What's the best nap time for 18 month old

[Cupcakemummy85]

All week I've been trying to come up with the best nap time for my dd. she is 18 months and is currently napping at about half one/two after her lunch. She will then sleep til four making her not so tired for bed. She always seems tired at around eleven but puts up more of a fight to go to sleep, she also wakes at sound 8am. The problem with the late morning nap is she has a lateish lunch but that's not so bad really. Any thoughts or experiences that might help? Thank you :)

[EwanHoozami]

At this age I moved lunch super-early (11ish) and put DS1 to bed after that. Would that work?

[Cupcakemummy85]

It might b worth a try. Or perhaps I could seperate lunch into two? It's just the other night when she slept til four I could take her out anywhere because it was dark so I could really tire her out and she really seems to need that running around time so therefore bedtime was a real struggle. That's why I thought earlier nap time might help.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

yes, tbh my 2yo is still on a really early lunch - noon is late for us.
i think at 18mo she was eating at 11.45 and napping about 12.15

[ilovepowerhoop]

we did lunch around 12 and nap straight after so 12.30/1pm

[coldcupoftea]

Early lunch and then nap straight after, it worked with both my two.

I agree this time of year is a pain with it getting dark early, I used to hate the couple of hours between naptime and teatime when mine were little. In a way life is easier now they don't nap!

[ArtyFartyQueen]

From around 18 months we've done lunch around noon and then nap from 12.30 - 3 ish. DS is three this month and still does this and then goes to bed around 7.30/8ish and gets up at 7.

[fairylightsandtinsel]

yep, early lunch and then bed. Mine gets up earlier so sometimes will sleep from 10.30-11.00 but she always has a huge breakfast so if that's the case she'll have a late lunch when she wakes up - she never eats much in the middle of the day anyway.

[FredKiller]

I give DS a snack before his nap at 11:30ish. Then he has another larger one at 1:30/2ish when he wakes. He seems to prefer snacking to full meals anyway like his mum. Usually do toast, sandwich, crumpet etc.

But he is an early riser so is very ready or a nap at 11:30. Like your DD he also needs a lengthy time and big run around to get him tired enough to sleep at 7pm, so these times work for us.

I wouldn't get too bogged down on an "official" lunchtime, just offer lots of snacks before and after.

[attheendoftheday]

We do either just before or just after lunch depending on what we're doing, so either 11-12 or 12.30-1.30. If dd sleeps any longer then she won't sleep at bedtime.

[scrivette]

18 month old DS has a banana and some milk at 11 and is usually asleep by 20 past for an hour to an hour and 45 minutes. We have the rest of lunch when he wakes up.

[Numbthumbs]

18mo DD is woken at 8.30am (she is like a grumpy teenager but will happily sleep until 9.30 if left) and naps after lunch from 1-2 then bed at 7. She would nap longer in the day but I always wake her after an hour otherwise it means she isnt ready for bed until later and she is sooooo active I am worn out by 7!

[Wibblytummy]

My DS was the same, if I let him nap at 1.30-2ish then come his bedtime he wasn't tired and would wake at 5am as he didn't need so much sleep. Now we have a lovely routine of him waking 7-7.30am, we usually do a morning playgroup or physical activity like go to the park he is then home for 11am, a snack to see him through and down for a nap by half past. He will usually wake at 1-2pm and then I do him a proper lunch. This works a treat for us as then by 6.30 he is ready to start winding down and have quiet time and bath and is in bed worn out by 7.15 typically.

[rrreow]

DS (20mo) goes to nursery three times a week. At nursery they have lunch at 11.45am and nap from 12pm. The other 4 days a week at home he will have lunch at 12pm and go down for a nap around 12.30pm (although on the weekend it might be a bit later depending on what we're doing). He sleeps for 2 hours usually, if he isn't awake after 2 hours I tend to wake him up. His bedtime is 8pm (usually wakes up between 7.30-8.15am).

[rrreow]

Oh also seconding above poster's advice for doing a physical activity in the morning. Makes a big difference to the ease and effectiveness of the nap!

[er1507]

My dd is 18 months and she dropped to one nap jut after her 2st bday, I kind of lost our day time routine because of it and bedtime went to pot beause i took on an extra job and in the end she woke up because i wasnt there, anyways i put her in nursery 2 mornings a week and it helped eerything fall back into place...lunch at 11.30 napping by 12.30 the latest, then a hearty snack when she wakes up. Usually sleeps for an hour. Doesn't sleep late than 2.30 as she's not tired for bed then.