I Think My Kids Are Sleeping Too Long...

[Hunni Bee]

I almost feel like I have no business complaining about this...LOL...most providers say the kids don't sleep long enough.

And Im really not complaining - I'm just curious and a teensy bit concerned.

My dck's - ages 3 to 5.5, mostly 4 year olds - sleep like dead people. They are begging to go to nap at 12:30, I put them down around 12:45....they will easily sleep past 4 pm. All twelve of them. I have to wake them all up - and I don't mean call their names or pat them...I have to take their covers off and stand them up, and walk them to the potty. If I wake them up before 3:30 or 3:45, they're ogres.

None of the parents say they have trouble getting them to bed at night...one of my longest sleepers' mom said she goes to bed at 8.

They have a full morning...we play A LOT indoors. They play in the hot sun, they drink lots of water, they eat a big lunch, pee/poop and then pass out. When they get up they potty, eat snack and then play either indoors or out.

So am I wrong for not waking them? They eat snack pretty late, but they don't seem to have a problem with it. I also get TONS of planning, decorating, cleaning, etc done...but I just feel bad because they spend a good 1/3 of their day sleeping.

[daycare]

Same with my kids. But I know for a fact some of them don't go to bed until after 10:30 pm
I have to wake a few of them the same way.
I used to wake them up at 3:15 but then the rest of my day would roll down hill because they were still tired
Now I'll let them sleep until they wake. However at 4:15 I draw the line
In fact it wake up time.

Oh one last thing. Some of the kids take forever to fall asleep so maybe this is the case for your little ones too

[Michael]

Some more nap time length threads: http://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=nap+length

[Auntie]

If the parents are not complaining ENJOY your peace and quiet.

[Ariana]

Originally Posted by Hunni Bee

None of the parents say they have trouble getting them to bed at night...one of my longest sleepers' mom said she goes to bed at 8.

Then why worry!! haha

Seriously though thats a loooong time to be asleep for that age group so I can see why you're concerned but it sounds like they need the sleep! lucky you

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by daycare

Oh one last thing. Some of the kids take forever to fall asleep so maybe this is the case for your little ones too

Not these guys. Most of them are asleep within 5 minutes of hitting their mats...once they feel the cool, fresh-smelling sheets against their faces and cuddly blanket on their shoulders...they're out

[daycare]

well then i would just chalk it up to growing....lol

My motto is if they are sleeping that long they must really need it..... So I let them...just like you as long as the parents are not having issues getting them to bed at night then I think everything is ok..... enjoy some quiet time.

I wish I had quiet time, but I have a 3.5 year old son that won't nap....lol go figure

[cheerfuldom]

My friend has a group of almost all preschoolers and has the same nap length. This shocks me because my own kids never sleep this long. I do think that in general, daycare kids sleep longer than provider kids. All of my DC parents have sleep issues with the kids at home but I don't have the same issues with their kids. Naps are pretty good on my end!

[permanentvacation]

I think either kids are changing or parents are - I have done daycare for 20 years and always had a 2 hour nap time. My kids would take about 15 mins to fall asleep when I put them down around 12:30 then would wake up on their own in about 2 hours at about 2:30. For the past 2 years, every child I get wants to sleep for 4 hours! If I put them down at 12, they sleep til 4 if I feed them lunch right at 11 and put them down for a nap at 11:30, they sleep til around 3:30. Some of my kids -supposedly go to bed at 8pm and sleep til 7am - why are they so tired?? Also, the kids that I have that come in early - at 6 am - want to sleep from 6-8am then go back down for about 4 hours! I've never experienced this! I have talked to each of my parents about it and all of them say their child sleeps perfectly fine all night long! I don't understand it.

[Country Kids]

We are raising tired children. Foods are rarely very healthy anymore-I don't think growing up we ate anything that came out of a box. We didn't have a microwave till I was in high school I think-I didn't eat in a McDonalds till I was 20 I think. Children are on the go from the time they get up till they go to bed. Up and out the door for childcare, then all day there doing mulitple things, picked up and then usually of to another activity, some type of food (usually from a resturant), rushed through bedtime routine and then off to bed. Children rarely have downtime anymore to just enjoy being a kid and resting properly and such.

