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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

Do nap routines really help night sleep?

93 replies

SnowWhite26 · 19/12/2019 06:14

What do we think? Who has one? My lo is 16 months. I am desperately tryong to stick to him napping for 2 hours from about 12 till 2 as this is what i have read is a good time. He sometimez cat naps in morning if going out. He generally wakes at 5-530 so that's why i started. The thing is when is going through a good phase he goes till 6ish but atm hes teething and wakin up all over the place just chatting. I have a 4 yr old as well so am bsuting a gut trying to get these naps right that don't seem to matter atm anyway. Any thoughts?

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sar302 · 19/12/2019 06:58

If he's still falling asleep on the move in the morning and is waking up at 5.30am, it might be that he's overtired.

16 months is quite often an awkward time - they don't quite need two naps, but one doesn't seem to be working well all the time. It might take another few months before one nap a day works well for him. But once it does, around that time 12-2ish does seem to be the standard toddler nap!

beargrass · 19/12/2019 07:03

If he naps in the morning, is it when you're out in the car? Because I think dropping down to one solid nap can be tricky if they fall asleep in the car. Obviously hard to avoid if you have drop-off or activities with the older one though.

BeyondMyWits · 19/12/2019 07:13

We never had any routines (kids born around 2000 - after "you must feed every 4 hours" and before "they need strict routines" - more "go with the flow"), but had kids who just "fit in" - sometimes they slept - if out in the car or pram/pushchair - or if we felt they were getting a bit crotchety, other times they just kept going like the duracell bunny...

Some kids are like that and trying to force a nap, and then force one at a particular time, and then force it for a particular length ... can be counterproductive.

If we needed them to nap at a certain time, we went to the park for a half hour runaround, then in the pushchair on the way home/to appointment/etc they'd have a sleep.

BeyondMyWits · 19/12/2019 07:17

sorry - forgot the bit about night-sleep - ours were never affected by naps (which also helped us not bother trying because all that effort for no decent reward...) we found if we had a busy day, a restful evening, bed for them at 8/8.30/9 depending how it fit, they'd sleep through to 6.30/7, if the day was quiet, no matter when they went down, they'd be up at 5.30/6. So with ours night-sleep was driven more by activity levels than napping...

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 19/12/2019 07:28

Thanks for your responses. Sar and beargrass I hhave been trying to drop the nap but he does fall asleep in the car and if we dont go out in car hes sooooo tired. We are going through a terrible week of him waking and i dunno if its his teeth or what. Beyondmywits With my first she used to generally have a longer nap in morning then we had the day to play and she would prob nap on way home. She would sleep 6.30/7 till 530 most nights. Thats why I thiught I would try beong stricter. But I really dunno if there is anything in having a strict routine apart from stress!!!

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sar302 · 19/12/2019 08:43

Is there any reason that he needs to be having only one nap yet? Ie nursery or something else? It might just be that if he's that tired in the morning, he still needs two naps a day for a while. Or alternating days two naps / one nap. Or one nap on a day if he's slept in, but two naps if he wakes early.

Have a look online at "windows of wakefulness". It's a real stretch for a lot of young toddlers to go from being awake for three hours before the first nap, to six hours or so (if you have an early riser.)

I'm big into routines. Massive fan! But They have to work for the baby too, as having an exhausted baby just isn't worth it. And if they need sleep, they need it. sleep debt just accrues and leads to early wake ups, and more tiredness, for us anyway!

By 18 months or so it's very unlikely that he'll still need two naps and then life gets a lot more organised!

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 20/12/2019 06:04

So I am a fan of routine to. Wwe have had a bedtime routine sinnce they were both about 4 months old we even have a morning routine. Its just hard with the nap routine. Yesterday he ended up having half an hour in the car on the way out in morning and then half an hour on way he about half 2. He woke up at 530 which is great for this week as he has been waking at 4 or 430 and i have been following the lunch time nap religiously. Thats why i ask if it's really worth busting a ball to get home for 2 hour nap in middle of the day.

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sar302 · 20/12/2019 14:21

We are always home for a nap in the middle of the day. DS usually sleeps from 12:30-3.30pm and there's no way he'd do that in the car / pushchair.
Everyone I know is home midday for toddler naps - it seems fairly standard. Whole morning activity - lunch - sleep.

BonnieSeptember · 20/12/2019 14:24

It has for us. My baby is a lot younger (coming up for 3 months), but ever since we've been consistently napping in the day he's slept better at night.

