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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Does anyone else's nearly in reception DC still sleep in the day?

27 replies

Poocatcherchampion · 15/08/2016 08:07

She doesn't need to sleep every day, but generally does benefit from an hour upstairs quietly.

She generally sleeps from about 7pm to 6.30am otherwise

She is only going for an afternoon rest a couple of times a week now but she is generally vile by about 5.30pm. I'm a bit worried how that will compound after about a week at school...

Anyone else? Or words of wisdom?

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kilmuir · 15/08/2016 08:59

My son was like that. First few weeks of school I think most of the reception children are tired.

Original poster

Poocatcherchampion · 15/08/2016 10:05

I'm just worried she will be a lot more tired than everyone..

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mrz · 15/08/2016 10:40

It is t unusual for children to need a nap in reception many schools will have an area where children can curl up

Diamogs · 15/08/2016 10:44

Yes DD napped right until the day she started school.

There were often DCs nodding off in class and she would frequently fall asleep in the car on the way home or once she got home but quickly adjusted by half term.

noramum · 15/08/2016 11:46

DD went to nursery for four days but on Fridays always had a break after lunch and more often than not nodded off while listening to music or a story tape.

She did this until the Christmas break. After that she continued with the breka but no sleep anymore.

She is now 9 and still loves having a bit of a break after lunch on the weekends, most of the times she listen to audiobooks and I have seen her asleep one time or the other. I think children need a break to re-charge for the rest of the day.

MiaowTheCat · 15/08/2016 13:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nennyrainbow · 15/08/2016 13:11

Mine did, and still carried on at school! His teacher said his head would slump forward at 3 pm on the dot every day. They had a beanbag in the book corner of the reception year classroom which turned into his favourite nap place.

Original poster

Poocatcherchampion · 15/08/2016 15:00

Oh phew this is reassuring. She doesn't really sleep on the hop but I guess she might drop off at her desk if she is that pooped.

I guess she might go to bed super early!

What about early wake ups? Tell me that improves?

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MilkRunningOutAgain · 15/08/2016 16:26

My DS often slept the entire afternoon at school, his reception teacher didn't mind. He usually curled up in the book corner. The problem didn't arise til yr 1 when he still needed a nap. But your DD sounds as though she is much less sleepy than my DS so I expect she'll grow out of it by yr 1. My DS is now 13 and atill loves his sleep but can manage full days now!

QuiteQuietly · 15/08/2016 17:32

DS slept pretty much every afternoon in reception and still slept for 1-2 afternoons a week in Yr1 up until just after Christmas. School were rather shirty about it, but he didn't stay awake unless someone sat solely wtih him and kept him going. Obviously they didn't have the personnel to do this, although they did try to get me to come in and do it. I said I could take him home at lunchtime or leave him at school, but I couldn't come in and keep him going as I had a younger child and a job. They wouldn't allow him half days (autumn baby) and made a lot of fuss about me keeping him up late or not feeding him properly. They backed off on this once they got to know us as a family. In the end, they just accepted it and he just curled up in the book corner and slept. He is now 9 and still likes a occasional snooze after lunch in the holidays. We all have a quiet hour in the early afternoon - we are quite a dozy family.

wejammin · 15/08/2016 17:43

DS is starting reception in September. He's not napped at nursery for 6 months and the 2 days a week he's in nursery, I basically write off the evenings as guaranteed hell. At home if we go anywhere in the car between 12 and 3 he'll sleep, for hours given the chance. Occasionally will also nod off in front of the tv or whilst playing. He does go to bed late and wake early though, I'm slightly hoping the school routine will adjust him into earlier bedtimes.

spiderlight · 15/08/2016 19:45

Our Reception room has a giant squishy teddy-bear in the reading corner and children can curl up on its lap for a snooze if they need to. DS only did this once or twice but lots of the other kids apparently did it, especially in the first term. He was shattered for his first few weeks but soon got into a new rhythm.

