Sleep question for 3 yr old!
L: My daughter is still napping daily 1-1.5 hrs, but she's not falling asleep until almost 9pm (usually goes to bed between 7-7:30). She's sleeping in maybe 30 min later than usual, but I'm concerned that's not enough night time sleep.
When did your toddler drop naps altogether? How did that affect nighttime sleep? What is average total sleep for a 3 yr old?
I should add the one day I let her play in her room instead of taking a nap, she passed out on her floor in a princess dress after an hour of playing.
Answers from other mums...
C: Is she a young 3 or old 3? What time does she start the nap?
L: She naps from 2-3:30ish, a little later on the two days a week she's at school. She's on the young side...3 and 3 months.
C: My 3 year (turning 4 in May) takes a nap around 2. Sleeps about 1.5-2 hours. Her bedtime is around anytime between 7:45-8:30. She wakes about 7:30-8. It's usually 11-12 hours. Some days she has been saying she isn't sleepy, so I tell her to "rest". She usually plays for 30 min-1hr and then falls asleep. Some days we skip naps, especially if we haven't been very active (rainy days or cold ones). My plan is to not drop naps until she goes to kindergarten (fingers crossed)! If she says she isn't sleepy and consistently doesn't fall asleep at naptime...I will move to "rest hours" where she can sit in her bed and read books or play quietly.
L: This is our hope too! Thank you!
K: Our almost four year old gave up naps last spring just after he turned three. We played with it for a few months to be sure he was done by trying to nap him but he would be up until 10 or later if he took even a 30 min nap. Now he sleeps 6:30-6:30 every night. We feel that nighttime sleep is more important and we value our adult time at night. He still does 30-60 min of rest time a day at daycare and gets a free pass on weekends at home. Do what feels right to you. You'll know if she's ready or not.
L: I tend to agree with you about night time sleep being more important.
E - My 4.5 year old still gets a "quiet rest time" and about every third or fourth day will still sleep for some of it. I don't have a monitor in her room, so I don't know exact times, but her "rest time" is from 12:30-3/3:30ish, and most days, she does a good job of playing quietly, but I have a good idea of when she's actually sleeping, and its usually about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bedtime is between 7 & 7:30, because she's an early riser -- it doesn't seem to matter if she goes to bed at 6:30 or 9:30, she'll still be up between 6:30 & 7, sometimes even earlier.
L: My daughter is still napping daily 1-1.5 hrs, but she's not falling asleep until almost 9pm (usually goes to bed between 7-7:30). She's sleeping in maybe 30 min later than usual, but I'm concerned that's not enough night time sleep.
When did your toddler drop naps altogether? How did that affect nighttime sleep? What is average total sleep for a 3 yr old?
I should add the one day I let her play in her room instead of taking a nap, she passed out on her floor in a princess dress after an hour of playing.
Answers from other mums...
C: Is she a young 3 or old 3? What time does she start the nap?
L: She naps from 2-3:30ish, a little later on the two days a week she's at school. She's on the young side...3 and 3 months.
C: My 3 year (turning 4 in May) takes a nap around 2. Sleeps about 1.5-2 hours. Her bedtime is around anytime between 7:45-8:30. She wakes about 7:30-8. It's usually 11-12 hours. Some days she has been saying she isn't sleepy, so I tell her to "rest". She usually plays for 30 min-1hr and then falls asleep. Some days we skip naps, especially if we haven't been very active (rainy days or cold ones). My plan is to not drop naps until she goes to kindergarten (fingers crossed)! If she says she isn't sleepy and consistently doesn't fall asleep at naptime...I will move to "rest hours" where she can sit in her bed and read books or play quietly.
L: This is our hope too! Thank you!
K: Our almost four year old gave up naps last spring just after he turned three. We played with it for a few months to be sure he was done by trying to nap him but he would be up until 10 or later if he took even a 30 min nap. Now he sleeps 6:30-6:30 every night. We feel that nighttime sleep is more important and we value our adult time at night. He still does 30-60 min of rest time a day at daycare and gets a free pass on weekends at home. Do what feels right to you. You'll know if she's ready or not.
L: I tend to agree with you about night time sleep being more important.
E - My 4.5 year old still gets a "quiet rest time" and about every third or fourth day will still sleep for some of it. I don't have a monitor in her room, so I don't know exact times, but her "rest time" is from 12:30-3/3:30ish, and most days, she does a good job of playing quietly, but I have a good idea of when she's actually sleeping, and its usually about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bedtime is between 7 & 7:30, because she's an early riser -- it doesn't seem to matter if she goes to bed at 6:30 or 9:30, she'll still be up between 6:30 & 7, sometimes even earlier.