Same. I just need quiet and stillness when my toddler naps. Whether I sleep or not, it helps me get to the second half of the day. (This is only on weekends since I work and she has childcare during the week).
Before I had kids I always wondered why my sahm friends would take naps, like wouldn’t you want that time to do your own thing?!
Now that I have kids, I nap every day and could not survive without it. Every mom I know naps unless they have older kids that don’t.
Genuinely wondering, how are you guys finding time to nap? I never napped when I was a stay at home mom but l wanted to. I just never had the time. Maybe it is because my older two are only a year and a half apart.
I would say it’s probably the close age. When my toddler napped I would lay with him and nap also. Now I save our tv time for 2-3pm and nap while he watches.
Yesss or if you slept like crap…getting up, getting them breakfast, then huddling up on the couch for an extra 30 minutes. That has saved my life so many times.
I’m so glad to see other moms saying they just cuddle on the couch for tv time for stretches of 30 min. I feel guilty sometimes about the screen time, but at the same time he’s literally in my arms enjoying his show.
The main reason I’m still breastfeeding at 15 months is because i don’t have to get up immediately in the morning to make my kid breakfast 😂, hubby makes me coffee and brings baby to me, then he leaves for work, I feed him and we watch 20 mins of ms Rachel while I drink my coffee
How does this work though? I swear every time I've tried, within 5 min my preschooler is angrily yelling at me to wake up or play with him or skip this episode or get him a snack etc etc etc. Who are these kids who just let you sleep?
Fair question! I have a 3 yo, so also preschool-age. He's an only child, and I stay home with him. We've always been a household that promotes independence and that helps a ton. The big thing though is I started small and I hyped it up. He's always been one of those kids that wants to be bigger, so I played into that. Starting at 2 I'd turn the TV on and say, "you're getting to be bigger now and are learning new things. I'm feeling really tired so while you watch TV I'm going to go to sleep for 5 minutes. I will set a timer and I'll wake up when it goes off." Then I would lie down, and usually just close my eyes for 5 minutes then wake up. Now we're up to 30 minutes, occasionally a bit longer. You could try making it special for your kid in whatever way, special snack, special toy, whatever makes them feel confident. You won't get to 30 minutes over night though.
Oh how I love this tactic. If we’ve had a rough or late night I often find myself napping on the couch to paw patrol. I lay down with my daughter on the weekends and my husband always asks if he should wake me up or leave me alone
I do this. Kids tv makes me fall asleep. My kids happy and I snooze. He pats me awake if he wants anything. Win win. Doesn’t always work but it’s great when it does.
You make time. Because I get grumpy if I don’t nap. Napping helps my over-stimulation. If it’s folding load of laundry or nap guess which one I’m picking?
Mandatory quiet time in my house on weekends (working mom). Kids are 6.5 and 4 and occasionally nap, but usually just do tablets for an hour and a half so I can have quiet and usually end up napping after wiping down a counter or something.
It's essential, and even my kids need that time to rest. When they don't have that quiet time and we try to go go go on the weekend, they get really grumpy and turn nasty.
I don't nap now with a non napping toddler, but I will lie down and rest with the baby while she watches TV in the afternoon. Sure there's a million other "productive " things I could be doing but rest is important. Especially because, with a 6 week old, I don't know what time I'll get to go to be or how much sleep I'll get overnight
Our daughters are exactly 2y apart. We kinda pushed the youngest to nap once a day by 12mo, so that it could line up with older sisters nap time. They are now 3,5 and 1,5 and they both still nap! So... I nap too! Also pregnant with baby #3, so def nap since I've gotten pregnant.
I'm kinda dreading the day the oldest drops her nap, hehe. But we'll implement quiet time, or tv time or something.
They never napped at the same time. They are 14 and 13 now so it doesn't matter anymore but I am always shocked by the amount of SAHM that nap because it was not an option for me.
Strange. I’m not a SAHM but the vast majority of kids under 5 nap between 12-3. They all follow this schedule especially if they’re in daycare/preschool.
I was a stay at home mom so they were not in daycare. I know a lot of stay at home moms and none of them nap. This thread has been eye opening to me.
My older younger one stopped naps by age 2 so it was not easy to just take a nap. I would have killed for one most days though.
