Just another 1/2 hour, To nap or not to nap?

Sleep…. Essential for us all. There are many guidelines and recommendations for the amount of sleep that we need. Everybody is different so variations are subjective.

This applies to children also. I have read many articles on this issue and we have talked to many people regarding how much sleep our 2 year old should get and whether she should still take naps. Just like the current political landscape, everyone has their opinion.

Just like today, I often find myself thinking that I hope she sleeps another 1/2 hour so I can finish what I am doing. Although this sometimes makes me feel guilty I know that I won’t get as much done when she wakes up. As I began writing this, Emma sat up and looked at me with very tired eyes. She came in our bed at 4am–she has been doing this every now and then– and I am on my laptop trying to go through emails, etc…..I lied down next to her and she fell back asleep–whew! Guess I may have gotten that 1/2 hour!

Yesterday, Emma had a busy day. I had my “new” sisters come over meeting one for the first time. She is here from Italy and had her daughter with her. Emma liked them very much after playing shy for awhile. She then had an appointment with her nose doctor at–an inconvenient time of 2:45. This time is at her nap time and, as expected, Emma fell asleep in the car on the way there. She slept a whopping 13 minutes or so. We got out of the doctor’s office around 3:45–the doctor is very pleased and required no action at this time, just a followup in a year. On the way home Emma did not fall asleep until we were a block from the house. When we got home I brought her upstairs for a little longer of a nap. I needed some free time to get some things done and if she doesn’t take naps she gets ornery…..To make a long story shorter, as soon as we went upstairs, and this is quite common, she “awakened” with renewed energy and refused to sleep. After trying everything i know for about 45 minutes I became tired and gave up. I brought her down and later in the evening the claws came out as I expected.

The magic question is should she take naps or not? My opinion is that she should because almost every time that she doesn’t take one–with a few exceptions, of course–she gets quite crabby and the time spent with her Mommy in the evening can be trying to say the least. The published experts say that 2 year-olds should take naps and that 75% of them do. It depends on the child, of course, and some do not require naps. It is a source of discussion in our household as we have heard family and friends give differing opinions on the matter. I know I think she should have them and I will continue to proceed accordingly. I just wonder what you may think….

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