AboutHolly Cihla Expertise I am a mother of two girls, ages 2 years and 8 years. I have worked with children of varying abilities and ages for over sixteen years and am currently teaching junior high special education. I can answer questions on infant feedings, sleeping habits, play, developmental milestones and behavior and issues with school age children that include school, learning, behavior and home issues. I can also help you with wheat and gluten allergy diets as my youngest has a wheat allergy.
I CANNOT answer medical diagnosis questions, or things of that nature. If it is a medical issue, or you are just not sure, I always suggest checking in with a pediatrician.
Experience Experience in the area: I am a mother of a 2 year old daughter and an 8 year old daughter. I have worked with children of all ages for the last sixteen years in various forms. I have worked in the day care setting, as a nanny, at summer camps, and as a liason for families with children that have neuromuscular disease. I am currently a special education teacher that specializes in learning disabilities and minor behavior disorders. Organizations: I am a member of Kappa Delta Pi. I volunteer with the Children's Miracle Network and Children's Hospital. Education/Credentials: I have a bachelor's degree in special education and have been trained in the PBIS Behavior Method (Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies).
Question My daughter is 22 months old and has generally been a pretty good sleeper for naps and bedtime. Lately, however, when I put her down for her nap and sometimes for bed, she will stay up in her crib talking and singing and playing. Sometimes it lasts for an hour or more. I've gone in and told her to go back to sleep, but I am wondering if that is a mistake. My biggest problem is the nap - I don't know how long to leave her up in bed until I bring her out. I hate to take away her nap yet (it seems much too soon), but is it possible she is done with an afternoon nap? My mother-in-law says that my husband never slept much as a kid, but I never put much thought in that because I don't think she sees naps as important. How can I get her to start napping again and not taking so long to go to sleep?
Answer Jennifer-
thank you for your question. It's possible that she's realized that while she sleeps, everyone else stays up and she stays up because she doesn't want to miss anything. It's also possible that she just hasn't exerted enough energy to sleep by nap time. My youngest does this. There are some days that it takes her almost an hour to get to sleep. I look at it this way- if she's down for a nap and lays in bed quietly talking or singing or looking at books, she's at least rested. She may not have slept, but she's slowed down and had some quiet time. I think this is ok every now and then.
I don't see anything wrong with going in and reminding her to lay still and take a nap. She might need that little memory jog- oh yeah, I'm supposed to be sleeping! As far as how long to leave her before going in, I would say if she can lay quietly for an hour and a half, that's fine. On those days you could even encourage her to look at some picture books while she's in there. That may be enough to help her drift off.
If your husband didn't need much sleep as a child, it's possible that your daughter inherited the same sleep patterns. I would give it some more time before you ditch the naps completely. You could also start putting her down a bit earlier or later to see if that helps.
I hope I was helpful. If not, or if you've other questions, please feel free to write back or contact another volunteer on this website. I wish you all happy napping!
