Hey there! On this video and weblog submit, I’m sharing the best way to inform in case your little one has outgrown their nap and what to do subsequent! It’s possibly not the information you needed, however truthfully, it’s for one of the best and can enhance any night-time sleep disruptions too!
As a pediatric sleep guide, I’m additionally a mother of two daughters who not nap, and I adore it. When your little one quits napping, you is perhaps discouraged, however I imagine it opens up your daytime schedule, and you’ll have a lot enjoyable with out worrying about nap time!
On this weblog and video, I’m going to stroll you thru when it’s time to cease napping, what indicators you’ll see, and the best way to make this transition profitable for everybody.
First Signal: Your little one refuses to nap
There are three indicators we search for when it’s time to drop the daytime nap. The primary one is that they’re not napping, which sounds quite simple.
If in case you have a toddler who’s not taking their daytime nap, then it’s in all probability time to cease.
Second Signal: Your little one struggles to go to sleep at bedtime
The second signal is that they’re napping simply nice, however they’re taking hours to go to sleep at evening time. In actuality, they’re really getting an excessive amount of sleep through the day and never drained sufficient within the night.
Third Signal: Your little one is waking too early
The third signal is that your little one is napping, however they’re waking as much as begin the day at like 3 or 4AM. Why? As a result of once more, your little one solely wants a specific amount of sleep in a 24-hour interval. In the event that they get an excessive amount of sleep throughout their nap, they aren’t drained sufficient to sleep 11-12 hours within the night.
If you happen to discover any of those indicators taking place for 2 weeks or extra, it’s time! Though it would really feel scary, the primary step to eradicating the nap is to cease providing a nap. I’d suggest providing quiet time as an alternative.
Supply Quiet Time
Now, this quiet time doesn’t essentially must be of their bed room. If that’s an possibility, then it may be. However you probably have an area in your house like a playroom or protected space in your front room, then you’ll be able to set a timer for 15-20 minutes and encourage impartial play. As they do effectively with shorter stints, improve the time of their quiet time.
Attempt to do a quiet time after lunch and construct as much as an hour, to an hour and a half. It is a nice time for everybody to take a deep collective breath and regroup for the remainder of the day. You may additionally align this with a youthful sibling’s nap too.
Supply Early Bedtime
Now right here’s the factor—as soon as you’re taking your little one’s nap away, you’re going to undergo a interval of 6 to eight weeks the place your little one goes to wish to go to mattress early.
It’s a huge deal to drop the daytime nap. It’s onerous going from 2 to 1 naps, however a good greater adjustment going from 1 to 0. It’s large. Now we have to get your little one to mattress early. They may probably must go to mattress anyplace between 1 to 2 hours early, relying on the kid.
I all the time share the story about my oldest daughter. Once we dropped her nap, she was having her daytime nap for about an hour and a half. We noticed the indicators for her—she was having a celebration in her crib as an alternative of taking a nap. Once we noticed these behaviors and we stopped providing the nap, the lady COULD NOT hold.
She was so exhausted by 5:15 pm. So, 5:30 pm was her candy spot for bedtime. She would sleep from 5:30 pm all the way in which to 7 am.
Then got here my second daughter, and she or he was far more easygoing. She wasn’t as excessive as Ellie, my first. We really put her to mattress about 30 to 45 minutes prior to normal—anyplace between 6:15 and 6:30 pm.
What are the indicators that they’re prepared for early bedtime?
You’ll know the telltale indicators! When your toddler is rubbing their eyes profusely, yawning, appearing like a maniac, and never listening to your requests, then you understand it’s time for mattress.
For bedtime— the earlier, the higher! An earlier bedtime will assist curb the exhaustion and assist them sleep a fuller evening. And once more, it may possibly really take six to eight weeks to your little one’s physique to acclimate to not having that daytime relaxation.
This doesn’t imply that for six to eight weeks you’re placing your little one to mattress at 5:30 pm. You may hold in that house for a couple of weeks, after which transfer to six pm, and so forth. Persistence is the important thing!
Your little one wants that early bedtime so please don’t gloss over or skip that step.
Now for the enjoyable! Wish to take an extended day journey and never fear about naps? You possibly can discover till bedtime! It’s the transition out of babyhood and the mark of a brand new starting for your loved ones. Embrace it!
Thanks for tuning in— as all the time we need to assist make it possible for sleep remains to be a factor as your toddler grows and adjustments!
Candy desires.
Becca
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