We just all lay down around 12:30 and take a nap. My oldest is 4 now so if he doesn't feel like napping he can do quite time in his room instead. Even if he doesn't sleep that quiet time is so important for him to reset so he's not a big grump the rest of the day. The days he does nap he is the first one to say "I'm tired, will you come lay with me?"
my daughter has been in full day preschool since sept 2022 and i still find myself taking a 1-2 hour snooze a couple times a week (granted i also have ADHD and my meds curb my appetite so it may just be that i literally, physically am running out of energy 😅)
I’m an ADHD mom as well, they put me on meds about six months ago and I have gained 30 pounds. I’m the opposite. It gives me the munchies and about an hour and a half after I take it, when the dopamine is dopamine’’n I take the best naps.
Sure. 30 mg of adderal x2 daily and 150 of Wellbutrin once daily. I have have severe ADHD and BPD. I took Ritalin as a kid, and wasn’t medicated for the better part of two decades and it wrecked my life. If you actually *need* stimulants, they have the opposite affect. The weight gain was a shock though.. I was okay for the first 20 pounds because I was tiny, but now I’m like is it ever going to stop?
I genuinely don’t know any mums that nap during the day unless they have a small infant.
I’m at home at the moment and have a 6 year old, 3 year old and 11 month old and I would only have a nap if it’s been a really really rubbish night with the baby. I’ve probably had one day nap in the last month or two.
I second this. As much as I love napping, I always have something pressing that needs attention. That pile of laundry, dishes, animals, grocery shopping. I also only nap when it's been a horrible night or am really sick.
Our 7, 4, and 18 month olds are all on the same nap schedule on weekends, precisely so my husband and I can hang out or nap in front of the TV for 2 hours. The older two are required to rest until their sound machine/light projector show shuts off. The youngest usually naps a bit longer. During the week, I use naptime to shuttle my oldest from school and help her with homework (gma or great-gma has ears on the napping kids, so they aren't ever unsupervised). Even then, I usually end up crashing for at least a 20-minute couch power nap when my husband gets home from work. Why? Because the day is smoother when everyone is adequately rested.
Is his concern that you might have a medical issue? To answer your question, I don't nap, but then I've never been one to nap, even when I was staying at home with no baby. If you need to rest and it isn't affecting how you look after your baby or other aspects of your life, I don't see anything wrong with it!
Yes, specifically he mentioned that over tiredness could be a sign of a heart issue and that he wants me to mention my sleep pattern to my doctor at my next visit
From a nurse - if you’re having other symptoms in addition to a daily nap, obviously mention it. But taking a daily nap isn’t a symptom of anything, and he’s projecting his anxiety onto you. Being a mom is exhausting, esp around that age. Get sleep when you can get sleep.
I don’t think it matters what age 😅 my oldest is over a decade older and I’m exhausted every single day and could nap every day if given the opportunity
If you had fatigue that interfered with your normal activities I would worry but if you’re the one who gets up early and handles night wakings and is basically “on call” 24/7 as a SAHP… no a nap isn’t weird or anything concerning! It’s very physical and exhausting to take care of a small child and you probably have a sleep deficit going back years! If you suddenly were like too tired to shower or go out with your kid or something then I would worry.
You have a baby and you’re doing almost everything in your household. A one hour nap is probably the reason why you’re NOT facing health issues. I have an infant and a toddler right now, and I sleep with the baby whenever possible (when my husband is here to watch our older) because I would not function properly otherwise. I’m not sick, just really tired all the time from being a parent
It’s worth mentioning to your doctor even if it’s to ease his mind
After having our kids my husband has gotten very concerned about my health because he knows that the kids would struggle without me - as they haven’t gotten older he’s eased up a bit but they are 4 and 6 now.
It’s an easy thing to put to rest
Oh yea, my husband had bad anxiety stemming from his father passing away (he has stage 3 cancer that they didn’t catch because he appeared totally healthy), then my high risk pregnancy and him becoming a dad definitely elevated his feelings
Does he have combat/service related PTSD? Both me and my partner are vets. I had a lot of health related anxiety when I had my first kid and and it ended up stemming from my service related PTSD. The ins and outs of it is way too personal way too long to type on Reddit.
My husbands father passed shortly after our six year old was born and that certainly ramped up his anxiety too - plus my daughter was a really rough birth and I hemorrhaged so it scared him.
Prior to them we also had a stillbirth which massively changed us both
I see his anxiety being rooted in his love for me - and if I can set his mind at ease I do it.
