Would you make a 6 year old take a nap...

[MosMom]

if you suspected they aren't getting enough sleep?

My daughter gets up at the crack of dawn and since summer started, goes to bed later (simply because it is light out longer and we find ourselves out and about later). I would say she gets about 9 hours of sleep at night.

However, she is often cranky and irritable. She also falls asleep on car rides and is sleeping on the couch right now (fell asleep watching Jimmy Neutron). I think she may be sleep deprived.

She fights me about taking naps (she stopped when she started Kindergarten) now and I don't know what to do. I REALLY think she needs a nap everyday but I don't know how to get her back into that habit without a fight.

I was thinking of offering that she could have quiet time in the playroom and watch a video quietly and I know she would probably fall asleep while watching it.

What do you all think?

 

[MHopkins2]

I was thinking of offering that she could have quiet time in the playroom and watch a video quietly and I know she would probably fall asleep while watching it.

This is exactly what I was going to suggest.

 

[monkeyboy]

I wish someone would make me take a nap



Hey Boss can I suggest something to ya....

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

I sometimes make Remy(5) take a nap when she is cranky and starts biting my head off. She pitches a fit about it, but when she wakes up she always says that she needed a nap and she feels better. I just make her lie down in her room with the shades down.

 

[Auggietina]

Sounds like she is not getting enough sleep.

And napping during the day helps her get her sleep in.
The quiet time sounds like a great idea.

My dd does not require a lot of sleep. She's up to all hours and up early.

When I asked her dr on tips to get her to sleep, he said, some kids just don't require as much sleep as we think. As long as she's in a good mood, and doesn't appear tired during the day, I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks Doc! Unfortuantely I need sleep! Waiting until my dd goes to bed isn't helping that!

 

[jrydberg]

Personally, I wouldn't go the video route. The stimulation for the eyes tends to make one fight sleep more when the TV is on. My daughter is almost 6 and in such situations, I usually take her to her room, lie down on the bed with her for a few minutes and she's out like a light.

 

[faithinkarma]

Try it. If she won't go down at night when she naps, then you know she does not need it. But I suspect she does.

 

[MHopkins2]

Originally posted by jrydberg
Personally, I wouldn't go the video route. The stimulation for the eyes tends to make one fight sleep more when the TV is on.

YMMV, but I pass out cold when I'm semi-tired and there's a movie on, particularly one that I've seen a bunch of times. ("Comfort viewing," kind of like comfort food.)

 

[kadaten]

My 3.5 year old is starting to try to get out of napping, but she too, really still needs them. To avoid the power struggle I simply tell her she MUST stay in her room until I come get her. I put her in bed with some favorite books and 9 times out of 10 she falls asleep within minutes. (She only fights about 1/4 of the time anyway, so it's only a few days a month that she doesn't sleep....but boy, can you tell which days those are Super grumpy!! Ends up having to go to bed early as we won't tolerate her grumpiness!) Her brother sleeps at the same time, so she's not missing anything.... And I also tell her I need my time, too...sometimes I nap, sometimes I clean, most of the time I DIS, but that is quiet time for everyone in the house! Good luck!

 

[CEDmom]

If you can't cut back on nightime activities so that she's getting 10-12 hours of sleep each night then you should do what ever you can to see that she gets rest during the day. Our DD hasn't napped in her bed for quite some time. What works for us is to set up the couch with her pillow and blankie and put on the Food Channel (it's great for keeping her attention just long enough for sleep to over take her). We don't refer to it as nap time - it's quiet time for her and me. She's snoozing right now as a matter of fact.

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

You can also try the History Channel, I swear when we visit my dad and this is on we ALL fall asleep on the sofa (DD included). This is his favorite channel! They talk in this soft soothing voice and its mostly black and white....

 

[kasar]

We used to go for a little ride when things got too hairy. I'd pack a book and stop at a park to read when they fell asleep. It worked for us, they'd get an hour or so of rest and I'd get some reading done (which wouldn't have happened at home).

I think the "down" time in front of the tv is okay, too. Even if they don't sleep they're still resting.

 

[hipporina]

A couple of options. First, if you know she needs a nap, insist that she take one. My little guy went through a spell of throwing fits at nap time, but I just left him in his bed and made him stay there until after he had slept. I just shut the door and ignored the fit. Now he lays down without a problem.
Second, try quiet time instead if it is just overstimulation and not genuine fatigue. My oldest, 8, takes quiet time while his brother sleeps. He is allowed to read, color, or play with legos. The best part of either of these is having some peace and quiet for yourself!

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

My DD is 5 1/2 and fights naps more now, but she still needs them. The kitchen timer works wonders in our house. I tell her that I am going to set the timer and that she can get out of her bed when the timer goes off. I usually set it for 20 minutes, and she is out cold before it goes off. Then after her nap, she comes wandering out with that bedraggled, still half-asleep look, asking if the timer has gone off yet!!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

My DS6 is taking a nap right now.... Luckily for me, we have just never stopped taking a nap. He is easier to put down than DS4, but we ALL need their nap, especially in the summer....

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

I would just try to get into bed earlier at night. If she starts relying on naps during the day it's going to be that much harder on her at school during the year.

 

[piglet too]

Another idea is to put an alrm clock in her room. Tell her that she can not get up out of bed (except for bathroom or emergencies of course) until a certain time. Give her books to read or something but keep her in bed to whatever time you think is needed. We have done this with our oldest, who likes to get up before 6 am sometimes, and it works for him anyways.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

How about a basket of activities for quiet time, like a cd with music, coloring book etc. When my ds were little I wouldnt also push a "nap", it just didnt work. I said, you have to do something quiet now. etc. If they feel asleep, good.My kids were never sleepers.

Side Note: How did elliott's trip to the surgeon turn out?

 

[disykat]

Originally posted by piglet too
Another idea is to put an alrm clock in her room. Tell her that she can not get up out of bed (except for bathroom or emergencies of course) until a certain time. Give her books to read or something but keep her in bed to whatever time you think is needed. We have done this with our oldest, who likes to get up before 6 am sometimes, and it works for him anyways.

I was going to suggest the same thing - just try to train her to sleep in. We did this with our oldest and once he figured out he wasn't going to be able to get up and play he just started sleeping a bit longer. We specifically tried not to let him nap - it caused him to sleep poorly at night time.

 

[AZKathy]

Yep, if my DD (yes, she is 6) has not gotten enough sleep or we are going to be up past her bedtime, we go take a nap. <a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_8_3.gif' border=0></a> I usually con her into it by telling her a story about the adventures of Princess Mandy<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_3_3v.gif' border=0></a> and she and I both take naps together. I just love naptime!!!!!<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/8/8_8_10.gif' border=0></a>