Posted at 8:00 a.m.
There are many parents who would prefer that, from a certain age, their children no longer take naps at daycare. Because this period of sleep at the beginning of the afternoon would disturb their nights, according to some. Or delay bedtime at night, for others. Parents report that children even feel the pressure to have “nice sleeps” in their daycare setting.
Sleep education expert Brigitte Langevin, who is also a speaker and author, among others, of the book Sleep – The Toolboxpublished by Éditions de Mortagne and intended for parents of children aged 0 to 5, believes that there are many misperceptions related to children’s sleep.
The majority of parents believe that the less the child sleeps during the day, the better he will sleep at night. That the later we put him to bed, the longer he will sleep. This is a principle that applies to adult sleep, not to children. The child, the more tired he is, the less he manages to sleep.
Brigitte Langevin, sleep education expert
“And there, we think we have a hyperactive, hypervigilant child, whereas he is simply tired and if we correct his schedule to meet his real needs, his temperament will change. »
But basically, what is a “beautiful dodo”?
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Sleep specialist Brigitte Langevin
Brigitte Langevin believes that there are as many definitions as there are individuals. When parents consult her because their child has difficult nights, even though he is having a “beautiful sleep” during the day at daycare, his answer is quite simple: “I always tell parents that a beautiful sleep starts by night. So, if there is no crying at bedtime, no waking within an hour, no crying in the night, long nocturnal awakening, waking too early or crying on getting up , it means that you have beautiful sleeps and that your naps are perfect. But if his nights are ruined, it’s not a good sleep for that child, even if the educator says he had a good sleep. »
There are even children who have “joyful insomnia”, she points out; that is, instead of crying when they wake up at night, they chat and sit up in bed.
Eliminate the nap or not?
The reflex of many parents, in these cases, is to seek to eliminate the nap at the beginning of the afternoon, indicates the expert. “But that’s not how it works. We don’t go through exhaustion to make the nights go well. It’s certainly easier, she says, to skip naps: “The child goes to bed at 7:30 p.m., he falls asleep within five minutes and everyone is happy. But he is taught not to fall asleep except in a state of exhaustion. »
“Parents often have the impression that educators force children to sleep. You can’t force sleep. When the body feels the call to sleep and the child chooses to let go, it is because there is a need; on the other hand, a child of 4 or 5 years old who sleeps two hours in the afternoon is a bit long. You have to bring back a sufficient night for the nap to diminish on its own and there, you get back to the order of things. »
However, she believes that daycares should offer a toy to children aged 4 and over who do not sleep after 30 to 45 minutes, out of respect for them, rather than leaving them awake for more than two hours without doing anything – as long as they do not disturb the sleep of their neighbors.
As for naps on weekends, at home, if they are difficult to set up, but the child of 4 or 5 years old sleeps well at night, why not simply give him a rest period of 30 to 45 minutes ? she suggests. “Passive rest is a gold mine; we don’t often think about it, being in bed even without sleeping is beneficial. »
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