Hi moms - my son will be starting 1/2 day preschool in a couple of weeks, from 12-3pm. I don't have control over the pre-school time scheduling. He's 4.5 years old and still naps pretty consistently.
He usually naps around 1-2pm ish, though the time fluctuates a bit. I don't think he's ready to give up the nap and I want to make sure he gets enough sleep. He sleeps about 10 hours a night, and about 1-1.5 hours at nap time. The preschool is pretty close to the house, so I think I could get him down around 3:30. But that has him waking up around 4:30-5pm, and then getting ready for bed around 8-8:30 or so.
He's a lot like his dad in that his rhythm is go to sleep late/wake late. Dad is also working full time and going to school so trying to balance dad seeing him in the evening and getting my little guy to sleep earlier-ish is tough. I feel bad either way - if I get son to bed earlier, dad doesn't see him. If I make sure they have PM time together, son doesn't fall asleep till 9:30-10pm.
Any suggestions re. nap shifting, sleep schedule, etc.? OR do I just have to give up on the nap and phase it out so he can go to sleep at a normal time (between 8-9pm?
Personally, I would forget the nap on pre-school days.
I always hated the "late nap" as it just caused more nighttime sleeping issues.
Well my son, who is now 5 and has always been a regular napper all his life.... he is now in Kindergarten.
He will nap, after school, and that is about 3:30 or so. He will nap during the week, when I have time. Because, he has homework everyday.
And he naps 2 hours.
And he STILL will go to bed, by 8:00pm.
His napping does not affect his going to bed at night timing.
Going to school... WILL tire out a young child.
I know, that happened to BOTH my kids, when they attended Preschool.
And Kindergarten.
He needs to go to bed, when HE needs to go to bed.
Not keeping him awake, just because Daddy gets home late.
And when riled up or doing a lot of horse-play before bed, a kid cannot fall asleep well... because they are too, keyed up. And will need to then, after playing, WIND-down before bed, and this can even take 1 hour just to do so.
And if a child gets a 2nd wind, after being tired/sleepy... they will even get more 'hyper' and 'awake' then it will be harder, to get them to sleep.
9:30-10:00pm, for a bedtime, is real late for a child that age.
If lacking in sleep... it also often creates a fussy/over-tired child and they also may act up, more. Because of the lack of sleep/sleep deprivation.. and you wouldn't want him to be over-tired... in school.
OR, you skip the naps on his Preschool days, THEN have him, go to bed, earlier.
On days my son cannot nap, (because I don't have time), then he will go to bed at 7:00-7:30pm. And he is FULLY tired out, by then.
I would forget about him napping on school days but put him to bed an hour or so earlier. Once he's in school all day in a couple of years he may not have time for naps (if he still needs them) so the earlier bedtime would be most practical. Don't keep him up late to see Dad, 9:30 or later bedtime is quite late for a preschooler, they can spend quality time together on the weekend, he needs his sleep. And let him sleep in a little in the morning since he doesn't need to be at school until noon.
I think he needs to see dad and have that evening time.
t's just preschool and it they are unwilling to compromise and let him go mornings then they are going to have to deal with him being tired and cranky all through class.
I might not even send him under these circumstances. They should let the afternoon class be for kids who don't nap and the morning class be for the ones who do need to be home in the afternoons.
In all reality I believe you are going to be carrying a sleeping little boy into the house every day because he'll be falling asleep on you on the way home each day.