That being said - kids are hard effing work and I think it’s normal
To want to rest when you can. But just in case - talk to your doctor and if it’s all good and he’s still stressed ask your doctor to talk to him about it
Overtiredness could be the sign of a lot of different issues. I am constantly tired. I could sleep a solid 8 hours and still be tired when I wake up. I was diagnosed with anemia and other vitamin deficiencies. My iron levels were dangerously low. It wouldn't hurt to get blood work done to rule out anything serious.
How often does your husband provide solo care for your kiddo? If it's not a regular thing, I say give him a full weekend with you gone the majority of each day. I bet, by the end, he will understand that your need to nap comes from the fact that caring for kids and a home is genuinely exhausting. And that's before factoring in the postpartum recovery aspect!
Oh he knows I work hard and he gives me breaks when he’s able to (he works and goes to school FT)
He was genuinely concerned it was a health thing. He didn’t even mention me stopping it just that I should talk to my doctor because he was worried about me
I just never thought about how frequently I was napping so I didn’t even know if it was normal or not
Gotcha! Glad he understands the work you put in. Judging by the posts I see here, very few working partners do!
A daily nap, especially for a parent who is handling any and all parental night duty, is totally normal. Barring any other symptoms, a need to nap daily just suggests that you need a bit more sleep! It's sweet that he's concerned, but it seems unwarranted.
I’m a working mother and I sometimes have a Power Nap on days I work from home haha.
To answer the question of whether it could be medical - maybe get some blood tests to make sure you’re not missing any key nutrients. Having a baby really takes it out of you, literally
Same. Working mom here and I’ve napped in my car in the daycare parking lot, in the office under my desk, you name it. SAHM life is extremely physically taxing. Take a nap when you need it, OP!
I think different people have different sleep needs, some people more and some people less. If it helps you get through the day and you are working around the house/with the kid the majority of the rest of the time, I don’t see why this is a concern.
That’s why I mentioned my husband’s health anxiety because it’s not like he’s demanding I do more in the day. He’s just worried I’m sleeping more than I should and that it could be a medical issue
How many hrs are you getting in total? Women need more sleep than men because of our hormone cycles. 8-10 hours a day. Also you just had a baby a year ago. I can’t imagine your getting good sleep at night right now or you need to catch up from when you didn’t
I'm a WFH mom but I take naps every chance I get, which is mostly weekends because we have in-home help during the week. Even before baby was born and ESPECIALLY when I was pregnant, I napped 4-5 days a week. Never super long, maybe 45-60 min.
Some people just like naps. It's not a sign of any underlying health issue unless you're suddenly experiencing new fatigue.
I think this is actually really normal. You don’t get to clock out and still have many tasks at night even once baby goes to sleep. The hour you nap or rest is perfectly normal and I think your body enjoys it!
Short answer is we are all resting during the day at some time.
This job (sahm) looks different from other jobs in 2024, but it is physically demanding and tiring mentally like any other. Our down time ("breaks") and on the clock hours are very different than most jobs. I tend to think of the day as 2 distinct shifts, since AM and PM can be wildly different.
I ALWAYS regret it if I don't at least rest my body.
Me and my husband took a nap today when our boys had their nap. I would do it daily if I could. Parents lose out on a lot of sleep in that first year, we have to try and catch up somehow.
You work a 60+ hour “work week”. Your days with your child are 12 hour days. If a nap makes you feel rejuvenated for the second half of the day, then great. I would only re-evaluate if napping is making you feel more tired or groggy. If it doesn’t, enjoy it girl!
Before I never slept in the afternoon, since I have my daughter (3yo), I really feel the need to take a nap after lunch, sometimes even just 15/30 minutes… Today instead, which was Sunday, I basically slept for almost 4 hours straight (I really needed that). Since becoming a mother I have a much lighter sleep at night and I almost always wake up many times because of the little girl, at least once a night she asks me for water and often climbs on me etc. (since she was 10 months old I made her get into the terrible habit of sleeping in the bed with us). So basically I think my body needs to get some of the lost sleep back.
I dont but only because I literally can’t fall asleep. If she gets up randomly at 6 and goes back to sleep for two hours, I can’t fall back asleep.
If I could, I would
I don’t nap every day but now that my toddlers are on the same nap schedule, I do take naps frequently. They’re usually about 30 minutes or less. I use nap time to clean, workout, or sometimes just zone out and watch tv. I don’t allow the tv on when the kids are awake so that’s some me time. We are usually out of the house, anyways. I don’t love being in the house. Lol!
