Afternoon naps or early bed times?

Kids need sleep. Whether it’s in the form of an afternoon nap (and a later bed time as a result) or an early bed time is up to mums. Both options have their pros and cons but only one can work for you. Mums tend to have very strong opinions about which works best but the truth is that what works best – probably only works for you. Every child and parent is different. Just because my child sleeps better at night when she takes a short nap in the afternoon doesn’t mean yours will too.

The case for afternoon naps

Afternoon naps can be a double edged sword. A short afternoon nap means your child stays in a good mood in the evening and you don’t have to expend as much energy in keeping her happy. A nap in the afternoon though might also translate into your child not going to bed till 8:30 pm.

Going to sleep late may also mean that she will wake up late as well. It could either be a good thing or bad. A good thing because you’ll get to sleep in too or wake up early and take care of a few things before she wakes up. Or it could be a bad thing because if your child is school going, it might mean that she won’t wake up as easily.

In Dubai, afternoon naps are a good idea. Kids can recoup their energy through a nap after coming in from the heat. Another good thing about afternoon naps is that it gives the mum a chance to rest during the day. Taking a nap with the baby will restore energy and you’ll be better prepare to handle your baby if she decides to go to sleep later than usual.

Suggestions for afternoon nappers

• Don’t let them nap for more than an hour. If they sleep too much during the day, they’ll sleep late in the night and wake up even later. Your daily schedule would go off track in just one day.

• Schedule the nap early in the afternoon and soon after lunch. This way, your child will have enough hours after waking up from her nap to tire herself out before her bed time.

• If you’re not comfortable with your child going to bed later than the usual time because of the afternoon nap, put her in bed at her designated bed time. She’ll sleep when she’s ready but being in bed might slowly condition her to fall asleep on time. Also, even if she doesn’t immediately fall asleep, you’ll still be able to put your feet up and relax when she’s in bed.

The case for early bed times

Early bed times with no naps work for a lot of children and their mothers. They go to bed early leaving a major part of the evening free for mums. They can spend that time doing chores, having dinner and relaxing at their own pace. They can even go out if they want – which is definitely the biggest plus of an early bed time!

Early bed time might also mean an early wake up though – which is fine during the week. Being woken up by your little one at 6 am on a weekend however is not so fine.

Another downside to an early bed time is that children can become cranky in the evening because they’re tired after staying up the entire day. There are more fights, more chances of a tantrum and generally more complaining.

No nap for children during the day means no nap for you either. So you’ll be running low on mommy fuel too and might not be as patient.

Suggestion for early bedders

• Let your kids stay up late during the weekends. And by late I don’t mean unusually late. Just later than their bed times. If they go to bed at 7 pm on weekdays, push back their bed time to 9 pm. This way they’ll appreciate the weekend more.

• Structure their evening activity that doesn’t involve anything energetic. Let them watch cartoons or color. Get them to do an activity that would help relax them. This way they’re less prone to tantrums and can go to bed knowing that they’ve had their fun.

• Make the preparation for their bed time a relaxing time for you too. Once the kids are showered and settled in bed, read them a book. Prop your feet up or snuggle in bed with them to read. There isn’t a bigger relaxant than watching your child’s animated face relax into slumber and hearing their breath even out as they fall asleep.

An important point to note is that your child may have her own preference too. Listen to your child. If she sleeps better with an afternoon nap, let her take them. If she’s happier with no naps, there’s no reason to force her to nap either.

Afternoon nap or early bed time?

Personally, I’m in the favour of afternoon naps. Simply because it suits my baby and my routine better. I nap when the baby does and as a result I’m better able to cope as evening comes around and my child still has plenty of energy left to burn off.

So which side of the fence are you?