Life with no naps?!?
Yes!!! I don't want to believe it, but it seems to be true.. And it's also one of the reasons why there's no time for blog posts lately. Adelaide seems to have given up on naps. Or, I gave up on trying to make her nap.
First of all, let me say, I'm a big supporter of naps, always have thought that children should nap, as long as possible (and what I hear, they should/could nap until about 4 years old or some even more..). They need naps. Also, day sleep is important for the quality of night sleep. I have read a book or two on children's sleep, and that's what they say.
At the same time, I have heard of children, who give up on naps at around age 2. A few of our relative kids have done that.
So that's all theory. But in reality - you can't make them nap, if they just won't. Sleep is something that children have the control of themselves, that's why it's often frustrating for parents.
A month or two ago Adelaide still was napping perfectly fine. There were times that she skipped a nap for some reason, and she was fine. You could see she could theoretically also manage without, but better, of course, to nap.
But something happened with the arrival of summer. It was quite a recent change and came together with the warm and sunny weather (and it makes sense, that this could have an influence. I remember that last summer she also had very short naps, around 45 minutes. And with the winter naps became longer, even to 1,5-2 hours).
Now, suddenly, she took forever to fall asleep. We have had quite a good routine going and she wasn't refusing to go to the bed too much. We went, we laid down together, as we always have, I cuddled with her and sang for her.. All as always, but lately she took about 45 minutes to fall asleep! Even though it was late enough and theoretically she should be tired. And then after taking super long to fall asleep, she'd sleep for 40-45 minutes max. All in all, it would be also quite late in the day, and come the evening, she wouldn't be tired at all, or tired enough, and also would take super long (about 1,5 hours) to fall asleep in the evenings. She'd fall asleep very late. (Which I'm not very happy about, I really like the quiet evening hours that we have.)
So all this started to become quite frustrating, and I decided to let her go without napping. Theoretically, we should have some quiet-time instead (a calm time, to relax, if not sleep), but she hasn't really been interested in that, during the day we're busy, and if I ask, would she want to go to the bed or sleep, she says she doesn't. And she doesn't seem tired at all.
We wake up averagely around 9:00 (am). Her nap used to be around 14:00 (2 pm). And she fell asleep (finally, even though we start the evening routine always around 20:00 (8 pm)) at 22:00 (10 pm) at best, often also later.
Now, she doesn't seem remotely tired at 14:00 or 15:00.. I have noticed that she gets tired around 17:00, but then it's way too late for any nap.. And now she has fallen nicely asleep around 21:00 (9 pm). I guess she is in some middle ground - she needs half a nap, she's in the transition of nap/no nap. And the evenings are a bit harder, as she is tired, but they are also not horrible.
I googled a bit of theory/experiences of others, and it approved what I had thought. She might not really need naps anymore, as she sleeps a really long stretch at night (around 12 hours). And children at this age should have 12-14 hours of sleep (from 24 h).
We have had a no-nap life for a couple of days now. (And, by the way, even in the car she lately snoozes only for a short time, but wakes up very soon.) We are in an experimenting mode right now, we'll see, if this will really stick. So far her night sleep doesn't seem to be worse and she doesn't seem to be crankier during the day.
Of course, I don't like this! Nap time.. is the secret paradise for parents. A moment to take a cup of coffee and sit in peace and quiet. And do something, anything, that otherways is quite impossible. But well.. Nothing I can do about it and I just have to adjust.
..and today is still a beautiful summer day. :) Not quite as hot as yesterday, but nice. And also - one of my favorite days of the year - the day, when we go plant shopping! And buy tomatoes and cucumbers, and flowers.. and plant them. The gardening day.
I otherways don't like using this chair too much with Jasmiina, but we use it sometimes, for example today, as she was awake and watching me plant the flowers. The ground seemed a bit too cold still, but we'll buy a thermo-protective blanket (that doesn't let the cold through), and then she can be also on the ground.
First of all, let me say, I'm a big supporter of naps, always have thought that children should nap, as long as possible (and what I hear, they should/could nap until about 4 years old or some even more..). They need naps. Also, day sleep is important for the quality of night sleep. I have read a book or two on children's sleep, and that's what they say.
At the same time, I have heard of children, who give up on naps at around age 2. A few of our relative kids have done that.
So that's all theory. But in reality - you can't make them nap, if they just won't. Sleep is something that children have the control of themselves, that's why it's often frustrating for parents.
A month or two ago Adelaide still was napping perfectly fine. There were times that she skipped a nap for some reason, and she was fine. You could see she could theoretically also manage without, but better, of course, to nap.
But something happened with the arrival of summer. It was quite a recent change and came together with the warm and sunny weather (and it makes sense, that this could have an influence. I remember that last summer she also had very short naps, around 45 minutes. And with the winter naps became longer, even to 1,5-2 hours).
Now, suddenly, she took forever to fall asleep. We have had quite a good routine going and she wasn't refusing to go to the bed too much. We went, we laid down together, as we always have, I cuddled with her and sang for her.. All as always, but lately she took about 45 minutes to fall asleep! Even though it was late enough and theoretically she should be tired. And then after taking super long to fall asleep, she'd sleep for 40-45 minutes max. All in all, it would be also quite late in the day, and come the evening, she wouldn't be tired at all, or tired enough, and also would take super long (about 1,5 hours) to fall asleep in the evenings. She'd fall asleep very late. (Which I'm not very happy about, I really like the quiet evening hours that we have.)
So all this started to become quite frustrating, and I decided to let her go without napping. Theoretically, we should have some quiet-time instead (a calm time, to relax, if not sleep), but she hasn't really been interested in that, during the day we're busy, and if I ask, would she want to go to the bed or sleep, she says she doesn't. And she doesn't seem tired at all.
We wake up averagely around 9:00 (am). Her nap used to be around 14:00 (2 pm). And she fell asleep (finally, even though we start the evening routine always around 20:00 (8 pm)) at 22:00 (10 pm) at best, often also later.
Now, she doesn't seem remotely tired at 14:00 or 15:00.. I have noticed that she gets tired around 17:00, but then it's way too late for any nap.. And now she has fallen nicely asleep around 21:00 (9 pm). I guess she is in some middle ground - she needs half a nap, she's in the transition of nap/no nap. And the evenings are a bit harder, as she is tired, but they are also not horrible.
I googled a bit of theory/experiences of others, and it approved what I had thought. She might not really need naps anymore, as she sleeps a really long stretch at night (around 12 hours). And children at this age should have 12-14 hours of sleep (from 24 h).
We have had a no-nap life for a couple of days now. (And, by the way, even in the car she lately snoozes only for a short time, but wakes up very soon.) We are in an experimenting mode right now, we'll see, if this will really stick. So far her night sleep doesn't seem to be worse and she doesn't seem to be crankier during the day.
Of course, I don't like this! Nap time.. is the secret paradise for parents. A moment to take a cup of coffee and sit in peace and quiet. And do something, anything, that otherways is quite impossible. But well.. Nothing I can do about it and I just have to adjust.
..and today is still a beautiful summer day. :) Not quite as hot as yesterday, but nice. And also - one of my favorite days of the year - the day, when we go plant shopping! And buy tomatoes and cucumbers, and flowers.. and plant them. The gardening day.
I otherways don't like using this chair too much with Jasmiina, but we use it sometimes, for example today, as she was awake and watching me plant the flowers. The ground seemed a bit too cold still, but we'll buy a thermo-protective blanket (that doesn't let the cold through), and then she can be also on the ground.
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