Hello!
My 3 yr wakes between 7-7:30(always has) and take a 21/2 hr nap most days (1:30-3:30) I put him to bed at 8:30 and he lays up there talking, calling us, saying he's thirsty/hungry, etc.. I would let him cry, but he wakes our 15 month old...
This started about 1-2 wks ago He used to go to bed and fall asleep within a 1/2 hr...he doesn't nap everyday, but every other day. I've tried skipping the nap and putting him earlier...he lays there over an hr. still...I tried stopping the nap for 2 days and by the 3rd day, he was a zombie and overtired..We have a routine at night and I am very scheduled. I want him to get the sleep he needs and I am not sure if he is truly not tired or going through a stage?
Anyone have the same issue??
Thank u, D.
I feel like I have no time at night because he's nit falling asleep. We are very active and I don't see why he doesn't konk out!!
I agree that he probably needs a shorter nap. If that doesn't work, he may just not need as much sleep. My 4 year old has always been a night owl. He usually falls asleep between 10 and 11 and gets up between 7:30 and 8 and rarely naps. It's lucky that I'm a night owl also, otherwise I'd be pulling my hair out!
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My daughter is the same age, with a very similar sleep schedule (including the nap). She's generally in bed between 8 and 9 but here in Michigan in the summer, it's still light out until 9:30 so her room isn't even really dark yet at bed time and sometimes she says she's not even tired yet (and she's the type too where if she does not get her nap, she's a real bear). Fortunately we have a good routine down, including bedtime stories and soft music on the radio/CD player. A few weeks ago she did not want to go to bed because again, "she was not tired" but it was already 8:30. So I made a deal with her -she could stay up and not have to go to sleep right away, but she had to stay in bed, and she could look at her books until she felt tired enough to sleep. It's been working great so far - she stays put and she is not asking for one thing after another. She will "read" until it's too dark in her room to see anymore and then just stay in bed. She's been in bed over an hour now (it's 10:15) and she knows I am right outside her room but I have not heard a peep out of her (and I know she is still awake because she yelled "Bless you!" when I sneezed a few minutes ago). Do you think your son will just stay in bed if you just give him the option of "reading" until it is time for lights out? Would he understand the ground rules, which means keeping quiet, no calling for you, asking for stuff, etc.?
Keep in mind too he could still be somewhat overtired if he is not falling asleep that easily - it actually makes it harder for them to fall asleep. What about moving his bedtime to 7:30 or 8?
2.5 hour nap is probably too long. Try 1.5 hours instead. Yes, you will have to wake him up and the first few days will be rough. But he's napping too long in the afternoon and that is delaying his sleep time at night.
You've gotten some great advice already, so I will just suggest: 1) a shorter nap, 2) a predictable bedtime routine with relaxation built in ~ bath, brushing his teeth, putting on his pj's, a story or two, soft music & voices, and 3) a snack an hour before bedtime to relax him and induce sleep. A small serving of cottage cheese or a warm glass of milk and whole wheat crackers or whole grain toast with some cheese or peanut butter, a small serving of low-fat ice cream, a banana or a banana smoothie made with a banana, low-fat milk, and a few ice cubes (the calcium will enhance the sleep inducing effects of the minerals in the banana), a small bowl of oatmeal with a little milk or a couple of oatmeal raisin cookies with a glass of milk are all good sleep-inducing snacks. Make sure the snacks are light or they may interfere with his digestion and keep him up, which you don't need.
Hope he gets back to sleeping easier soon!
When my older son was 3 (before he dropped the nap) he would sleep from about 10 pm to 7 am with a 3 hour nap. That was his routine, and there didn't seem to be anything I could do to change that. I realized he was ready to give up his nap when it was a struggle to get him down and his bed time kept getting later because he simply was not tired.
I think you need to drop the nap altogether. It will most likely be a rough few days, maybe a week. But he'll get used to it. And he will go to sleep. If he's a zombie, he's going to fall asleep eventually.
Our son now sleeps about 11 hours at night.
My son did the same thing for awhile.
I had to find more ways to make him active and keep him busy/running.
Did that and it still took a few mos to get back on track.
It was a phase.
He goes to bed at 9:30-9:45 pm (once in awhile it's 10pm depending upon activity level for that day) w/a nap.
He awakens btwn 7:30-8am.
It just depens upon the day.
He has gone through several stages.
Oh and make sure he has a bedtime ritual (ex. bathtime, read a book whatever) and that he has a night light.
My son was at this stage at 3 and needed to give up his nap. At the same time he gave up his nap I moved his bedtime an hour or more earlier. If getting him to nap isn't a problem then try shortening his nap to 1 to 1.5 hours (wake him up gently but be persistent). My 2.5 year old also just gave up her nap this summer (she will conk out for a nap or sleep later if tired). It is usually easier to put 2 kid to bed at 8 than deal with naps for us.
My daughter is and always has been a night owl. She is a bit tired in the morning but wakes on her own shortly after the time we need her to be up during the week. I would definately try to make the nap earlier. If my daughter sleeps past 2 pm, night time becomes difficult for us at home. Her old daycare did lunch at 12:30 so nap didn't started sometime after 1 pm. Her provider didn't seem to get that waking her at 3-3:30 was just too late for a reasonable bedtime for our daughter. The new one does lunch from 12-12:30 and nap is over by 2. Works better for everyone. Her bedtime is now between 8:30 & 9 PM.
