Single nap of the day only 30 mins if out and about? 18mo

[jnh26]

Just wondering if this is okay really. At home, DS’s nap will usually be around 1.5 hours long. But if we go out and he has to have his nap in the pram, it’s normally 30 mins at best. Is the answer just an earlier bedtime? Or should we try to be at home for the naps as much as possible?

Really depends on how well they can handle it. I'd pull bed an hour earlier and see if they can manage without being really dysregulated. Mine would have been fine with this on occasion

Go out and enjoy yourself. my older two were like this. I spent so much time indoors with my eldest desperate for him to nap for long periods. I think it's fine at 18'months to nap for 30 mins and do an earlier bed time if needed

Fab, thank you!

Mine is 18 months and often has only 30 mins a day, has done for a few months now. Like yours, usually if we're out but sometimes at home or nursery it'll only be 30 minutes. We actually don't do bedtime much earlier, as we only let her nap max 1 hour anyway otherwise it causes long wakes in the night. Mine has never napped much but I've not worried, naps only need to be enough to get them through the day!

Both of mine were HORRIBLE at napping, made no difference if we were in or out, the pay off was that they slept pretty well at night (if they did go down my priority list was as follows.... bathroom visit ALONE, hot drink in peace then any house work i could squeek in!), each child is different, as long as they are coping I wouldn't worry too much.

Honestly, just go with the flow. Kids will sleep when they are tired. If they are waking up after 30 mins, don’t stress about it. I have friends who are very strict with sleep schedules - they have 3 children who will only nap at home, in a pitch black bedroom. I’m not joking when I say they haven’t had a full family day out in 6 years because they have to get home for the naps.

It’s ridiculous, don’t do that. Enjoy your life and the kids will come along for the ride!

I always found my eldest napped shorter when out and about - too much exciting stuff going on. He would sleep for 2-3 hours at home. He’s now a happy healthy 5 year old with hundreds (thousands 😅) of photos of memories to look back on from all our days out. My friends children have nothing because they are always stuck inside.

All my kids have done this. I would pull bedtime a bit earlier on those days if needed and they might be particularly grumpy in the couple of hours before it. But otherwise no harm done.