I was just wondering my son is the worse sleeper at night. Should I stop naps during the day? He sleeps for about 1 or 2 hours normally but I wasn't sure when I should start changing this habit.
My son napped on weekends up through first grade. It varies from child to child but some need more sleep than others. Being over tired can interfere with night sleeping. 2 yrs (give or take a few months) is about when nightmares and monsters under the bed start. It's a phase that can last a few years. Night lights, monster spray, white noise generators can help.
My 3 year old still takes naps in the afternoon. Usually from 1 to 3 and she sleeps fine at night. If he wants to nap maybe try a early nap like from 9 to 11 and see how he does at night.
My son is 4... and since birth, he has napped every single day.
He is napping now in fact.
If he does not nap.... he becomes VERY fussy and not himself and a total Troll.
My daughter is 8... and she will nap, when tired.
Both my kids go to bed with no problem at night and at normal times. 8:30pm.
MAYBE your son may be going to bed too late... thereby, he is over-tired, gotten his 2nd wind... and thus, 'cannot' sleep at night.
Over-tired kids... actually, fall asleep worse, and wake more.
My son at 22 months old, was still napping twice a day.
all the best,
Susan
My grandson just turned 3 years old today and he still takes a nap every afternoon. But each child is different...try going without a nap for a day and see how it goes...if he turns into a bear early in the evening...then you know he still needs that mid day nap!!! He will guide you...just trust him and yourself!!
He is probably a problem sleeper at night because he isn't getting enough sleep. It is a horrible cycle. I would not cut the nap just yet. You don't say when he goes to bed, but maybe move the bed time up a bit would help. My daughter napped until age 5. My son stopped when he turned 4 (I was not happy about this). At age 4 we fell into a cycle where if he took a nap, he couldn't fall asleep at night, and then would be very tired during the day. If he didn't take the nap, he didn't sleep well and would have nightmares because he was so over tired. I wouldn't rush out of the nap time just yet. Hold onto it as long as you can.
My daughter is 5 and still needs a 2 hour nap.
All I can tell you is all three of my kids had different needs in this department. My oldest didn't stop naps until he went to kindergarden (slept 9 hours per night but broken) and even by kindergarten he wanted to still have naps. My second was clock work. He took a nap at the same time every day at 3pm for 1 to 2 hours until he was 3 then slept 11 hours at night, straight through. My daughter was the hardest, since she has been about 20 months she will not sleep through the night or even hardly at all if I give her a nap during the day so we dropped the naps and will sleep 11 hours at night and maybe wake up once per night. I say you drop the nap, it is too hard to function when you are waking up all night.
Good luck!
No...He should be getting 10-12 hours at night and 2-3 hours during the day. If he is not sleeping well at night he is probably overtired. Set a good night time routine and make sure his room is conducive to good sleep. Good luck.
In my honest opinion kids need naps until they start school and even into kindergarten if they fall asleep. They need so many hours of sleep and they just can't go to sleep at 6 pm and sleep until 10 am the next day every day.
Google hours of sleep needed for 22month old toddler. See what the "experts" say.
Hi--
The more tired a child gets, the worse they sleep. Being over-tired causes the adrenal glands to release adrenaline. That is why kids get slap-happy and hyper at night if they miss their bedtime. So I would say keep the nap.
J.
If he is still napping, he still needs it. DS is just turning 5 and still naps most days (1-1/2 hours at preschool, 2 hours at home).
V. - my opinion is that you should definitely let your son sleep/nap during the day. He needs it for development purposes - especially if night times are more difficult for him. I'm sure people have give your a lot of reading advice, but the No Cry Sleep Solution is a a great, easy read book that gives practical advice for enhancing healthy sleep habits in children.
Take care and good luck, S.
If he's sleeping for the nap...then he still needs one. Try changing his expectations for night-time sleep instead. When he wakes up, teach him how to go back to sleep and that just because he's awake doesn't mean it's time to get up.
My son is 2 almost 3 and he has to have a nap everyday 2-3 hours. If he doesn't get one he normally fights going to sleep at night. You could maybe adjust his nap time. My son gets up at 8 am naps from 3-5ish sometimes later and then goes to bed at 10pm. I have had alot of people say that his nap time seems late but it works really well for him and if its any early he is cranky at dinner time. All kids are different, find a good time that works for him.
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth is a good reference book. You have to skimp through to see what parts applies to you but he talks about the basics of getting children to sleep well and then has a lot of problem solving ideas too. My first son has given us trouble form day one but is a better sleeper now at 3.
our daughter is a terror at night if she doesn't take a nap. She is almost 2 1/2. She definetely needs it...
NEVER!! OMG, the thought of a toddler with no nap makes me shudder! lol
What time is he taking his nap? Maybe scoot it up earlier in the day, right after lunch would be good, if that's not what you're already doing. Or maybe just shorten it to NO LONGER than an hour or hour and a half. Never 2. Are you keeping his room dark at night? Does he have white noise going on in there? Maybe he's hearing street noise or something and it's waking him up? Could he be too warm or too cold? Limit his sugar during the day and fluids late in the evening. Maybe put him to bed just a little later. But mama, for your sanity...give the boy a nap!! =)
