To Nap or Not to Nap
November 17, 2007 at 2:40 am 4 comments
At Piper Ann’s 3 year old check up, her doctor told me she’d like for her to continue napping until she goes to Kindergarten. I agree 100%, and then wonder why Nathan absolutely refuses to take a nap. (I’ve given up that battle.)
Her daily routine usually consists of waking up around 6:30. Climbing into bed with me and bugging me for the next 30 minutes to put on a “kid show” while I try to fall back asleep. ( However, I have to get up at 6:45 on school days to get everyone fed, dressed and driven to school by 8:15.) Around 1:00 I put her down for a nap. 1 out of every 5 or 6 days she fights the nap, but I usually end up winning. She’ll do anything for a cuddle. (Oh the dating years should be fun.) After anywhere from 1 to 3 hours later she wakes up, and usually in a good mood! She goes back to bed around 8 and usually messes around in her room, without us knowing, for a while. Its amazing what I walk into in her room in the morning. Babies set out on the floor, books scattered everywhere, a meal simmering on the stove. So, I’m not really sure what time she actually falls asleep.
So, the other day she fought the nap and I gave in. She seemed to handle it well. No more meltdowns than a typical napful day. She went to bed easily and slept until 7:30 the next day.
Obviously my quandary is do I skip the nap every other day or so, or take doc’s advice and continue a regimented sleep schedule until Kindergarten.
She only had a 20 minute nap in the car today, so we’ll see what time she gets up tomorrow.
Maybe I’ll try the no nap thing on the days when I have to go to work in the evening. he he he.
Entry filed under: Piper Ann.
3inunder3 
1.
Megan | November 17, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I say ped smed – I truly believe kids give up their naps when they’re ready. I would play it by ear and see what type of pattern she falls into. Try doing quiet time in her room around nap time and see if she dozes off.
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Char | November 17, 2007 at 9:41 pm
I agree with Megan…so long as kids get the amount of sleep they need, who cares if it’s in the form of a nap or to bed early. For about a year and a half around age 3 we did mandatory “rest time” for 1 hour. Clare wouldn’t necessarily sleep during that time, and most days I stretched it out past an hour just because I needed some “quiet me time”. She could do whatever in her room so long as she was absolutely quiet. At first I’d maybe get her to nap every 8 days or so, until it went down to only once a month…by then we were ready for preschool.
3.
hotomom | November 18, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Each kid does there own thing. L still takes her nap everyday, sleeps for an 1 1/2. Each one figures out what they need. If she sleeps alot at night that’s probably good enough.
4.
simplesweet | November 24, 2007 at 4:31 am
my personal conviction is to pretend they are napping (when in fact, they are not!) so i can go take a nap. it’s perfect!