When did you start regulating your child's naps?

Lisa - posted on 07/11/2010

I started regulating naps and bed time right off the bat because they get used to that routine, they stick with it.

My son takes 1-2 naps a day, depends on how hard I played with him (or if I want to nap too lol) But if he takes one nap, it's anywhere from 1-3 hours and if he takes 2 naps they are usually 1-2 hours each. But he has a completely different schedule at the baby sitters place. but it doesn't affect his home schedule at all. He also goes to bed at 8 and sleeps till 7 am (on weekends) on weekdays I have to wake him up at 530 to go to the sitters for work.

Jenelle - posted on 06/21/2010

The rule in my house is that you have to nap everyday until you are in the first grade. I try not to let it control my life, but have the same routine everyday when it comes to naps. I feed them lunch, tell them they have five minutes to play, set the timer, and when it goes off they just know it is nap time. They all go straight to bed and straight to sleep w/o any fighting. I get my babies on this same schedule starting around two months. The babies often need more than one nap, but I make sure those ones are short so that they all take one really good long (2-3 hours) nap at the same time everyday. It is the only way for me to keep my sanity!!

Jennifer - posted on 06/18/2010

I don't regulate my son's naps, but if he doesn't nap around the same time each day, he's a bear!!!! He's 15 months old and been taking one nap a day since about 12 months. At day care, they typically have him nap around noon. I try to stick close to that. If he naps earlier, he's tired around 4-5 pm. If he naps then, he won't sleep at night!

Joelle - posted on 06/03/2010

I started around 1 year. I pretty much just went with the flow untill I noticed a somewhat normal pattern, then made sure to follow that pattern/scheduel every day. It seemed like the first year they had so many changes and growth spurts that one day they'd sleep for 30 min and the next 3 hours...so it seemed pointless untill they slowed down a little on growing.

Ashleigh - posted on 06/02/2010

I think I started him on a routine after I watched my friends son and he did so well on a routine at about 4-5 months. Up until 16-17 months he would take 2, 2 hour naps, 1 at 12 and another at 5. When we started moving his bedtime up to 10pm we cut out the 2nd nap and now he goes down between 12-1:30pm and sleeps for 1-2 hours. I'm just hoping I can keep him on it even after the baby is born so I can get my nap too! LOL! Good luck!

Angela - posted on 06/01/2010

my daughter was still having 2 naps a day at that age and when she hit 13 months, she went down to 1 nap. She is now 2 years old and still has that 1 nap a day ranging from 1 hour to 3 hours, depending on how tired she is/how early she wakes up. She tends to go down straight after lunch which reanges between 12 o'clock and 1:30pm.

Brittany - posted on 06/01/2010

I started when my son switched from a friend babysitting him to an actual daycare center at 1 yr old since the daycare had such a set schedule of when they did what, including nap time, I figured it'd be easier on every one to make sure I stuck to that routine at home too. But I figure the earlier the better from what I read about napping/bedtime with little ones. Since at 1 yr they can kind of start to become resistant to things. I have read and heard from lots of other moms that children thrive on routine and are a lot happier and easier to handle when they are on a schedule so they know what to expect each day. And if things come up it's not a big deal if their routine gets messed up a day or two out of the week but I have noticed with my son if his gets messed up too much by more than two hours, he becomes very cranky and irritable and everything is much harder the rest of the day/2 days to follow as he gets back to the regular schedule. An hour difference hasn't made much of an impact usually with him.
He was taking about 2 naps a day until he was about 15 or 17 months old. Then he has been on just one nap a day which is right after lunch at about noon and he sleeps for 2 hours. Sometimes more or less depending on his activeness for the day.
I'd think it' be easier on your with twins to get them on a schedule too! :)

GOOD LUCK!

Kelly - posted on 05/28/2010

i started my son into a routine at a month old. He slept, was up for feed, change and a play and back down to sleep in a hours time. That changed as he got older - i woudl just try to watch for when they are tired i think about 2 or 3 naps at that age is about right for the day time.
My son is 3yrs now so i cant quite remember - hope that helps though

Lisa - posted on 05/26/2010

My daughter is 19 months old and still naps and wakes when she wants to. Her naps are only 20-45 mins and she only naps once a day.