How long is naptime/rest time for your 4 year old at preschool?
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Anonymous
| You guys are crazy. Our 4 year old definitely still needs to nap for at least an hour. At home, she'll nap for 2+ hours and still be ready for bed by 7:30pm. Growing brains need sleep. |
Anonymous
I have three kids and they all had different sleep needs. One napped even in kindergarten, one stopped napping by 3 and is my happiest/easiest kid. There is not a one-size fits all to napping |
Anonymous
You have a high sleep needs child. Your 4 year old sleeps more than my 14 month old. She only sleeps 12.5 hour total a day. If her nap is 3 hours she sleeps 9.5 bedtime. 2 hour nap, 10.5 hours overnight. etc etc |
Anonymous
Rest time is required by law at any facility that has children under 5 for more than a certain number of hours (check local regulations). Agree that it’s a problem for most parents of older kids if their child actually naps, but this is a widespread requirement. In MA where we were previously there were also some regulations against preventing a child from sleep or waking them….. unless you got a doctor’s note! We also liked the switch to a part time preschool but that depends on family circumstances. |
Anonymous
That’s great. I can’t believe you think this is common though, if you have talked to other parents of 4 year olds. Few would complain about this kind of schedule if it actually worked ! |
Anonymous
| 4 year olds do nap. Just because you let him not nap with you doesn’t mean daycare will coddle him and let him not nap. He will nap there and be fine |
Anonymous
This is our preschool’s practice |
Anonymous
| MD doesn't require naps in childcare settings, does it? I can't find any regulation that says that. |
Anonymous
Nope it does not. I've posted the COMAR regulations previously. It requires rest according to age, needs, and activity level. Rest does not have to mean sleep. It also doesnt mean 2 hours for 4 year olds. |
Anonymous
My 4 year old also naps for 2+ hours at home and is ready for bed by 8. All the research suggests that kids at this age hugely benefit from a nap. I don't think this is a 'high sleep needs' situation (whatever the heck that's supposed to mean). |
Anonymous
That is amazing. More sleep is great. My kids have never been cooperative about sleeping that many hours, and when I talk to other parents it seems like most are in a similar situation. When I’ve talked to parents of older preschoolers who nap, the parents will comment they also stay up late and that works for their family. Do you know many other people with a 4 year old who sleeps like yours? Don’t get me wrong. This is fantastic for you and your kid. Most of us would be absolutely delighted if our kids did this! |
Anonymous
Share the research! My observation from two kids in preschool is between 3 and 5, kids drop the nap at different paces. Anecdotally about 1/3 nap all the way through preschool, 1/3 drop or significantly decrease it before age 4, 1/3 drop or significantly decrease it before age 3-3.5. There’s definitely a range which means rigid nap policies are bad, but unfortunately they are a reality. A lot of teacher shifts and break schedules rely on the longer naps and there aren’t a lot of great solutions |
Anonymous
DP I’m sure research shows sleep benefits the littles. Unfortunately I don’t think a kid being willing to nap means they’ll go to bed on time or that they’ll ultimately get more sleep. As a parent and a human, I always felt so battered and berated by sleep advice (even that directed toward adults— I have suffered significant bouts of insomnia) because it’s not just something you can will to happen. Breaking: most preschool misbehavior is rooted in lack of sleep. Oh, no way, I had no idea! :eye roll: By and large, parents want their kids to sleep and wish they would sleep more. |
Anonymous
Wow okay so it's apparent anyone with a high sleep need kid doesn't constantly question if their kid is normal and look up the research. I probably wouldn't either if I was parenting 2-3 hours less a day 
Anyways high sleep needs means that on the average for the age you are on the higher end or even above the higher normal. Reciprocally, there is low sleep needs so kids who dont nap for 2 hours and still dont go to bed at 8. When my kid was your age if he napped 2 hours during the day he didnt sleep until 1030. Now, you would be aghast at that because 1030!!!!! but because there is a max number of hours a person will sleep in a 24-hour period and sleep pressure is a real thing then he needed 2 hours less at night and also needed at least 7 hours before having enough pressure to fall asleep. We did everything- no screens, 3 hours+ outside playing when home, no dairy, magnesium, deep pressure massages, no fluorescent lighting after sundown, hug sleep pod, red light after sundown only, did a whole OT bedtime ritual, prayed to old Norse gods 
With my current 16mo old she will only sleep 12-12.5 hours. That's it. If she has a 2-hour nap at daycare she sleeps 10 hours overnight (830-630). We keep wake time within 15-30 min even on the weekends. If she has a 3 hour nap then she either wont fall asleep until 930 or she wakes up and wants to party for an hour or two from 2-5am. She is considered average lower sleep needs since the average is 11-14 which covers 75-90% of kids. If, at 16mo old your kid was taking two naps and also in bed by 730 thus totaling 14 hours, they were high sleep needs. Your 4-year-old (total needs 10-13) sleeping 2 hours at nap plus bedtime at 8 and even if waking at 5 that's still 11 hours. If they wake up at 630, 12.5 If they wake up past 630, know you are blessed. For many of us who have kids on the lower end of average needs, a long nap in the middle of the day is extremely disruptive. They need x number of hours to fall asleep for nap and then x+ additional y hours to have enough sleep pressure to fall asleep for bedtime, and most importantly, stay asleep. Ill also add that we found that my kid slept less total when they napped. And another big factor is naps are typically 1-3 at daycare. If my kid wakes up at 630 then its 6.5 hours of wake time. You need more sleep pressure for overnight sleep so imaging 7.5-8 means a 1030-11 pm bedtime because nap ends at 3. Lastly, the research (btw) says 45 min is sufficient enough sleep to convey benefits. |
Anonymous
We have more behavior issues on the days my 4 yo naps at daycare. When he skips the nap, he has an easier evening and a better transition to sleep. If he naps, he is up til 10 or 11. If he doesn’t, he will go to bed on time. A 4 year old is not the same as a baby or toddler and they may need a nap but they also many not benefit from daytime sleep. |