Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #90 on: July 07, 2007, 08:14:46 PM » by kcb

Quote from: MamaJ on June 28, 2007, 10:17:58 AM

Thank you all for these suggestions. We are taking her to an allergist in the fall, but we've taken her from whole milk to 2% milk, and that alone seems to make a difference. My doctor thinks it has just become habitual for her to wake up now. I know someone mentioned punishing a child for waking. Can I ask what you did? My two daughters share a room. This may not be a problem because I can move one to the spare room during "training" time. Please, any more suggestions on this would be welcome. My doctor thinks I may have chronic fatigue, and so this is really taxing on me!

Mama J.

Mama J.,
It sounds like you have found some solutions that work for your daughter. Sorry for not replying for so long. We did punish for waking (in addition to dealing with the reason for waking). But my son was not having trouble falling asleep, so it sounds like a different cause. He woke us up constantly during the night, and once we added a bit of a deterrant, he stopped.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #91 on: August 08, 2007, 07:19:34 PM » by MamaJ

Alright, my daughter is doing much better now. We still have occasional night wakenings, maybe once a week, but usually she's thirsty and will go right back to sleep after a drink of water. We bought a baby gate and put it across her doorway. When she woke up through the night, aside from a drink, we did not go to her, and she could not get out to come to our room, which she had been doing. After a week of her screaming because she couldn't get out, she eventually stopped. Once in a while she will stand at the gate and say "Mama, it's me!" but she knows now.

Ok, we have the night time routine down. Now, she almost never naps during the day, and on the rare occasion that she does, she sleeps for 30-40 minutes maximum. I need a bit more time than that to myself, so I make her stay in her room for one hour. If she does not sleep, that is fine, but she must play quietly in her room for the one hour. It's actually working really well for us. If we skip the quiet time and allow her to play downstairs, she gets cranky and defiant. After her quiet time, even if she does not sleep, she seems much more rested and happy. I think she is just so caught up in everything going on around her, she can't wind down and reset, and she overloads. The qt helps her to settle down, absorb what's happened so far during the day, and face the rest of the afternoon refreshed.

Thanks for all the great advice. I didn't have the chance to try the sweet sleep tincture, because we can't afford the extra expense right now, no matter how little it is. I really have no idea how it would work for my kids. But I appreciate everyone's advice, thanks so much.

Mama J.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #92 on: August 08, 2007, 08:02:56 PM » by Kitty

Quote from: floydian on June 15, 2007, 08:27:01 AM

Then one week, we were in a hotel and ate at the breakfast bar in the mornings. I ate much more fat than I had been eating. I also slept much better, and considering I was in a hotel in a double bed and pregnant, is saying something. When I got home, I added more fat to my diet and began taking the Omega 3,6,9 supplement. I began sleeping better--not waking in the middle of the night and also falling asleep much easier.

I just started this thread, and never thought of increased fats aiding sleep! I think you're onto something there...I was on increased Omega 3s (CLO) for skin and now in retrospect, I sleep better when I have them...hmm...now to give them to my 3 year old! Thanks!

As for other suggestions...we have night waking w/ dairy that isn't raw (ice cream)...the other thing that helped was removing the waterproof pad on the bed..it was of a material that trapped heat and made them sweat and wake up.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #93 on: August 08, 2007, 09:00:46 PM » by Gigi

Quote from: Yooper Kitty on August 08, 2007, 08:02:56 PM

.the other thing that helped was removing the waterproof pad on the bed..it was of a material that trapped heat and made them sweat and wake up.

Yes! I found this to be a problem for us, as well. Too hot and sweaty and therefore not sleeping soundly.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #94 on: August 18, 2007, 08:07:51 PM » by MamaJ

I have a two and a half year old who has been giving us a hard time going to bed at night. We put her to bed at 8 pm (any earlier, and she remained awake until then anyway) after brushing her teeth, washing her hands, using the potty, milk and stories and snuggles with Mom or Dad. She has no other reason to be crying. Sometimes she only cries for 30-40 minutes, sometimes for almost two hours. I am pretty convinced that she needs to be disciplined. She has no other reason for it. She is not scared (she tells us when she is), has not other need to be filled. I think she's just being stubborn and independent about trying to set her own sleep time. Does that sound right, or am I overlooking something?