We don't have a strict routine as in up at 7, nap at 9, etc. But if he's been awake for 1.5-2 hours I start to settle him for a sleep, even of it's just a 15 mins catnap

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 20/12/2019 19:41

He fell asleep at about 915 in car for 20 mins then when i got home he had lunch and napped from 1 till about 2.20 so will see what happens tomorrow

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NeverGotMyPuppy · 20/12/2019 22:03

I think I'm in the same boat as you. We have had a strict routine since DS was 8 months. He is now 15 months and still on 2 naps a day but the lunchtime one is becoming shorter - usually around 1hr 30. I think we need to drop morning soon but he just seems so tired!

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 20/12/2019 22:08

Nevergotpuppy-does it effect his wake up time and how he sleeps? Also if ur out does he just sleep when he sleeps?

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NeverGotMyPuppy · 20/12/2019 22:11

I am no poster girl as I am a complete slave to his routine.

If we are out we make the conditions right for him to nap at the right time - either in the car with a dummy or if in the pram he has the snoozeshade and dummy for naps.

I absolutely believe it affects his nighttime sleep. In the past week or so we have had shorter lunchtime naps and have gone to 5.15-5.45.wake us, whereas before we were on 2 hr lunch naps and 6.30-7 wake ups.

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 21/12/2019 22:05

I think its hard when you have another child to. Today we went out and he cat napped for 25 mins on way to the place then they were both having a great time. So he fepl asleep onbway back and we ended up going somewhere else for 4 year old. Its hard been stuck to nap routines especially when what ever i do he seems to wake up at differ times. This morn he coughed himself awake at 4 :( so i gave him a bottle and he eventually went to sleep till 7.Its hard. Tommorow we have a big family Xmas day out so it will be car naps again. Surely ppl dont miss out on dats out so there babies can nap?

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Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 22/12/2019 06:17

So he woke at about 520 this morning. Which is better than 4! I got him up at 530 as with all the excitement of xmas my 4 year old has been waking up earlyer and now knows I get baby up sometimes before her i think. She woke randomly before 6 so dunno what thats about. Children are sent to try us I reakon what ever routine you do! X

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hopefulhalf · 22/12/2019 06:49

I think that structured naps do help night time sleep. I used to try and get structured naps at home maybe 50% of the time and make a real effort if their sleep was "going off". Sometimes that did mean a boring morning at home (baking with 4 year old ?) so that they couldn't sleep in the morning (or not till 11 anyway ) following a 5:30 wake up.

flippinehh · 22/12/2019 07:34

Surely ppl dont miss out on dats out so there babies can nap?

I know lots of families that will work activities around naps, or will chip off during a day out to nap their DC. There a lot to be said for prioritising sleep IME, definitely helps with night sleep. Nothing worse and overtired DC's.

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 22/12/2019 07:49

I no but when u are out for a family day. anyway these naps don't seem to be work for us atm. he seems to wake when wants

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Sipperskipper · 22/12/2019 07:54

I used to not go to things if they clashed with naps. DD would only nap decently (more than 15 mins) in her cot in a dark room. We just used to plan our day around the naps and try and go to things before / after. It was a bit restrictive but a decent routine meant she was very rarely overtired and ratty, and slept 7.30-7.30 every night.

She’s pretty much stopped napping now (age 2.5) which in some ways is nice as we have a lot more freedom!

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 22/12/2019 08:05

You never went out for a whole day?

OP posts:

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/12/2019 08:08

You never went out for a whole day?

She didn't say that. She said she goes to stuff before or after the nap.

Sleep is sacred in our house. I'd always alter plans to ensure a good lunchtime nap. It was needed and is for such a small length of time.

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 22/12/2019 09:23

No I understand that and most of the time I do try. But today for instance and yesterday with xmas we are doing whole day activities so his naps will either be early before we go or in the car. There is no time for a 2 hour nap for him today. Unfortunately coz of mt 4 year old that can occur a few times a week sometimes. I then find if he does go down he cna still wake early x

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firstimemamma · 22/12/2019 09:38

"Do naps routines help night sleep?" Well all babies are individuals so there isn't really an answer to this question. It depends on the baby. My 16 month old has to nap to sleep well at night. His dad and 3 uncles all the total opposite. If they'd slept too much during the day, they wouldn't sleep at night!

Original poster

SnowWhite26 · 22/12/2019 21:39

Yeah i guess that could be the thing. 2 hours is to much

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coconutty101 · 22/12/2019 22:17

I think the transition from 2 naps to 1 nap is quite difficult for them to adjust to.
My DS is 15 months, and the last few weeks we have been dropping to one nap, similar time to what you said 11.30/12 - 13.30/2pm.

Its been an odd few weeks, coming to the end of a leap, he was getting so exhausted by half 5 but id try and keep him going with play and a bath til 7 30pm at least.

He seems to adjusted now, and is sleeping 8pm - 7 am (most nights) touch wood
Usually comes into our bed then and I can get him til 8 30, sometimes 9am.
So may just be the transition to 1 nap you're experiencing.

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