Hi, there.
My 3.7 year old seems to be getting rid of naps most days. He asks for a nap, but then doesn't fall asleep. He still does nap every 3rd or 4th day. I know that's normal. What's happening on the days he doesn't nap is that he falls asleep on the couch as he's watching a show. We let him watch one show while we cook dinner at night, and he falls asleep (around 6) and then when we wake him, he's incredibly grumpy, refuses to eat, tantrums, and has to go straight to bed. I have tried cutting out the show, but then he falls asleep on the floor, and the same thing happens. His usual bed time is 7:30, and though we try to put him to bed earlier on no-nap days, he's an early riser anyway, and when he goes to bed earlier, he is up at 5, which is just too early.
What can we do?
Thanks!
I think maybe he needs to eat earlier. If you're cooking at 6...he's eating too late.
What I did was on the early-bedtime-the-night-before mornings....just grin and bear the earlier wake up times and eventually it will get back on track. OR you can get him a clock for his room and tell him to stay in his room til 6 or whatever time you pick.
Eat earlier. We eat dinner at five, five-thirty at the latest. If he's falling asleep at six, he's probably just hungry and tired. If you eat dinner at five, that will give him a little extra fuel. Then after supper, you can give him his bath, read some books, and have him in bed at seven for a good nights rest. That was the routine with my oldest when she was three (and four.)
It will take a little while to adjust, but he'll start sleeping later. The more rested you are, the better you sleep...when you are tired, you don't sleep as well, ironically.
Get a routine going so his system understands what is going on during the day. I would give him 'quiet time' (a movie, snuggle time, read a book) around 4 everyday. That gives him a few hours to figure out if his body needs the nap. As for down time while cooking, I would have whoever isn't cooking interacting with your son. Try to find 30 minute meals to cook and get him crafting or reading during that time.
Good luck! It is a hard transition for little bodies. :)
I would enforce "quiet time" where he reads or something around the time he might normally nap. Set a timer for 20 or 30 minutes and if he sleeps, terrific and if not, then he can get up after that time. If my DD fights bedtime I say I'll be back in 10, knowing she'll be out before then. She gave up naps as a regular thing, but she also sleeps very well at night and doesn't sleep in her dinner.
You might also want to either start an earlier dinner (if you can with work and schedules and all) or offer him a small snack in the late afternoon.
My first stopped naps at 3 and the 2nd at 2 since there was in interesting toddler to watch all the time. I would eat dinner much earlier to make sure he gets in a meal and then if/when he falls asleep you can just put him in bed. Alternately, let him nap briefly or not at all at 6 and instead of dinner give him a Pediasure or Carnation instant breakfast in milk or chocolate milk which will give him the dinner nurtrients and if you can keep him up a bit after that with daddy play time or reading stories or building pillow forts or whatever, then he may end up sleeping later in the morning as well. My kids were always hard to get up in the AM to the point where we had to do afternoon preschool since they would sleep till 9 and they are still not good in the AM but now the oldest needs to be at the bus stop at 6:30 AM when she is not really awake yet! Hang in there, I only ever saw a pattern after it was over, lol!
Be the parent and work with him at nap time to lay down and try to help him fall asleep. he obviously still needs to nap. He is just taking his nap at dinner time now. He will continue this pattern until you go with him to his room and you lay beside him or something until he goes to sleep. The consistency will pay off in the long run, he needs the rest/sleep.
No advice since I am trying to figure this out too. The same thing happens with my 3.5 year old. He does sleep later in the morning (8:30ish) and goes to bed later (9:30ish) but we are having the same napping issues. Hopefully someone gives you some advice that can help me too :)
our 5 year old (sorry i don't know what "point" he is lol) still takes naps many days. he ALWAYS has quiet time. and he goes to bed at 8 pm. maybe if you push back his bedtime to 8, he A. will not get up at 5 am, and B. will be more consistent on taking naps. i have never understood encouraging a kiddo to not take naps...in my house we encourage EVERYone to take naps lol. mom and dad take them on the weekends when we can, too!