Mama J.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #95 on: August 18, 2007, 08:23:18 PM » by skelliott2

Does she still take a long nap in the afternoon? When my children are around 3 years old, they start having a hard time going to sleep at night. I stop the afternoon nap Cry

, and then they go to bed fine. I usually just tell them to do a rest time in their room with some books, toys, etc, so the older kids still get some peace and quiet for school time. Then, we older ones still get a break, and the little one goes to bed at night! Hope you figure it out!

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #96 on: August 20, 2007, 08:08:59 AM » by MamaJ

I think that's what's making it so frustrating! I can't get her to nap in the afternoon, or if I do, it's for 30-45 minutes at most. She has a quiet time in her room, rarely does she sleep. I take them out to parks, for walks, in the backyard, so they're getting lots of sunshine and exercise. They go for a swim in the kiddie pool after dinner so they tired themselves out. Any other ideas?

Mama J.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #97 on: August 26, 2007, 09:00:18 AM » by kcb

Quote from: MamaJ on August 18, 2007, 08:07:51 PM

Unless she is defiant at other times, I would tend to look for another reason for her crying at night. Does she have a good diet with plenty of protein and adequate healthy fats? Does she have a healthy gut? Does she get B vitamins? These issues can have a direct affect on how well a person sleeps.

KCB

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #98 on: February 05, 2008, 02:30:10 PM » by homekeeper

I really appreciate everyone who wrote about their experiences on here. It helps me to know that I'm not alone. I have almost tapped out all my personal resources on this topic.
My daughter-33mo- has been waking in the middle of the night since she was around 20 mo. She is very well trained, so she just stayed in bed and sang and talked, but I was awake the whole time because of the baby monitor. Why I haven't done much about it up until this point is something I don't know- I had my second daughter when my first turned 2, so I was really busy at night for a few months anyway-so I just didn't worry about her. Now #2 is 9 months old and sleeps through the night,but #1 wakes for up to 2 hours some nights! I have been messing with her schedule, trying to find one that fits-but the only way she sleeps through, without waking, is to go to bed around 10 or 10:30 and sleep until 7. She loves books, so I have been putting her to bed after the bedtime routine with a pile of books to look at. When she's tired, she rolls over and goes to sleep. I have been using this as a guide to her sleepiness.
P.S. She is not cranky at all during the day-and, in fact, almost never seems to get tired-I pretty much put her to sleep when I need some rest!
When should nap time be? 11:30? 1:00? 2:00?
What I would really love is if some of you would write out what your schedules are for your 2 and 3 year olds, and I can see if I'm even anywhere near something normal.
I will do something to check for heavy metal toxcicity, we eat healthy, unrefined foods-generally. I haven't noticed a correlation between diet and waking at night. BUT I'm really bad about noticing subtle things like that-it pretty much has to smack me between the eyes for me to get it.
I would love some new perspective on this! I'm the kind that obsesses about a problem until I figure it out. My MIL can't listen to me talk about this anymore- Oh, and get this-when my DD stays at my MIL's house overnight-she sleeps normally! like 8:30 or 9 to 7 or so! So we have been changing things that are different at Grandma's house. So far, no luck-but I do want to take the plastic sheet off her bed-just to see if it makes a difference. I mean, we keep the house pretty cold at night, because my husband just can't rest if he's too warm, but we do live in Florida! Thanks for reading my rant, and I appreciate any advice!

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #99 on: February 05, 2008, 02:43:29 PM » by its_me518

Quote from: Toriadore on February 05, 2008, 02:30:10 PM

What I would really love is if some of you would write out what your schedules are for your 2 and 3 year olds, and I can see if I'm even anywhere near something normal.

Hi, just thought I'd pitch in... all of my kids (between 10 months & 4 years) go to sleep @ 9pm and sleep through the night until 8:30 in the morning.. and they all take a nap @ 2pm which lasts about 2 hours... (the baby takes more naps...)

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #100 on: February 05, 2008, 06:03:25 PM » by healthybratt

Toriadore,

Not sure if this is your situation, but I've witnessed moms who've had problems at bedtime, not because the baby is not tired, but because the baby is OVERtired. Sometimes when they don't get enough sleep (naps, consistent bedtimes), it becomes very difficult for them to unwind and go to sleep. For me, I find my kids do the best if we stick to regular and consistent times and surroundings (favorite blanky, stuffed animal, etc). They get a story, some love, prayers, tuck in and goodnight. The older they get, the more foolishness they try, but when they were younger, it would only take minutes for them to go to sleep this way.

