Hi Moms,
I have a dilemma with my 18 month's old's naps and nighttime sleep. He's taking one nap and if he takes one too early at 11 or 11:30am, he only sleeps for about 1.5 hours and is exhausted by 5pm which is too late for a second nap. On those nights he goes to bed exhausted at 6:30/7pm and sleeps til about 7am. If he wasn't crabby and tired starting at 5pm, that would be a perfect arrangement. He's okay not napping til 12:30 or 1pm and then he usually sleeps until 2:30 or 3pm, but then he can't fall asleep til after 8pm. Again, would be fine, but if he falls asleep that late, he wakes up at 6am. Then he's tired and crabby starting at 10am. I would love to get him on a predictable schedule, but just don't know what to do. This has been going on for a few months. Before then he would take a nap around noon, sleep for about 2 hours, go to bed at 7pm and be asleep before 7:30. Now unless he's exhausted, it takes him over an hour to fall asleep. Another thing I should add is that his baby-sitter started putting him down in the morning hoping to get two naps out of him. And that's how this issue started. Now I'm home with him and trying to get him back on a schedule but just don't know what to do. Any advice?
Funny...so today was a nap from 11:30 to 1pm day with an exhausted toddler at 5pm. Put him to bed at 7pm and it took him over an hour to fall asleep. Guess that's not working anymore!!!! HELP!!!!!!
I've always preferred the crabby afternoon baby that slept 7-7 so I'd probably keep him on that schedule 11/1130 nap then sleep 630/7-7.
I wouldn't let him nap past 2:30pm and no longer than an hour and a half.
Most kiddo's are crabby come 5pm/6pm. I call it the witching hour, though it lasts from as soon as I start cooking dinner until bedtime.
I hope that helps a little.
R. M. - Parenting Consultant & Children's Sleep Specialist.
if it were one of my daycare kids I would give him a short (less then an hour) nap about 10 am, then another nap around 1 pm. I have found that most kids need two naps until they are about 24 mos old - good for you seeing he is suffering from lack of sleep!
All my kids were (are) crabby at that time when they were little. both my nappers and non-nappers were. It was extra hard for our non-nappers but we just dealt with it until they could last longer. I had two who had great sleep schedules and three who wouldn't nap much (one currently.) Hang in there. It doesn't last. =)
My kids have always taken a nap between 12:30 and 1. I am pushing them to 12:30 but it is better than having a hysterical child at bedtime.
I have to say, this is the age around which they start to transition from two to one nap so they don't adjust 100%. Listen to your toddlers queues as to whether he is ready for one nap. Some days he will, others he may need two depending on your level of activity with him. I try to keep my boy up until after his lunch then put him down 12.30-1pm,( we do a class once or twice a week in the mornings) for 1 1/2 - 2 hours then go pick up my other one at school. He HAS been known to fall asleep in his Lunch! He still sometimes gets crabby at 5pm, so sometimes I do let him sleep for 30mins and it's amazing how he is so much happier for his 40winks. He is put in bed at 7.30 and usually asleep by 8pm. I read aloud to my two boys - they share a room, then it is lights out. He wakes 6.30-7am. Glad to hear others have a witching hour too, when it is dinner and bath time - bedlam at our house!
i am having the same problems with my 2 yr old get him on the scheduale she had him on. he is not sleeping cause he is too tired. The first night it took mine 5 hrs to fall asleep. the second night 3 hrs and the 3rd 30 minutes and his bed time is 2 hrs earlier but he is falling asleep 3 hrs faster. feed him and give him a bath almost immediately afterwards. and then straight to bed no toys in bed honestly right now I am cosleeping till I get him on a scheduale and once he falls asleep the same time everynight i will just put him to bed. cut out the sugar and caffiene if he is getting any. others have suggested reading a bed time story. I just make mine lay by me. I dont read for my own reasons but if the circumstances were diffrent I would do the reading. good luck and get him a consistant routine
My eldest was like that around that age, and really, the solution was to give up naps entirely...which SHE initiated, not I (much to my own mother's chagrin...she still reminds me how I "wouldn't let that baby sleep!").
For you, I'd say take the early nap (if you can arrange it) and make the afternoon a little more calm or a little more active...whichever will keep the fussiness away. You'd have to experiment. I think 6:30 or 7:00 is a perfect time to go to bed. My six year old STILL goes to bed at 7:30...and last year, it was 7:00.
I think it's fairly typical for a young child to be tired by suppertime. You just need to experiment with "resting" in the late afternoon...it can help. Sit down and have a quiet time with books, or something. Your babysitter did the wrong thing, though, by trying to be lazy and get two naps in...no toddler should (just in my own, humble opinion) still be taking two naps. One is enough.
