https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 30 May 2026 13:15:37 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-sleep-help-3#post-2790818 Fri, 08 Dec 2017 08:34:40 +0000 SweetiePie 2790818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: yes this. If he skips don’t try to hold off, put to bed as early as possible. </p> <p>My son is also 3 (sounds a lot like yours in terms of always being a pretty great sleeper) and MOST days will still take his nap 1:30/2-3:30/4. On those days his bedtime is 8pm.<br /> But there’s one day every 10 days or so that he just won’t nap. I try for an hour to get him to sleep (lead him back to bed, repeat that it’s time to rest, etc). If after an hour he is still getting up I tell him he can play by himself in his room till 3:30 (so I still get some semi-alone time). Then we do an early bedtime (for us that is 7pm, but I wouldn’t hesitate to do earlier if I felt he needed it. This week I did do 6:40 once and he was out within 5 mins). </p> <p>I personally wouldn’t shift nap earlier in this situation unless it’s a day he woke super early. We did have a period this summer where he wasn’t napping at all for about a week after napping very solidly 12:30/1-2:30/3 for over a year. I realized after camp ended at noon he was so wound up he just needed some extra down time before napping (previously school ended at 11:30 so he had more time between school and nap).. We had been picking him up at noon, having him eat lunch in the stroller on the way home, and putting immediately in his crib at 12:30/45 when we got home. I started letting him come home and play with some cars or watch one episode of something. THEN nap. So nap was pushed back an hour or so to about 1:30. The very first day I did that he napped. And then again. And again. So New nap became 1:30/2-3:30/4. Bedtime was previously 7 and it became 8. I honestly like this schedule way better because having the extra time to eat lunch and play a little before nap makes that rush to get home from school (which now ends at 12) less hectic. And staying up till 8 gives us more flexibility for family time or play dates in the evening. The days he doesn’t nap and goes to bed super early feel delightful to me now because I get an extra hour in the evening. Haha. </p> <p>And last thing - I was recently told about melatonin to help my son sleep with a horrible cough (zarbees night time). It’s incredible. I did a little more research and zarbees makes a melatonin tablet that helps them drift off and stay asleep. It’s natural too. So maybe the days he doesn’t nap you can give him that before bed and it will help him sort of “reset” for the next day? And hopefully keep him from jumping at night or in the morning. But I would try to make adjustments to the schedule first (later nap or earlier bedtime on the days he doesn’t nap) and then only use the maltonin if that doesn’t improve things. Because I agree that Sleep begets Sleep even in our 3yos! </p> <p>Maybe also an OK to Wake clock? Our son knows that he shouldn’t bother us till the light turns green. So if he wakes and it’s red he’ll lay back down and either drift back to sleep or just play with his stuffed animals until it turns green. We got it when he moved to a bed a couple months ago but I think in a crib for what you described it’s still helpful and will only get you a head start for use when he’s in a big bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-sleep-help-3#post-2790760 Thu, 07 Dec 2017 17:50:44 +0000 gotkimchi 2790760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’ve actually found with my almost 4yo if she skips a nap to put her to bed as early as possible. So I would try putting him to bed at 6 and see what happens. Don’t try to hold him off. If my lo is overtired she is up at night crying etc and up early. So I’d try an earlier bedtime if he skips nap </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-sleep-help-3#post-2790747 Thu, 07 Dec 2017 16:25:15 +0000 lioneyes 2790747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS (3) has always been a great sleeper. He loves his crib and is also very able to soothe himself back to sleep. This is a multipart extremely long question:<br /> -I think his body is starting to have him drop his afternoon nap, even though he wants it (and I think, needs it). I usually put him down to nap around 1pm, and about half the time he will fall asleep and sleep deeply 1:30-3:30. If he's not awake by 3:30, I wake him because if not, he will be in a horrendous mood the rest of the day. If he doesn't sleep, he's content to hang out in his crib and rest during that time, which is fine.<br /> -On the nights he has napped, he goes to bed at 7:30, usually is awake for 30 mins, then sleeps 11 hours (8-7).<br /> -On the nights he hasn't napped, he's a mess by 6 and I hold him off until 6:30. He falls immediately to sleep and then either a) wakes at 2am and jumps up and down in his crib for 20 mins (right over our bedroom), waking us and making me go in a few times to yell at him, before he goes back to sleep until 7 or b) sleeps 6:30-5:30 am and is up then JUMPING and again I have to go in and yell and then I'm up for the day. On those days, he's SUPER tired and crabby at school by 11am.</p> <p>He doesn't mind spending awake time in his crib, it's just the jumping that I can't handle, so not sure how to keep him asleep. It seems like nap days he sleeps better at night (which makes sense as I fully believe in sleep begets sleep and he does need 12-13 hours total) but he doesn't always take a nap. It's very hit or miss. Should I try to shift the nap earlier? (the earliest I could do is 12:30). I'd also like his nap to be shorter (1-1.5 hrs total) so that he can get a nice full night's sleep (ideal bedtime for me would be 7pm, with him sleeping 7:30-7.)<br /> I like that he's getting more flexible with his sleep schedule, like we can skip the nap if needed, but now I'm so tired from hearing him in the night! </p>