I've never used this technique myself, but I've heard of moms using baths to help calm down kids. One technique I do use for my kids if I think they are too wound up is to take them in my room and let them jump on the bed for awhile (I have a big King size that can take the abuse). Then we go through the normal routines. Grin

HTH

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #101 on: February 05, 2008, 07:19:20 PM » by its_me518

Quote from: healthybratt on February 05, 2008, 06:03:25 PM

Not sure if this is your situation, but I've witnessed moms who've had problems at bedtime, not because the baby is not tired, but because the baby is OVERtired.

I can definitly vouch for that!! Shocked

Going by my 10 month old... If he is in bed by 9pm he falls asleep fast & easy.. but if its later, he takes FOREVER & CRIES a lot!!! Gotta stick to the schedule!!

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #102 on: February 07, 2008, 07:59:42 AM » by homekeeper

Thanks for the comments so far! I really want to explore every option. She has always had a restful bedtime routine. Bath, read books sing and pray. I'll admit that it wasn't always right at 9pm, because my husband wants to spend time with her-he will drag it out! But no later than 9:45 on any given night. She woke up early one morning: like 6:40, so I put her down for a nap early-like 11:45. She took a good nap, but not too long, so I put her down at her regular bedtime-9 and she was asleep by 9:15. But she was up for about an hour in the middle of the night to even her sleep out to about 9 hours by morning! Yesterday, she took a bit of a late nap(2pm) that went on a bit long(2 hours), and by 10, I was falling asleep and she was still wide awake!
If I could get more ideas of schedules, to compare mine to-that would help! I would love to keep to a regular schedule-I always have, but I realized the one I was using-DIDN't work! How do you pick a schedule out for your family? Huh

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #103 on: February 07, 2008, 06:04:06 PM » by kcb

I highly recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" for solving sleep problems. It sure helped me. The basic idea, is that if your child is not getting enough sleep, it can be more difficult to settle down to fall asleep.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #104 on: February 07, 2008, 09:32:53 PM » by berthday

Our 5 Yr old and 3 yr. old have no trouble going to sleep by themselves, but they wake up in the middle of the night and come to our bed, we're expecting #3 in a few months and I don't want them in my bed with the baby. They always slept great as babies and always went to sleep alone and awake,but now at this age??Whats going on?If we put them back in bed they wake back up a hour or 2 latter and craw back in with us. Any help would be appreciated.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #105 on: February 07, 2008, 09:46:09 PM » by mommie

my 3 year old goes to bed between 730 - 8 and normally lays in bed for 30mins - an hour than falls asleep. He comes in our room in the midde of the night and crashes on the twin we have on the floor for him and his 19 mo sister...all our beds are on the floor actually...anyways..He normally wakes around 5:30 to ask if daddy is up yet (daddy wakes up at 5:45 and he likes to sit and read proverbs and eat a banana w/ daddy. If daddy isn't up yet I tell him to go back to bed and sometimes he'll go back to bed till 7 ish if he doesn't hear daddy. he'll nap around 1- 2 again laying for probably 20 -30 mins before falling asleep and sleep around 1 1/2 hours.... thats our 40 month olds schedule...theres no way I could let my kids stay up till nine I would get no time with hubby

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #106 on: February 07, 2008, 10:15:10 PM » by H0MEFree

A friend of mine is really healthy- really really healthy.
She has a fancy schmancy juicer, eats raw this and that, organic this and that and you get the drift. Mega healthy person.
But her son is 9 and super wound up all the time. Like he is "on something", you know? I am not sure how she can take it. God must give her special grace.
One time she was talking about how she gives him wheat grass juice every morning and other super high energy stuff. Shocked

What? Like he needs that contributing to his miles-per-hour? It is like giving him speed or crack!

On the other hand- some people are loading their children with sugars, juice or caffeines and don't get it.

I just say all of this to possibly get someone to consider that: they may be giving their children some sort of energy boosting food or herbs too close to bed times.
I am not saying all children who can't sleep at the right time or long enough have this issue. I am just putting the idea out there that there may be contributing factors in the foods or herbs they are getting.
Even some vitamins taken too late in the day will cause problems.

