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Original poster

Toddlers nap and school run

28 replies

TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 06:20

Hello!

How do you juggle your toddlers nap ie, what time/ how long, if you also have to do the school run?

I have a 2.5 year old daughter who struggles with sleep in the night. Once she wakes up ( which is most nights, she is awake for 3-4 hours, she can't get back to sleep and she headbangs.)

I have a sleep diary and I have noticed a slight pattern for a few times that when ever she has a slightly later 2 hour ish nap, say 1.30-3.30, she goes to sleep straight away and at night she has been better ( as in Slept through).
It's the Easter holidays and I haven't had to do the school run so I've been able to let her sleep till 3.30pm.
Normally, her nap is usually 1-3 ( then have to leave to do school run) and bedtime 8 ish as a general rule.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has noticed a difference when it's the holidays and also how you juggle your toddlers naps and having an older child - and if your toddler sleeps through!

Any tips would be appreciated, thank you!

Xx

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MsChatterbox · 18/04/2022 07:04

I let my toddler nap in the pushchair in the garden so if she's still asleep at pick up I can just leave her asleep when we go!

potofivy · 18/04/2022 07:08

I would move the nap to 12:30-14:30 and bedtime to 19:00.

You'd have to move it by 15 mins a day rather than in one go though

Original poster
TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 07:15

Oh thank you for your responses. Smile
@MsChatterbox that's good and handy for the school run!

@potofivy ah ok, yes so earlier nap, earlier bedtime. x

OP posts:
potofivy · 18/04/2022 07:18

Have a look at Little Ones schedules. Worked for my 4 year old and currently working with my 3 month old

gogohm · 18/04/2022 07:26

Another nap in the pushchair vote

Original poster
TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 07:31

@potofivy I've just looked, is it the app you've got?

@gogohm ahh that sounds so good, I have to drive though! But always thought how good it would be if I could walk to school!

OP posts:
Dancingonmyownagain · 18/04/2022 07:35

Another vote for little ones. 2hours nap sounds like a lot for 2.5 yo, esp if not waking until 330.

Best of luck sorting it op

potofivy · 18/04/2022 07:35

[quote TinyDancer275]@potofivy I've just looked, is it the app you've got?

@gogohm ahh that sounds so good, I have to drive though! But always thought how good it would be if I could walk to school![/quote]
It's a paid for programme, can access via their website or their app

glasslightly · 18/04/2022 07:36

Are you sure she needs a two hour nap ? Appreciate she may sleep for two hours. But that's quite a long nap at that age (most drop the nap between 2 and 3)? What happens if she doesn't nap ?

Original poster
TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 07:44

Thank you for all your responses Smile

@glasslightly well, possibly not. She does sleep well for it but I would rather she had no nap and then sleep through at night!

The other day she had no nap, was awake from 7.30am , had a full on day out, was like a little whirlwind, didn't stop, went to bed at 7pm, took about 45 mins to fall asleep and then woke from 2am -6am Confused
So, I'm guessing she was overtired. Thing is she's awake every night usually for 3-4 hours . Feel like tried everything from long nap, shorter nap, no nap and nothing seems to work xxx

OP posts:
Original poster
TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 07:52

I also paid for a sleep consultant last year and unfortunately didn't work xx

OP posts:
Original poster
TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 07:53

@Dancingonmyownagain thank you! X

OP posts:
mnnewbie111 · 18/04/2022 07:57

@glasslightly

Are you sure she needs a two hour nap ? Appreciate she may sleep for two hours. But that's quite a long nap at that age (most drop the nap between 2 and 3)? What happens if she doesn't nap ?
My 3.5 year old naps for 3 hours a day. I assumed this is the norm?
bigbeautifulmonster · 18/04/2022 08:04

My DD (will be 4 in June) naps for 2 hours a day too if I let her but I doesn't effect night time sleep. So we're continuing with this as it's not to her any harm and we are happy to have a rest too now that we also have a young baby to deal with. It'll have to stop in sept with school but what I'm trying to say is don't worry about the pp's saying the long nap is too long for a 2.5 year old. All babies and children are different, thank goodness.

Phos · 18/04/2022 08:07

I used to find my daughter slept better with an earlier nap, like 11:30-1:30

She dropped napping at 19 months though thank God, so maybe that's not normal either.

SkankingWombat · 18/04/2022 08:15

Neither of mine were still napping at 2.5 either, but did instead have an hour's quiet time after lunch each day. For DD1 this was lying in bed in her darkened bedroom and playing with her cuddly toys, for DD2 it was sitting on the sofa bundled under a duvet watching chilled TV programmes.
When they did still nap and it was likely to overrun something I needed to go out for, like PPs, I put them to sleep in the buggy so we could leave the house when needed. I often did it in reverse too: DD2 liked a 9am morning nap when very little which clashed with running DD1 to preschool, so during term time that was always taken in the buggy. I just pulled the buggy into the porch when I got home and left the door into the hall ajar so I could hear her when she woke.

PotteringAlong · 18/04/2022 08:19

Your baby is a split night sleeper! All 3 of mine were so you have my sympathies. But they all grew out of it, if that helps.

And yes, we did naps in the pushchair.

NatalieH2220 · 18/04/2022 08:24

I tweaked my toddlers naptime so it fit in with school run. He usually naps 12-2 now so up in plenty of time for the school run. I do still have extra time for if he takes a longer nap or goes down later though as we don't leave until 3. Occasionally I'll have to wake him but not very often.

Somuchgoo · 18/04/2022 08:57

My husband works from home, and he pops out and does the school run. If he can't, then my eldest guess to after school club.

My little one is 3 but needs a decent nap every day as she's recovering from a brain tumour and it's left her with a lot of fatigue and we have to prioritize her rest.

Overthebow · 18/04/2022 09:05

My 3.5 year old naps for 3 hours a day. I assumed this is the norm?

Definitely not the norm, lots of kids drop naps between age 2 and 3 and if they do it’s a much shorter nap. Lots go to school age 4 so to go from a 3 hour nap to no nap that quickly would be hard.

Original poster
TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 09:38

Thank you so much for all your replies it's so interesting to hear what everybody else does!!
@PotteringAlong oh gosh really, I didn't know this was a thing!! That's very reassuring that yours grew out of it though. Do you think there's anything I can do to stop it? It's the head banging and distress as well which is so stressful! Hmm
Xx
@bigbeautifulmonster ahh thank you for that. It's so confusing as my eldest napped every single day until she started school! And she slept at night too! So I feel like I'm being punished now because my first was so good! Lol.
Xxx

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 18/04/2022 09:44

I'd keep a food diary OP and see if there is any link there.

Ime when children wake like this in the night it can sometimes be digestive distress or even a food just causing hyperactivity/restfulness.

I find cheese, tomatoes and lentils are the most likely culprits. But could be anything, I had one child where it was anything red, so tomatoes, but also strawberries, pepper etc.

Original poster
TinyDancer275 · 18/04/2022 12:01

@NuffSaidSam thank you that's so interesting. I will do!
She is very fussy anyway and we removed dairy last year , but she has it now.
I wouldn't really know where to start regarding what foods could be the culprit, but I'll start a food diary and see if anything flags up xx

OP posts:
AliceW89 · 18/04/2022 13:52

When she’s awake for 3-4 hours overnight, is she cheerful and happy and wanting to play…or is she grumpy and upset the whole time?

dontyoubother · 18/04/2022 14:02

DD2 is up about 6, lunch 11.30, nap 12.30 or 1 (slow eater!) up by 2.30 ready for school run at 2.45.