Simple Tips
School Sleep Transitions
School is starting which means a new schedule and often a change in sleep routines. There are no absolutes about naps and bedtimes, these are a few ways we manage the transitions.
Naps
Preschoolers generally start giving up their naps around four years old, though many four year olds still nap a few times a week with a 45 minute quiet time in their rooms on the non-sleep days. Quiet time is quiet play, looking at books in bed, etc.
By five years old, most children are no longer napping unless they’re catching up on sleep or staying up later to spend time with parents getting home from work.
We like to keep the 45 minute quiet time as long as we can, hopefully until five years old (and perhaps beyond), as it gives everyone a chance to regroup.
Bedtime
Bedtime adjusts with the nap changes. The week or days before school, we put some regularity back into going to bed–around 7 or 7:30 for nappers, and 6:30 for children growing out of naps.
For three year olds whose naps are getting pushed later because of school schedules, we push bedtime 30 minutes to an hour.
Some three year olds may drop their nap, they usually do better with an early bedtime. There’s nothing wrong with 6 pm if they need it.
The 6 or 6:30 for non-nappers or children who seem tired moves later when we notice they’re more awake in the evenings. Starting school even for returning preschoolers takes a lot of energy–it’s good to plan for rest and recovery.
All bedtimes are adjustable to have family time at the end of a work day, regular naps just might become more important.
Morning wake up
The ideal wake up time is somewhere from 6 to 7, depending on how long it takes to get everyone’s engines going, eat breakfast, and arrive at school on time (or reasonably late).
The first few weeks of school are bumpy, by the end of September we’ve found a rhythm–or a routine for the bumpiness.
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