What a difference a nap makes

and not in a good way!

 

I’ve written before about the sacredness of nap time in our house.  J turned 5 in March and has still been taking naps nearly daily until about Monday (1st day of Kindergarten.)  He went to bed almost an hour earlier that night so I decided to try it for the whole week.  When he gets home from school he eats, then plays some computer while I get Little J down for a nap, then he watches a movie while I read a book or doze off myself.  (I’m not ready to give up my naps!)  However, yesterday he kept wanting to go into his and his brother’s room while Little J was sleeping.  I finally told him that if he went in there again that he would have to go lay down on my bed.  Well he pushed his limits and we went to lay down.  I was hoping he would just relax and not fall asleep, although I was pretty tired myself.  well he did fall asleep.  I didn’t let him stay asleep more than 45 minutes, but then he was groggy for another hour.

 

Here’s where the bad part comes in.  Despite playing outside and taking his melatonin, he still fought off bed time until 11pm.  He had been going to sleep around 9pm for the whole week.  He  ended up losing his park outing for Saturday morning because not only would he not go to sleep but he wouldn’t stay in his bed or even in his room.  He eventually fell asleep in the alcove/hallway outside his bedroom.

 

So as much as I hate to say it, we are cancelling nap time for J.  I think some days he still needs the extra sleep, but not to the detriment of bed time and my sanity.  Oh and it doesn’t matter one way or another, bed times, nap times, melatonin, whatever, he has been waking up around 5:30-6:30 every morning.  Except of course Sundays when I need him awake the earliest, then I am dragging him out of bed at 8am.