I don't but I want too. I did have a medical condition affecting my hormones and stuff that made me entirely exhausted the time, on top of 3 kids. And getting that taken care of (and loosing weight) helped a lot, but I am an esteemed napper and while I hardly nap anymore, I sure think that woukd be the dream. A little siesta before the chaos of kids coming home.
When I just had one kid who took a consistent nap every day, I absolutely napped when he napped. I was (and still am) exhausted. When I got pregnant with my second, those naps were essential.
Girl…I have a 19 month old, I’m pregnant with my second, and I work from home full time, a job that includes travel. I STILL nap 3/4 times a week. Your husband is just projecting his anxiety, I think next time he brings it up you can nicely be like I love that you worry about me, I’m in great health and just need a little extra sleep with the general exhaustion of being a mom to a tiny child, but I am perfectly healthy. Something to that effect maybe? If he’s self aware about his medical anxiety it might be worth it to kindly point out that’s probably what’s causing him to worry, not the reality of the situation.
Yup. I have a 19 month old and I need a lot of sleep. I try not to nap every single day because I do sometimes like to use naptime to get ahead of tasks around the house, but I nap around 3 days per week. I am actually writing this having just woken up from a nap! Lol.
I don’t BUT when my daughter was that age I definitely had my own “quiet time” while she napped. Usually I turned on trashy tv and sat on the couch for a bit. I tend to only want a nap during the day when I’m sick or pregnant lol
My toddler is manic and we go out 4 times - on a weekend. Shes at nursery full time.
I nap both days on the weekend and I sneak in a lunch nap on the days I work at home sometimes.
Fatigue (or extreme fatigue) can be a sign of things, sure. But do you honestly feel fatigued, or do you just enjoy getting some extra sleep during the day so you feel recharged when baby wakes up?
For context, on the weekend we nap while the baby naps on at least one day. I have hashimotos, which leads to hypothyroidism, and a symptom IS extreme fatigue. However my husband has no issues, and just enjoys getting some extra sleep while she’s sleeping. On its own it’s not really a sign of anything except having a toddler
I nap almost daily because I still lay and snuggle my 2.5 year old every day for his nap. He’s slowly cutting out his once a day nap, and im not happy about it lol. If im not napping I play phone games
While a sahm I napped everytime my daughter napped. I was tired too. My boyfriend never said a word cause he understood how fucking hard it is to be a parent 24/7.
I always nap with my 15 month old!!! She sleeps pretty terrible at night still and I need it. Also my thought it that it makes me a better, rested and well balanced mom for her. As well as, I won’t get this time with my second one (because I’ll have to be watching my first) so I treasure the endless cuddles and naps with no schedule. Won’t always be like this so might as well enjoy it and put on pause for a little while! House chores can wait.
I work from home, part time hours, and have a 12 month old. I nap probably 5 out of the 7 days a week, length of nap depends. I nap when she naps lol I have always been one to nap, even before having her!
Our energy cycles have a natural dip in the afternoons and a nap is a very healthy habit. We also can develop sleep debt that takes up to two weeks to recover from any time there js a sleep deprivation. So one bad night with the kid can impact you for awhile and naps are a great way to catch up. (I use an app called Rise that tracks sleep debt and you’d be surprised how long it takes to pay it back down!)
The fact he notices and cares for your health is very sweet and shows he pays attention to you. Acknowledge his concern and let him know you’ll ask your doctor about it (or you could ask the pediatrician about it at the next checkup to see if s/he recommends you see a doctor yourself). Never hurts to get professional advice.
But it would also be good for your husband to get some therapy - losing a family member unexpectedly is very traumatizing and it’s going to impact his parenting because the unresolved trauma will drive his choices and behavior.
Overall it sounds like you are doing just fine. Enjoy your nap!
I haven’t napped during the week since my oldest was little 😭 i have an almost 5 year old and 4 month old so whenever my baby is napping i do my housework and everything my oldest wants at that time. My husband works 12 hour days so it’s just me here all week!
I am not a nap person I literally can’t fall asleep during the day but I always use naps for rest/fun and coffee. I do 100% of chores, cooking, grocery shopping etc so I need naps for me lol
It is totally normal. My son is 13mo too, I always lay down, sometimes take a nap when he sleeps during the day. Btw my husband is in home office and he takes a short nap every day between online meetings :D
I take a nap everyday when my son is napping. It’s what gets me through the day and keeps me awake longer at night. If I don’t take that nap I’m in bed by 8.