I pray that we all find the keys that helps our particular child get adequate sleep and at proper times of the day.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #107 on: March 02, 2008, 09:48:39 AM » by steadygirl

I hope someone can help me with this. Cheesy

I have a son who will be 2 in a month and he is still "waking up" at least 2 times a night. Usually it is at the same time every night- 1-ish and 5-ish. I don't really know what to do because most of the time he is not really awake. He kicks off his blankets and scrunches up to the top of his bed. If I just leave him he wakes up in about 20 minutes because he is cold and uncomfortable. Tongue

I know he is capable of sleeping through the night. When I started weaning him a couple months ago he started sleeping through the night for a couple weeks. Then he got sick and got into the habit of waking up again. It was very discouraging because he has woke up a lot at night since he was born 2-3 time a night and I am tired of it! I am also pregnant and am not looking forward to waking up with a new one and the 2 yr old. Cry

I am sort of dreading having this baby just because my son is a poor sleeper and has always been full of energy and hard to keep up with. Two will be hard. He is really good about falling asleep by himself for bed and naptimes. He takes a 2 hour nap during the day. ( I do notice if it goes much over that he doesn't sleep as well.) Any suggestions?

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #108 on: March 02, 2008, 10:21:44 AM » by ShabbyChic

My opinion is that sleep breeds sleep, so don't cut out the nap thinking he'll sleep longer at night. It'll just make him cranky!

You may try black out/white out curtains to block light out.

You may try bundling him up in more pajamas and socks (in winter my sons sleep in 2-3 shirts and flannel PJs over them and socks). It seems like a lot, but they both kick the covers off.

You might try a space heater just to keep that room warmer.

You might try coming in, rubbing his back, telling him it's not time to wake up, what'll happen if he doesn't go back to sleep, and leaving.

You might try telling him right at bed time that big boys sleep through the night, and then praying with him to sleep through the night, and then praying with him at 1 and 5 when you go to check on him.

You might try wearing him out physically during the day with play.

And of course, praying yourself... Cheesy

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #109 on: March 02, 2008, 09:55:41 PM » by steadygirl

I can get get a little fanatical about naps just because he does sleep better with a good nap and we are both so much happier! His problem is not going back to sleep. He does that sometimes before I am there or I just tell him to go to sleep and he is out. It is more the crying, kicking off blankets and me having to put them back on thing. Undecided

I don't want to get out of bed multiple times a night and then have to fall back asleep. Some nights when he is wound up because of us doing something in the evening or people coming over, he wakes up a lot and is harder to get back to sleep and wakes up too early in the morning. Tongue

Is there any natural way to get him to sleep heavier? Lots of play does help but it is hard to keep him busy just inside the house and we still have 2 feet of snow outside and he hates snow. Roll Eyes

( cold) Thanks for the reply, ShabbyChic! I think I will see about warmer pj's, but my husband like things warmer so it is 70 in here at night- not too cold.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #110 on: March 02, 2008, 10:14:08 PM » by cecac

I had to control my youngest's naps (she's 21 mos) by waking her up a little earlier than she would have on her own. I found she was not going to sleep as easily at night. My daugher still has two naps per day, but I only allow a one hour snooze in the morning and then about 1.5 hours in the afternoon. When I tried to cut the morning nap, she got cranky. So, I went with two naps, but a shorter morning nap. Maybe your son just needs a slightly shorter nap?

Another thought I had--does your son eat a good amount of his food as protein in the evening meal? He may be protein hungry, waking up in the night like that. Does he eat anything that would rev up his system before bed or cause a blood sugar issue during the night as his evening meal is digested?

