My son is 3 (just turned in May) and was a very good sleeper until recently. At the beginning of summer (which also coincided with switching from his crib to a toddler bed) he has changed his sleep patterns entirely. He will wake around 6:30am and nap around 12:30 or 1. He naps for 2 hours and then won't fall asleep until 10pm even though we put him in his bed around 8 or 8:30pm. It seems to me that he's too young to stop napping and if we do have a day when we skip a nap, he's a terror! Thoughts or advice?
My DS stopped napping at 2. He was a terror from 5-7pm, but he would. not. nap. AND if, by some miracle, I got him to nap he was up until midnight. So I dropped his nap. It took him a little while to adjust, but it's been the best for him. Even now, if he accidentally gets just a 10 minute power nap he's up for hours.
If you don't want to cut his nap completely, what about limiting it to an hour?
Could you try moving the nap earlier by 5-10 minutes each day so he starts 11:30 or 12ish? Then maybe move bedtime earlier by a few minutes?
What time was he going to bed before? When kids have a hard time falling asleep, that usually tells me they need more sleep. Maybe drastically move up bedtime?
What does he do during the hours between bed and sleeping?
but I remember my kids having a quiet time for about 45 mins. Soft music was on they looked at books, did a puzzle, or talked to their animals, but stayed on their quiet sport (Bed)
It gave me a chance to clean up lunch and maybe mop the floor.
DD hated GS having to take afternoon nap at daycare was he was roaring to go when they needed to go to bed. DH had to be at work for 5am
We did this too with our almost 2 year old twins 2 weeks ago.
I think it has to do with mine not being in school and not getting worn out as much. At school they are super busy all day. Now that it's summer, it's more relaxed and not mentally exhausting.
I try to get them to nap from 11-1 each day, but sometimes it's not until 1 when they finally go down. We also do a big morning activity and then an afternoon activity.
I think you should try an earlier bedtime. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I read a lot about sleep when DD was a baby, and the thing that stuck with me is "sleep begets sleep".
My DD is an older 3 (almost 4) and still naps 1-2 hours a day. But we have always done an early bedtime. It used to be 6:30, but recently it has crept up to about 7. She typically falls asleep in about 30 mins. She wakes up around 6:30am.
Try it and see. I wouldn't take away the nap just yet. That's important for your sanity and for him as well!!
My Dd is a little over 2. We transitioned her to a toddler bed in May since she was starting to get really upset on our way to her room after bath. Our issue is we now have to run her back to put her to sleep which is fine to go to bed. However, she is now getting up a few times each night and will come in our room for us to sit with her while she falls asleep. Someone suggested to us locking her door so she learns to put herself back to sleep. While she was in crib, she slept 10-12 hours and rarely needed attention during the night.
We also had to change her bedtime from 7 to about 8:30-9. Her naps are only about an hour which is typical for her. So, I can relate what you are going through. I hope it works out for you.
I agree with the idea of putting your son to bed even earlier and the whole "sleep begets sleep" concept. It's so true, I swear by it!
I would probably also cut the nap. Of my 3 kids, one gave up naps entirely around 2-2 1/2, the others were closer to 3. They had a bedtime of 6:30 at that age, and slept until 6:30-7:30. No naps during the day, but we did have a "rest" period every day of quiet time halfway between bedtime and wake time (so for my 6:30-6:30 schedule, that was around 12:30- after lunch).
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07-03-2017, 03:28 AM
He was a terror from 5-7pm, but he would. not. nap. AND if, by some miracle, I got him to nap he was up until midnight. So I dropped his nap. It took him a little while to adjust, but it's been the best for him. Even now, if he accidentally gets just a 10 minute power nap he's up for hours.