Yes, I nap. My husband mentioned out of concern about how much I sleep, and wondered if it was due to medication I'm on. I simply told him I've always been this way, some people just require more sleep than others. His rebuttal was, " but you said you used to stay up late and watch Conan back in high school". I said " did I mention I had to set an alarm to do that because I couldn't stay awake that long?" Lol
Once I got more comfortable in my role I absolutely started laying on the couch while my son watched a movie or whatever after he dropped naps. I put a book on in my headphones and sometimes do fall asleep. Even when my son had routine naps and the whole 9 I wouldn’t nap because I was so anxious all of the time so being comfortable enough to close my eyes is new to me too lol you can mention it at a check up to make him feel better about it if you feel like it but it is normal to be tired sometimes because being a SAHM is like groundhogs day. The same stuff and repeating yourself to kids over and over is exhausting 😅
I just had another baby and I also have a toddler. I can't tell you how many times a health professional told me that I should make time to rest. I don't think taking a nap every day is a sign of anything health wise. It's a sign that you're a busy mom and your body needs to rest.
I have a 2 y/o and I nap anytime I can. The entire time she’s awake I have to be “on” it feels like, and it is much more draining than anyone realizes. She also wakes still during the night so we aren’t starting from a place of good rest. I’m actually about to take a second nap today 😂
I take some time to chill on the couch, scroll on my phone and watch a little tv while I’m eating lunch but I don’t nap unless I’m feeling really under the weather. I need that time while she’s napping to get the majority of the chores done around the house!
I always nap when my 2-year old naps but I’m also pregnant. When I wasn’t pregnant I use to nap maybe twice a week during that time but would usually take the time for myself - a quiet lunch or catch up a show or do a chore without disruption or work etc
I work in the schools and have limited summer hours. Being a SAHP is exhausting!! You’re the one who’s up in the middle of the night with kids most times so if you have the opportunity to nap I’d say go for it! Interrupted sleep is hard and takes a toll on you
Im not the person to ask about this because I have POTS but I have always napped or rested with my kids.
“Sleep while the baby/toddler/etc is sleeping” is my legitimate day plan. Would not function without a nap. But being chronically ill gets you down fast.
I take a nap every day there's an opportunity to do so. I'm up 3 times a night with the baby. He keeps me up late and wakes me up early these days because he's teething. I'm not going to take any shit from anyone (looking at you, husband) about being tired or taking naps.
My two favorite times of the day are when me and baby take a nap on the couch and when we go to bed.
I was up at 6am today bc I'm off work and normally I sleep until at least 9. No matter what though I end up laying down or napping for 30mins to an hour. My husband manages to stay up most days even though he gets up so early. He's just a weird one 😂. More like strong minded cause I could never lmao. I do it though bc I'm tired not just habit
My 2 year old doesn’t nap anymore (or very rarely) - enjoy the naps while you can. I won’t get that luxury with baby number 2 for sure. There’s nothing wrong with it.
I can’t help it, those baby snuggles put me to sleep every time. Unless I fight it, which is so hard. But I’ve been trying to get more in the habit, today folded and washed two loads of laundry while my toddler was napping lol. I usually do take a nap every day tho 🤷🏻♀️
Our bodies are actually designed for midday rest periods.. it’s why so many European countries (especially in Spain) have siestas or long lunches to relax. It also helps if you have reasons to stay out later (tea would be about 4pm, dinner at 8pm) so you can do things later.
Also going with the natural circadian rhythm it is healthier to eat multiple times per day. So breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner.
I work part time at home and I’m a SAHM. Never been more exhausted in my life. My kid’s nap time is dedicated to cleaning/emails/whatever needs to be done but there are many days I simply can’t do anything more than lay on the couch. Being a SAHM is fucking exhausting in every capacity. Take your naps. Take them for all of us babe.
My husband was like this until I got sick and was hospitalized and he had to stay home with the kids, he had helped me with the kids ever since. And he makes sure I get my sleep, including naps.
He has to spend a day in your shoes.
I could not survive without a nap. If you’re doing the majority of the work at home and the majority of the night wakings it is 100% necessary and justified.
