Getting naps right

[Lavenderteacake]

DS is 18 months: after a very difficult twelve months of poor night sleep we’ve introduced a routine and he’s much better, sometimes sleeping through.

However, he is waking up very early - around 5 - and this is causing problems with his nap, as he naps at nursery at 12:30.

Today he was off nursery as he’d been sick and I put him down for his nap at 11. I then let him wake up himself which he did at 135, so just over two and a half hours.

Is this too long a nap? He’s normally grumpy after his nap when he is woken up so wondering whether to just try letting him sleep.

What time does he go to bed in the evening?

Seven

No I don’t think that’s too long at all

besides he’s sick and so his body will be needing the extra sleep/rest.

In and of itself, a 2+ hour nap at that age doesn't seem like a problem. Have you considered a later bedtime? DS1 would sleep through the night but only for 10ish hours when he still was having a nap, so we gradually (a few minutes at a time over a couple of weeks) moved bedtime to 8/8:30. He'd then wake up at 6:30ish, which felt much more civilized! Doesn't work for all kids, particularly when it's light so early this time of year, but could be worth a try? Later bedtime actually suited us better as it meant more time together after nursery, but guess it also depends how it fits into your routine.

He'll sleep longer when he unwell.

I also have a DC who has been waking at 5 lately, nothing I've done has changed it so I'm going with the flow atm