Toddler sleeping patterns

amother

Blue

Tue, Sep 13 2016, 6:55 am

DDs problem is how to get them not to fall asleep in the car on the way home from school.
How do you manage to take up a sleeping 4 and 2 yr old, and a5 month old.
She calls me that she needs to wait in the car because she feels bad waking them up.

Or another problem is if the 4 and 2 are playing after school they fall asleep while playing, right on the floor. This late nap makes it hard for them to go to sleep at 8. Sometimes she's nursing the baby and turns around and she has 2 sleeping kids on the floor.

Third problem is, she puts them to sleep at 8pm and by 12 pm they are up. Wide awake. New thing. This has happened the past 4 nights. Their bodies are takig sleep like a long nap.

Please suggestions

pesek zman

Tue, Sep 13 2016, 7:14 am

Sounds like they aren't sleeping enough at night. I can't imagine a child falling asleep while playing. What is she doing when they wake overnight. If she is tending to them or engaging them in play, she should stop. They need to learn nighttime is for sleep.

amother

Blue

Tue, Sep 13 2016, 12:26 pm

pesek zman wrote:

Unfortunately she's sticking them in her bed. It's King size so definitely enough room to be comfortable, but...
Also I don't know how fast they both fall asleep, because DD is fast asleep as soon as she hits the pillow again.

The problem at night, going to sleep from 8-12, just happened recently, and I'm not sure if one is waking the other up. But they are taking their sleep as if it's a nap. A long nap of 4 hrs.

After a full day of school 9-2, they are exhausted, but it's too late to let them nap and go to sleep by 8.
They both fall asleep in the car many times. I guess they are not napping in school.

Do you think soon their bodies will adjust.

pesek zman

Tue, Sep 13 2016, 12:31 pm

She needs to stop taking them to her bed! She is incentivizing to wake up. Sounds to me like they are waking out of habit and they no doubt prefer the big bed with their momma. She needs to let them sleep in their own bed. Short term pain long term gain

amother

Blue

Tue, Sep 13 2016, 12:54 pm

[quote="pesek zman"]She needs to stop taking them to her bed! She is incentivizing to wake up. Sounds to me like they are waking out of habit and they no doubt prefer the big bed with their momma. She needs to let them sleep in their own bed. Short term pain long term gain[/quote

I agree how does she do that.

Also what should she do about them wanting to nap when they come home from school, or even in the car. They are so tired
Do you think it's ok to let them nap 30-45min. at 3 and wake them up. They will be very cranky.

pesek zman

Tue, Sep 13 2016, 2:07 pm

She either goes to them when they wake and tells them it's time to go sleep and that they stay in their own beds. Or she ignores them when they call for her and they will figure out that times are a changing and they need to go back to sleep

Honestly I feel like I wouldn't let them nap at all. They'll be tired and miserable but with distraction should be tolerable. They need to be put to bed at a normal time (8pm seems late to me. Perhaps 7) and they will fall into a rhythm. It will take a few weeks and will involve plenty of crying but it's doable

Blessing1

Tue, Sep 13 2016, 3:04 pm

They need to go to sleep way before 8:00, of course theyre tireed, they go to sleep so late. They should be asleep by 6:30.
I find of they nap for 10-15 min they still are tired enough to go to sleep on time.