WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

I love DS's new schedule. He's sleeping from about 8:30pm-8:30am and takes 1 nap for 3-4 hours in the afternoon, about 12-4pm. I dont know what to do about these summer activities starting at 1-2:00. Birthday parties, family GTGs, BBQs, etc. WDYD? Wake them up when you want to go? Wait until they wake up on their own? Put them in for a nap a little earlier? He just started taking 1 nap about a month ago so I know his nap will eventually get shorter, but I dont want that to happen faster than it needs to, kwim?

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DS sleeps exactly like this, and I wonder what best to do too.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

It is very annoying.

My DD did not sleep that long ever (usually I got 3 hours at most with her) and slept 7-730 last summer.

I would try and eaither put her down a little earli and then be out of the house by 2 or keep her out a little longer and be down for a nap by 1/130.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

I'm in the same boat - James naps from noon until about 2/2:30 - smack in the middle of the day. If he doesn't get his nap in, he's a monster.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DS doesn't sleep as long as C but he does have that midday nap. When we are home I put him down at 1. If we have places to be I will try and push his nap as late as possible, usually to 1:30 or 2. He will usually fall asleep on the way home (and if it's not too long of a drive I am able to transfer him and salvage the nap). This weekend I have a family event that will have us out ALL day so I am thinking of putting him in the car midday and driving around so he gets some sort of a nap. I think that once in a while if he gets a c r a p p y nap or no nap it's not the end of the world.

ETA: If it's just close family, they know I won't be there before 3

Message edited 6/7/2011 9:01:21 PM.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

Posted by scarletbegonia

I'm in the same boat - James naps from noon until about 2/2:30 - smack in the middle of the day. If he doesn't get his nap in, he's a monster.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

oye, I wouldn't have a clue what to do. Now I'm thankful that Joey is a morning napper . Is it possible to push it up?

I don't wake at naps either but he also has never napped for 4 hours either. (man, that's nice! haha)

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

If you know you have plans for the day would he take a morning nap and then take a later one in the late afternoon?

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

Posted by carissa1643

Posted by scarletbegonia

I'm in the same boat - James naps from noon until about 2/2:30 - smack in the middle of the day. If he doesn't get his nap in, he's a monster.

Oh yeah, DS is a beast without a nap! My family is crazy, they say come anyway, he doesn't need a nap, he'll sleep here, he'll be fine! He's not, and I get so stressed out and frustrated that this didn't have to happen and he would have been fine if we went an hour later. I'm the one that deals with a whiney, clingy, tired kid in the heat and everyone throws out suggestions to me all day. UGH I'm not entirely looking forward to my weekly family gtgs!

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

WHen DS took naps like that we would keep him up til we had to drive to the picnic or BBQ. He would fall asleep on the way and would be a bit cranky and clingy when we got to our destination, but would finally warm up. As long as he got at least 30 min of sleep, he'd be good to go! So if it's a close place, I'd even drive around a little longer, or leave a little earlier to drive around the neighborhood.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

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Message edited 3/7/2013 3:17:14 PM.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DS also naps in the afternoon... He usually goes down between 12-1pm and sleeps at least 2 hours...On days where I need to do something during that time, I will try to put him down a little earlier. Or I wait until I am done with whatever and then he takes a later nap.. So far he has adjusted well to it. No problems with being too cranky...He is 19 months old..

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DS also naps from 12-2 (sometimes until 3) but I just push his nap earlier or later if we're out. I have been experimenting and bringing the PNP with me when I go to my parents and he's slept in there just fine.

My mom told me that when I was a baby, all 3 kids slept anywhere at anytime. I'm TRYING to keep that in mind and just go with the mindset that as long as I give him the opportunity to nap - even if it's on a blanket in the corner of the room, he'll nap. I just go with the flow. Yes, he can be a monster w/o a nap, but he will just learn to adjust and nap when it's time when I lay him down.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

My DD is on a very similar sleep schedule. On days like you're describing, I always put her down about an hour earlier and wake her up when it's time to go. She's very adaptable though. Sometimes she wont nap at all.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DS is pretty flexible. He takes that same long nap most days, but if we are out, he'll take it from 4pm-6pm instead or even later sometimes.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

Although my kids didn't take long naps they both have midday naps - first my DS and now my DD. We have a pretty big circle of family and friends so we pretty much have parties every weekend and, with a 3 yr old as well my 16 mo old has had to learn to go wtih the flow a little more on weekdays.

Here is what I learned - there is a minimum amt of sleep that I think the kids need for them to be ok - not great, but, ok - for my kids both it was 40 min. So, I would find a way to get the 40 min in - whether it was leaving early so they would nap in the car on the way there or leaving the party early to nap on the way home or, walking them around at the party in their stroller (hours past nap time so they are tired enough to fall asleep) so they can nap in the stroller. Usually there is a way to fit in 40 min. The lesser nap (they both took about 2 hr nap) isn't ideal but, it works fine and it is much better than sacrificing all the fun in the summer months! HTH!

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

I would go...


My kids are very good sleepers..and if they missed one here and there...it never mattered...sometimes it was a shorter nap, sometimes it was a later nap, sometimes there wasnt one at all!

The next day it goes back to normal! I never miss anything for a nap!

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

When DS was little, around 1, I would put him down for a nap earlier and hope for the best. As he got closer to 18 months, I was able to try and skip the nap and he would just fall asleep in the car.

DD, however, needs her crib to sleep and I would probably put her down when she was tired and go late to whatever party/event it was.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

I base it all on the party itself. If it's close family (and close by) I will send DH and Jack, and I will meet them there with Ty when he wakes up.

If it's something like a Christening (we had three during his naptime) I try to nap him earlier if possible, otherwise he doesn't nap.

If the party starts at 3 - and he goes down at 12:30 - I will usually wake him up around 2:30.

It's all on a case by case basis.

ETA: With Jack - he was a nightmare. He needed his naps. If I had somewhere to be I would drive around with him in the car during the party so that he could fall asleep.

Message edited 6/8/2011 8:05:15 AM.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DS napped like that when he was younger.

We always left early and sat in the car to get his nap in. I tried to get at least an hour of nap in before the party started.

As he got older (2-1/2 and on) I would skip naps here and there and he would be fine.

So for us, it depended on the age and the time of the function.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DS will do a nap shorter than that, but from 12-2, which is really tough to plan things.

Will your DS nap outside the house? Stroller, or a bed, etc? Also, how is he with the "transfer"? Ds will nap in the stroller, so if I need to run to target, I still can, he just naps in the stroller and I pull a wagon.

Most of our family events start at like 3,so we are usually okay, but I have had to wake him to get him dressed. I don't like doing it but sometimes, we have to. He usually falls back asleep in the car.

That is a nice long nap though!! I would hate to mess it up too

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

DD naps also from about 12-2:30/3 but if we have somewhere to go or are out, she either takes a short nap in the car, doesn't nap til later in the afternoon or takes no nap at all.

We don't let her nap dictate our day, unless we're home obviously we'll wait til she wakes up to run errands, etc. We've always been that way and she does pretty good. I feel one day/week without a "good" nap isn't a bad thing.

Re: WDYD if your toddler takes 1 long nap?

Just wanted to tell you I hate you that you get long naps like that. Thats all.

Love ya!