[Meyou]

Alot of mine would sleep until past 4 if I let them but I find they all wake up gradually and in good moods if I start turning lights on and opening curtains a bit at a time starting at 3:15. That's alot of nap IMO but if your parents don't mind then you don't need to either.

[melissa ann]

I have a 4 yr old dcg who sleeps longer than the 3 yr, and 2 yr old. She will sleep at least 3 hours. However,I do know she stays up as long as she wants. Mom has told me she has wakened up in the middle of the night to find 4 yr watching tv! I have a 4 yr old myself and he may nap 1 or 2 times a week. Although sometimes, he will fall asleep around 6 but then will sleep through the night.
The 4 yr old dcg is AWFUL to wake up. At 3 I wake her up because everyone else is up and are waiting to go out and play. But,I too, have to stand her up, walk her to the bathroom so she doesn't fall over. IT takes her like 15 mins to wake up. Even if she wakes up on her own(when I open curtains, make some noise) she will just sit on her blanket for 10-15 mins before she will stand up and fold her blankets.

[rbmom]

Oh, if only mine would sleep like that! I am lucky to get all to sleep 1 hour!

[snowball]

Kids who sleep more during the day sleep more at night. It is a fact. Don't worry and enjoy it!

[daycare]

I think these kids are sleeping so much due to poor diets. Food is so highly processed these days.
My son who Is 3 eats a palieo diet just like me. This means nothing processed or out of a box or bag. You can only eat off the land. This means no cheese, milk and etc.
My son takes maybe a 30-45 min nap and sleeps 9 hours at night.

My DCK all sleep 3.5-4.5 hours. I know they eat fast food, frozen dinners and food from a box daily.

This is the new diet, so sad

[MN Day Mom]

Originally Posted by daycare

I think these kids are sleeping so much due to poor diets. Food is so highly processed these days.
My son who Is 3 eats a palieo diet just like me. This means nothing processed or out of a box or bag. You can only eat off the land. This means no cheese, milk and etc.
My son takes maybe a 30-45 min nap and sleeps 9 hours at night.

My DCK all sleep 3.5-4.5 hours. I know they eat fast food, frozen dinners and food from a box daily.

This is the new diet, so sad

Are you feeding your day kids the palieo diet also?

[daycare]

Originally Posted by MN Day Mom

Are you feeding your day kids the palieo diet also?

No I can't because one its expensive and two I am on the food program so I have to give them milk and other carbs like bread that I don't eat.


This post actually brought up a bet between my friend and I. If I lose a bet this wednesday, (silly bet by the way) I have to eat a mc donalds meal.
I am curious to see how I would feel?

[jojosmommy]

I would enjoy it while it lasts. My kids (except my own child) sleep from 12-3 and I have to wake them up too. Like you said, not just call their names but really wake them up!

If nobody complains at home about it then it is what the kids need.

Have you checked the carbon dioxide levels in your house? I would find it odd that that many sleep for that long.

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Have you checked the carbon dioxide levels in your house? I would find it odd that that many sleep for that long.

Carbon DIoxide? or MONoxide?

Well I work in a center, so we have a carbon monoxide detector...but I've never heard of there being too much carbon dioxide in a building

[Small Town Provider]

My DCKs sleep forever too! I am always having to wake them up so we can get on with our day. They always seem so tired when they get her in the morning and sometimes actually start bugging me for naptime before lunch because they are so tired....doesn't seem right to me. They obviously aren't sleeping properly at night and it makes it hard for them to enjoy their morning here.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Hunni Bee

Carbon DIoxide? or MONoxide?

Well I work in a center, so we have a carbon monoxide detector...but I've never heard of there being too much carbon dioxide in a building

Hypercapnia...it is real.

Google it.