Rachcakes · 15/08/2016 19:47

My DS used to go in the home corner for a snooze. My friend's DD fell asleep on the bus home.

idontlikealdi · 15/08/2016 19:49

Mine have just finished reception and still like a nap!

Muddlingalongalone · 15/08/2016 19:57

Jealous because DD1 gave up her nap at 2.3 ish but I've seen much older children asleep when I've picked up from after school club in the last year so it wouldn't surprise me if it was fairly typical in reception.

PlotterOfPlots · 15/08/2016 21:36

Our school positively encourages YRs to stay on half days for as long as they need.

Hopefully they will work with you on this. Something like going home early a couple of days a week for the first few weeks could really help. Or put her to bed at 5.30... it's been known! Or collect her early or even keep her home once or twice, ad hoc, if she is just not coping. Never thought I'd say that but it's only a few weeks in her life.

6.30 I don't really count as an early wake up I'm afraid! But learning to read and write will improve her ability to entertain herself quietly, and learning to tell the time will help her understand how close it is to "acceptable" wake up times. My 9 year old is still up at 6 most days but it is no longer our problem. Our rule is she is meant to keep lights off until 7am so she doesn't get in a vicious circle of waking earlier and earlier. She may flout this rule, but I'm never up to check :)

BoaConstrictor · 15/08/2016 21:58

DS still naps 2-3 times a week. I only work 4 days a week so, as he is summer born, am going to collect him at the start of lunchtime on my day off. I have also asked the childminder (who already knows him) to let him nap if he needs to and she's going to put out a couple of blankets in case he wants to snuggle down.
DC1 is Autumn born & was used to 3x 7.30 -6.00 days at nursery so I thought she'd take school in her stride but we had to bring bedtime forward an hour for the first term as she was so exhausted.

Original poster

Poocatcherchampion · 15/08/2016 22:11

We already do 5.30pmbedtime on nursery days, I normally have to balance it with her 2yo roommate as it is weird for them not to go to bed together.

She can tell the time and entertain herself so they don't come out of their room until 8am, but I do think that she could use that time more wisely (she always wakes her sister as far as I hear and they report)

I am fully prepared to keep her out for a day or two and this thread is making me think that it won't be too unusual.

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sunnydayinmay · 15/08/2016 22:14

DS2 used to curl up and sleep in the book corner sometimes. Reception teachers are used to it.

chipstick2810 · 15/08/2016 23:00

My ds napped most days until starting reception last year. He has only recently stopped napping on a Sunday and he is about to go into year 1!
He was exhausted the first few months, but I think all the children were. We moved his bedtime forward to 6 and gradually moved it back towards 7 as the year progressed. And yes, he did start to 'lie in' and now usually gets up at 6.30 (used to do 7-5.30/6)

MirrorMirrorOnTheFloor · 16/08/2016 10:39

My summer born dd1 napped until the day before Reception, and was beside herself with tiredness for the first half term and in the lead up to Xmas.

What worked for her was a nap when she came in (3.30ish) and then she had enough energy to eat tea at 5.00, watch a bit of TV, have a bath and back into bed at 6.00. It was a bit limiting, though...

Original poster

Poocatcherchampion · 17/08/2016 14:45

Maybe we will do that mirror.limiting is fine, I have two younger than her so we have a lot of naps to fit in.

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WhirlwindHugs · 17/08/2016 14:49

Mine does. He often falls asleep at 3pm! He is not one of the really young ones either :s

The school have said they can find somewhere for him to have a nap, if necessary but tbh I imagine he will just make it through the day then be horribly overtired on the walk home...

JockMonsieur · 17/08/2016 14:52

dd1 went to nursery 2 days a week in her preschool year. She didn't nap at preschool, but at home napped daily until the day she started school. She was pretty tired in the first half-term of reception, but not noticeably more than the other kids.

at 9 she needs the same amount of sleep as her 5yo sister, which is tricky to manage.

mrz · 17/08/2016 15:16

There will be a lot of tired children (of all ages) by October and even more at Christmas it's not confined to reception.

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