Just some thoughts,
Cara

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #111 on: March 04, 2008, 09:52:02 AM » by healthybratt

Quote from: steadygirl on March 02, 2008, 09:55:41 PM

( cold) Thanks for the reply, ShabbyChic! I think I will see about warmer pj's, but my husband like things warmer so it is 70 in here at night- not too cold.

http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,6790.0.html

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #112 on: March 09, 2008, 08:12:17 PM » by homekeeper

Quote from: kcb on February 07, 2008, 06:04:06 PM

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU KCB! Grin

I have spent the last week studying this book. (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child) I have recomended it to EVERY mother that I know. It has saved my sanity! I now put my daughter to bed around 7 and she goes to sleep right away, and sleeps MUCH better at night. She takes a 1 1/2 hour nap starting at 1pm. Although there will probably still be some problems as she catches up on sleep that she hasn't been getting, I have already seen much progress. Her attitude has improved (she doesn't cry at the drop of a hat) and she is much more capable of focusing and learning. Also, I found a website that condenses the info in the book, and of course you can go straight to the info on your child's age
www.familysleep.com
I encourage you to seek answers to your children's sleep problems-they may not "Grow out of it". And they may be missing out on healthy sleep! My husband thought that I was just being obsessive, and nothing was that wrong, but I just felt that I wasn't being a good mother if I didn't make sure she got a good night's sleep. More than any person or book-trust the instincts that God put into you. Just remember, your theories on sleep are based on your upbringing. My husband's mother let her kids run around until they collapsed. Yeah, they slept hard, but they didn't develop good sleep habits-and they pay for it as adults in various ways. My mom was the "sleep Nazi", we were in bed at the same time every night no matter what. I sleep very well at night. Only my children disturb my sleep! Wink

I hope these resources help all of you with sleep problems. I cannot recomend this book enough! Borrow it! Buy it! Look up the website!

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #113 on: March 09, 2008, 09:01:07 PM » by hollyolly123

What a fantastic website! Oh, thank you for posting!

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #114 on: March 09, 2008, 09:45:31 PM » by ArmyWife

I also highly recommend the book above. I actually just pulled it out again this week to troubleshoot some problems I'm having with my today-turned-3yo. Even if you don't read the whole book, (which I never have) it's helpful to be able to look at the different ages and what's needed as far as sleep, etc. You can buy it at Target for about $14, and at bookstores as well.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #115 on: March 10, 2008, 09:55:07 PM » by kcb

Quote from: Toriadore on March 09, 2008, 08:12:17 PM

Quote from: kcb on February 07, 2008, 06:04:06 PM

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU KCB! Grin

I have spent the last week studying this book. (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child) I have recomended it to EVERY mother that I know. It has saved my sanity!

It is a great book, isn't it! I like that the book is based on scientific studies of children's brain waves during sleep, and not just on someone's experience.

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #116 on: March 12, 2008, 10:41:20 AM » by homekeeper

It is a great book, isn't it! I like that the book is based on scientific studies of children's brain waves during sleep, and not just on someone's experience.
[/quote]

What I really liked, is that it was an education in the science of sleep, as well as being full of practical troubleshooting advice. I really loved that it gave me actual HOURS to put the child to sleep-9am and 1pm. At least I had somewhere to start! And those ended up working for us. Thanks again!

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My 2 1/2 year old was walking around "reading a book". I hear her say "And God created the world with a big hug..."

Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #117 on: April 04, 2008, 01:18:28 PM » by steadygirl

Well, my son(he just turned 2) is finally sleeping through the night! Cheesy

You will never guess what did it. Roll Eyes

Applesauce! I started giving him some of my homemade cinnamon applesauce as a bedtime snack and he all of a sudden started sleeping at night. I gave him something else on the third day and he slept poorly- tried the applesauce again and it worked. I had tried giving him food before bed- bananas, cheese, milk, cereal, but none of those worked. Huh

He is in the habit now of sleeping all night so I don't have to give him applesauce, but he does ask for a snack. One happy Mama here who gets to sleep all night now. Grin

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #118 on: April 04, 2008, 03:41:16 PM » by rockclimber

Quote from: steadygirl on April 04, 2008, 01:18:28 PM

Well, my son(he just turned 2) is finally sleeping through the night! Cheesy

You will never guess what did it. Roll Eyes

He is in the habit now of sleeping all night so I don't have to give him applesauce, but he does ask for a snack. One happy Mama here who gets to sleep all night now. Grin

That's a wonderful tip. Thank you. My MIL started eating an apple (and only an apple) before bed because she read that it's good for helping her sleep through the night. Cheesy

I never made the connection that it might be good for my children though - I'm excited to try. - Kassia

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Re: Training Older Children to Sleep Through the Night
« Reply #119 on: June 25, 2008, 07:42:42 PM » by Kitty

