Unanswered Question #2

When a child transitions from 2 naps per day to 1 nap per day, total day sleep and total 24 hour sleep is less. Do all children or only some children benefit from an earlier bedtime?

One possibility is that moving the bedtime earlier 10-30 minutes prevents a second wind, bedtime battles, night wakings, and early morning wake-ups in all children. If true, than this earlier bedtime might be only temporary as the single nap migrates from late-morning to mid day and then the bedtime might be moved back to its original best time. Or the earlier bedtime might be the new normal and permanent time.

Another possibility is that the shift to an earlier bedtime is only useful for those children who usually had been going to bed a little too late. Under these circumstances, when they reduce the number of naps, they are at risk to accumulate a major sleep debt. Only these children really need to have the bedtime moved earlier.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

Marc

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