What To Do If Your Little One Has A Crappy Nap Day
Crappy nap days - as parents, we’ve all been there (no, I’m not talking about your naps, I’m talking about your little ones naps): naps are not going well; they are off, they are short or they are flat out not happening. Now it’s almost the end of the day and your little one is crankier than a sleep deprived breastfeeding mom with a newborn (totally been there) and you have no idea what to do. If you put them to bed early, you fear risking an early morning wake (hello 5am wakeup), but if you let them stay up any later they may just break your eardrums with the amount of crying they are doing.
So what do you do?! I know how hard it is to try to figure these things out because, surprise! I have been there myself. It can be so frustrating not knowing what to do with your little one when you desperately need answers… and right away. That is precisely why I decided to become a sleep consultant and why I created this blog. I want to be able to give you answers when you need them and in an easy to understand format. So let’s get into this!
What To Do If Your Little One Has A Crappy Nap Day
It’s been a crappy nap day, your little one is overtired and cranky and about to experience a second wind (which trust me, no one wants - even if it seems like they are okay… they aren’t), but you don’t want to put your little one to bed before their scheduled bedtime because then you will most likely deal with an early morning wake, right? WRONG! In fact ,the exact opposite is true. If you force your little one to stay awake until their scheduled bedtime when they have had a really bad nap day, you are risking them becoming very overtired, having a second wind and then you will have to deal sleep issues.
Think of it from your own perspective: you’ve had a really long, busy, exhausting day and you are so tired that if you sit down and close your eyes for even a minute you may be out for the rest of the evening. Do you force yourself to stay awake until your usual bedtime or do you listen to what your body is telling you and go to sleep early (as soon as you’re able to that is, preferably once the kids are in bed too)? Correct, you listen to your body and you go to sleep early. Going to sleep early when you are exhausted will help your body to rejuvenate - which your body will thank you for - and you will still wake at your usual wake time for the day. The same goes for your little one!
The Consequences of Keeping Them Up
If you decide to keep your little one up until their scheduled bedtime, despite their crappy nap day, there will more than likely be consequences. What are those consequences, you ask? I’m so glad you asked… let me list a few of them:
They may have an early morning wake (thank you over tiredness!)
You may have a bedtime battle on your hands, including full on temper tantrums (again, thank you over tiredness!)
Your little one may start to wake frequently throughout the night or their night wakings may increase (you guessed it - over tiredness)
Your little one may have false starts, which is super frustrating for everyone (yes, even this is due to being over tired)
Unfortunately, keeping your little one up until their scheduled bedtime when they have had a crappy nap day will more than likely backfire on you. It is best for them, and you, to put them to bed earlier for the night. I recommend putting them to bed 30 minutes before their scheduled bedtime, but if they are showing sleepy cues before then and really don’t seem like they can make it much longer than it is okay to put them to sleep earlier.
I know it can be daunting to put your little one to bed early for the night - no one wants to deal with a horrible sleep or an early morning wake - but trust me when I say that is rarely the case in this situation. When your little one has had a day full of crap naps, you want to prevent things from getting worse and the way to do that is to offer them an earlier bedtime. If they have an earlier bedtime they will be able to replenish the sleep they lost throughout the day and wake up tomorrow a whole new baby! So, if your little one has had a crappy nap day, put them to bed early - you’ll both be thankful you did!
If you liked this blog, please be sure to share it with other parents who may find it helpful. Spread the love! If you want more sleep tips and tricks from me, come join my sleep group called Sleep Little One where I give weekly sleep tips and advice to exhausted parents, like yourself, who are in need. I hope to see you there!!
If you’re looking for a more individualized 1:1 plan for your little one, I can help with that too! I have some amazing packages I offer that are sure to suit your specific little one’s needs so that you can all get on the road to better sleep. Not only do I come up with a plan for your particular little one, but I also will be there to help you along the way with any issues that arise and to congratulate you when you succeed! I will help your little one start sleeping better, be your guide along the way and help you succeed on this sleep training journey so you always know what to do if future issues arise! So what are you waiting for? Let’s get you on the road to better sleep!
