Naptime is essential for young children as it is necessary for them to recharge during the day to keep them from getting overtired. It is also the time when kids develop – both physically and mentally. There are many benefits to napping during the day, which is why many parents have their toddlers on a nap schedule that they stick to on a routine basis. However, once your toddler heads to preschool, this can interfere with your established routine.

Your child’s school likely has a schedule where everyone naps together (or in waves). They probably won’t adjust this schedule just for your family, so you’ll have to come to them.

Determine your child’s new naptime based on when preschool starts and ends, and what feels natural for your child. Some preschools have a half-day program, so your child will go in the morning and be done by the afternoon so she can come home and take a nap then.

Naptime may have to be delayed a bit depending on when school ends, so it’s ok to put your child down for a later nap, but wake her up by 3pm so she will be ready to sleep again at her regular bedtime.

Most preschools that have longer days will have a set naptime for kids. It might be harder for your child to fall asleep in a different environment or at a different time than usual, but she will get used to it in time.

The best way to help your child adjust is to try to use the same nap techniques as the school while at home. Darkening the room, using the same naptime mat, or bringing a security blanket to school can all help your child adjust more easily.

You could also ask about the nap schedule a few weeks before school starts so you can begin to nudge your child’s sleep habits in that direction. Adjusting takes time. Don’t put too much pressure on your child to stay awake for hours. Nudge the sleep schedule no more than fifteen minutes per day.

At some point, your child may be ready to stop napping during the day. You will know that your child is ready by her mood during the day, how early she goes to bed every night, and how the rest of the family’s daily routines work.

Some children can go the whole day without a nap and have an early bedtime and function just fine, while others need their daytime nap and then fall asleep later than those children who do not nap. It’s always important to do what’s best for your child.

Written by Alicia Overby - Founder & President of Baby Elephant Ears

Alicia is wife, mother, and creator of Baby Elephant Ears. Baby Elephant Ears was created out of parental concern, not financial desire. In 2005, when their second child was an infant, he cried all the time and just couldn't seem to get comfortable.

After seeking advice and suggestion from the medical community and alternative medicine, they eventually ended up in the chiropractors office where their baby was successfully treated for asubluxation, discomfort most likely the result of the strain during labor, which was now being exacerbated by the normal lack of infant neck strength. Only proper neck, head, and back alignment would offer him relief. When they couldn't find a product to give their baby the necessary support, Alicia took matters into her own hands and crafted her own infant support pillow. The first Baby Elephant Ears was born!

For more information, visit www.babyelephantears.com.

Interested in writing a guest blog for Baby Elephant Ears? Send your topic idea to pr@babyelephantears.com.

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Baby Elephant Ears makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, current-ness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.