My daughter just turned 5 at the end of September. She goes to school full time, but she has been going to school full time since she was 3 years old. However, since school started this year she has been falling asleep at 5:00. So she doesn't even get to eat dinner. She wakes up at 6:30 am. She's in kindergarden so she is allowed to read instead of take a nap. So I am not sure whether or not she takes her 1 hour nap. But regardless, isn't this too much sleep?
Since she's not napping she is needing that much sleep. I would say her after school snack needs to be a small meal if not a full meal of food she really loves. Then it won't matter if she sleeps that long. It won't be too long before she starts being able to stay awake later in the evening.
I don't think so... My daughter sleeps 13-14 hours easily. She turned 4 in June, so she's a bit younger, but I still think it's normal. Also, I think that kindergarten is more mentally taxing (in a good way!) than preschool or anything else. She just needs to get used to the routine - she's worn out. I think it's fine.
She is just five. K is very different from preschool even if she went all day.
A lot more is expected in K and it is exhausting. Feed her early and let her
go to bed. Obviously she needs the sleep.
At only 5 years old, she does still need about 12 hours of sleep. Kindergarten, especially full day, is pretty exhausting and it's a lot more exhausting than preschool and daycare.
Since you know she falls asleep early right now, at least until her body clock adjusts or we gain an hour when it's time to change our clocks back, give her supper earlier than usual. And not for nothing but waking up at 6:30 is really early. When I get up at 6:30 I want to go to bed at 5:00 too. :-)
I would only worry if she does not wake up refreshed - if she is groggy, lethargic, tired during the day. If she is, that can indicate a problem, whether that problem is with the quality of her sleep, endocrine issues, metabolic issues, infection, or...???
If she feels well, she is probably very physically active during the day, and/or mentally active. We don't think much about the brain as an organ of the body, but it is, and it uses a tremendous amount of the nutrients our body takes in, and an astonishing amount of the energy our body uses.
So, yes, a young, growing child needs plenty of good refreshing sleep. The need fluctuates over time.
Its fine.
My son is/was a napper, even in Kindergarten.
He would not and could not eat, if/when very tired. He would just pass out sleeping until the next day.
My daughter as well, if she is tired... she can't eat.
Going to school, all day is very tiring for a young child.
In many ways.
They need rest when they need rest.
Its okay.
My kids are like that too. Even my 9 year old, last week passed out after school and napped while doing homework.
She needed it.
When my son is going through a growth-spurt, he has been known to sleep for 14 hours straight. And I didn't wake him, nor for meals.. he just slept. Doc said its fine.
The Teacher, should be telling you if she napped or not in Kinder.
My son's Teacher in Kinder, would send a cute little note home with the child, for the parent, saying if their child napped. The kids didn't HAVE to nap, but for those who didn't it was quiet time, the room was darkened etc.
Also, some kids get tired and sleep more if they are getting sick.
no. i talked to a phd sleep researcher once.. he said it is impossible for a child to sleep too much. if they are tired they sleep. if they are nto tired they wake up..
I would try to feed her a super early dinner..
my kindergartener sleeps 11-12 hours a night.. 12 hours makes hima better person..
I would take her to the doctor and have some bloodwork done. I realize that some kids need more sleep than others, but this does sound pretty excessive, and she obviously has no time for anything else. Most importantly, it is a new behaviour, and since she has been going to school since she was three, but only since the beginning of this school year has she been sleeping this much, it is worth investigating. Maybe she is a little anemic right now or fighting a virus etc...My boys were only sleeping ten hours a night when they were five, and hadn't napped since they were two, and kindergarten was the first time they had gone to school every day.
