JulesDiane:
She goes down for bedtime around 9pm. I put her down for a nap when I think she is ready. I usually try to put her down by 2pm. However, for example, yesterday, I put her in her room at 1:00pm because she said she wanted to nap and was tired. Then she proceeded to "party" until 2:30pm before finally crashing for her nap. There have been times that she has not fallen asleep for nap until after 4pm even thought she is tired. She is in a bed (although usually falls asleep on the floor), so she often leaves her room, and we have to keep putting her back in the room.

Might be best to put a gate on the door, or just close it completely (with one of those knob covers so she can't open it). If she falls asleep on the floor, so be it.

sucredee · February 2013

I get DD up no later than 7 am if she doesn't wake up on her own because if I don't I'm screwed for a nap that day. During the week she is up by 630. At home she goes down for a nap by 1 and I don't let her sleep past 230. If she isn't down by 130 I don't let her go to sleep and just have her skip her nap we start bedtime at 715 and she is in bed by 8. Usually she falls asleep shortly thereafter. Most of the time she is out by 830. If she skips her nap she still goes to bed at the same time usually but will be out in a hurry. At daycare she goes down for a nap at noon and I pick her up between 115-130. If she hasn't napped she doesn't get to.

this past weeks she has actually napped every single day. The few weeks before that she was skipping a lot of naps. She isn't too bad actually when she skips her nap but I'm not ready to give it up yet. Plus when she skips a nap and we are in the car at like 3 or 4 she will fall asleep. I also don't want to let her sleep until she wakes up because I want some time to myself at night.

smynings_bride · February 2013

We don't limit the duration of the nap but we do limit the time not to go past 4pm--otherwise she is not tired for her 8pm bedtime (start bedtime routine at 7:30). We try our best to get her down by 1 but sometimes she end up not napping or getting a short nap if she decides to hang out rather than actually nap until closer to 4.

diana.filipi · February 2013

Around 2 1/2 DD started not sleeping all the time at nap time. It was no big deal, I still had her do quiet time. It got to where if she slept then bed time sucked. Now I actively don't encourage a nap. She only does about 45 min of quiet time and if I think she's sleepy I may not even have her do quiet time. She gets up at 6:30 (sooner often so we have an ok to wake clock now) and goes to bed at 7:30.

saturdaynightdoubletree · February 2013

I never wake a sleeping baby or kid. If they are sleeping it is because they need it. I would look at moving up nap time, which in turn would move up bedtime. Most of the time when we're having sleep issues in our house, if I start bed time earlier, the kids sleep longer and better, and life is good. When a kid gets overtired it is a vicious cycle getting them back on track. Sorry you're going through this right now. DS has been a nightmare lately too... But I'm thinking its a stage because this is exactly around the same time DD did almost exactly the same thing. GL!!!

JulesDiane · February 2013

Thanks for the input. She is definitely not ready to drop naps. If I put her down too early, she won't go to sleep any earlier, she will just play by herself longer. I think putting her down too early, actually can backfire, and she will take longer to go down for a nap. Of course, waiting too long to put her down can back fire too! On school days, we wake her up by 7:30am. On non-school days, I will wake her up by 8:30am. She often wakes before then.

etude de la vie · February 2013

Nap time is 1:00-3:00 I don't go in the room until 3:00 if they play quietly then so be it but there is no other nap time after that. I also wake everyone up at 3:00! I can't allow someone to sleep until 4:30 and be up until 10pm either.....

i figure this is how it would be if they were in a daycare or school. I can't be a slave to this house and have them nap different times of the days.

99% of the time they get tired around 1:00, just their biological clock.

In my experience toddlers don't show tired signs like a baby and will fight you and being tired so they can stay up and play. Once I got a firm schedule and time there was no more fighting naps.

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