Bumping up these valuable posts, and adding to it from the web site mentioned:

Quote from: homekeeper on March 09, 2008, 08:12:17 PM

Quote from: kcb on February 07, 2008, 06:04:06 PM

I highly recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" for solving sleep problems. It sure helped me. The basic idea, is that if your child is not getting enough sleep, it can be more difficult to settle down to fall asleep.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU KCB! Grin

I have spent the last week studying this book. (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child) I have recomended it to EVERY mother that I know. It has saved my sanity! I now put my daughter to bed around 7 and she goes to sleep right away, and sleeps MUCH better at night. She takes a 1 1/2 hour nap starting at 1 pm. Although there will probably still be some problems as she catches up on sleep that she hasn't been getting, I have already seen much progress. Her attitude has improved (she doesn't cry at the drop of a hat) and she is much more capable of focusing and learning. Also, I found a website that condenses the info in the book, and of course you can go straight to the info on your child's age:

www.familysleep.com

I encourage you to seek answers to your children's sleep problems--they may not "Grow out of it". And they may be missing out on healthy sleep!

My husband thought that I was just being obsessive, and nothing was that wrong, but I just felt that I wasn't being a good mother if I didn't make sure she got a good night's sleep. More than any person or book--trust the instincts that God put into you. Just remember, your theories on sleep are based on your upbringing. My husband's mother let her kids run around until they collapsed. Yeah, they slept hard, but they didn't develop good sleep habits-and they pay for it as adults in various ways. My mom was the "sleep Nazi", we were in bed at the same time every night no matter what. I sleep very well at night. Only my children disturb my sleep! Wink

I hope these resources help all of you with sleep problems. I cannot recommend this book enough! Borrow it! Buy it! Look up the website!

So many things can result from not getting enough "healthy" sleep: headaches, stomach aches, short frustration tolerance and attention span, hyperactivity, can't settle down to sleep even when they SHOULD be tired, nightwaking, etc.

I loved reading how putting them down earlier (like 7 PM) won't make them wake earlier (my fear). And learning that "sleep begets sleep" was interesting.

I'm quoting some stuff from the web site now for the older children (under the "Sleep Development" tab). Will post stuff re: infants on the related thread:

Quote

Day Sleep:
15 to 18 months:

As discussed in the previous stage 8-15 months your child still might be in the process of either transitioning to one nap or have made the transition already. This one nap a day might occur anywhere from 11am to 1pm. The duration also may vary. For children who are in the beginning stages of full transition to one nap, the nap still occurs too early in the day making it difficult to stay rested through till bedtime. Please review the section below for night sleep. The goal for parents with children at this stage is to start stretching the wakefulness week by week by a half hour so that the one nap can occur closer to midday (12:30-1pm). Once the nap is occurring at that time then over time the duration of the nap starts to increase. This increase in duration can become longer over a period of 2-6 months (varies in children tremendously).

18 months to 3 years:

Now that you have one nap a day the length or duration of that nap increases over time. At about 2 years you might even get those super long naps of 3 hours or more. It's important at this age to be consistent with this nap because your child needs this nap to stay rested. As your child approaches the age of 3 years there might be a time where she begins not to fall asleep right away and play during the nap. Don't assume your child is transitioning out of this nap. I have observed a consistent pattern at this age where parents don't realize that they begin putting their child down for the nap a little bit later in the day. Please take a close look at the pattern of sleep times for this nap if this is occurring. You might have inched that nap too late in the day for your child. It doesn't have to be a big change of time rather it could be a period of just a half-hour later (previously 1pm, now its 1:30pm). Try reverting back to the original nap time or maybe even 15 minutes earlier than that time and see if your child goes down more quickly. If she does, you know she's not transitioning out of this nap quite yet. You may also consider taking toys or play items out of the crib if you think that might hamper the napping process.

3 years to 4 years:

If your child begins to regularly play during nap time and not sleep. Your child's one nap might be on its way out. It's important to see a pattern with this when you finally decide to end napping on a regular basis. If one day your child doesn't nap but does the next day, you might consider still giving her the opportunity to nap until she regularly doesn't take the nap. At this point, keep the nap in your back pocket so to speak, she might need one occasionally.

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About My Eczema...UPDATED 2/2010

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