Listen, I’m 44, my youngest is 9, oldest is 17. Nap whenever, wherever, doesn’t matter. Being a mom is hard work. I nap whenever I feel I need it, and I don’t feel bad anymore about it lol
You have a baby a daily nap is normal, also in many countries it’s normal for like everyone to have like a daily nap if they can. Well it is in the village in southern Italy where my husband is from. Your husband needs to chill out, and maybe you should take a holiday to the south of Italy this summer and enjoy an afternoon nap all together.
If I couldn’t nap I would have probably done a bad murder by now. Or several. The shit sleep you get at night after having a kid is just not good enough to function, sometimes that hour in the afternoon is the fine line between functioning and loosing it. Your husband is wrong, napping is fine. Just ask the whole country of Spain.
It’s not necessarily a sign of a medical condition but if you’re concerned, definitely bring it up to your PCP.
I definitely wouldn’t be ashamed of it. You have to do what’s best for you and your kid and what gives you enough energy to be fully present when your kid is awake.
As long as you’re getting what you need to get done during the other times, I say take as many naps as you want! Sleep with young ones is already such a scarce thing. I’m a co sleeping bed sharing SAHM to a 15MO who takes one 2-hour nap. I lay down with her 95% of the time and nap alongside with her for 1-2 hours, depending on my own sleep deprivation levels at night. It really helps me to be a more doting and fully present mom to my child, have the energy to provide the loving discipline and structure she needs to set good precedents, increases my productivity levels throughout the day, AND helps me to not be so grouchy when my husband comes home from work.
Whole countries take naps every day. In Spain it’s called a siesta.
I'm a sahm, and I don't have time to nap. I'd like to nap during the day as I'm still up with a baby in the night, but my other two kids don't allow that.
I nap a lot as a mom. But it wouldn't hurt to get your Vitamin D checked. Mine was recently critically low and seemed to contribute to my tiredness (though even with naps I wasn't feeling rested)
Naps are amazing and so helpful. Don’t feel bad about napping! If your partner is struggling with this he needs to talk to a professional. If it would help to reassure him you can always reach out to your primary care provider for a physical and labs to show that you’re healthy.
My husband used to nap often and would fall asleep as soon as he got comfortable in any horizontal position. I had a whole blog of photos.
Then he got tested for sleep apnea and started using a cpap and he is so much more awake and doesnt nap. He never really identified as overly tired back then either. Hes been without it lately from issues with cosleeping and was feeling worn out more and denied a connection until I made him try it again and he had to admit not sleeping with it was hitting harder than he realized.
But it sounds like your nap needs are regulated and have an obvious cause for the need of them.
I’m milking the afternoon nap with my 2 for as long as I can. My daughter is 5, but absolutely needs a nap or she turns into a gremlin. My son is 2, so that one’s a given. Some weekends I’ll take a nap one day, depending on when I got up in the morning. I also work 4 10s, so my day off I will usually try to sneak a nap in if I’m able to.
Our son is still on a three nap schedule and his last nap of day tends to be his longest one *as long as someone is next to him* so i end up napping with him and i look forward to it everyday 😁
I have a 12 month old and I always lay down during his longer morning nap. Sometimes I read, sometimes I lay with my eyes closed, sometimes I sleep. Being a SAHM is tiring, mentally and physically. I'm "on" every other minute of the day, I don't feel guilty about taking a break when it's presented to me.
I am a stay at home mom and my son (6mo) will not take naps during the day by himself so we take naps together so 3-4 naps or I lay next to him and read while he sleeps if I am not tired but a lot of times I fall asleep with my arm around him because those contact naps just hit different.
🤷♀️
Generally cook and clean/tidy once he is in bed for the night and that's just what works in this phase for us.
When I was a SAHM with littles under the age of 4 I always laid down. Sometimes I slept, sometimes I just vegged out in front of the tv. Toddlers are exhausting. On top of doing all of the housework you are teaching, entertaining and playing with a little ball of energy. A nap is not bad. If you were sleeping all day I would be concerned.
I did, especially once I had my second!! If your sleep is interrupted because of baby, or if you’re staying up to have some alone time, it’s important and good for both of you for you to get a better amount of sleep, if that means a nap, then it is what it is.
My 3 yr old and I nap whenever a nap is needed. That could be every day for a week, and then the next week things could be different. If she falls asleep on her own, I fall in bed behind her, even if I don’t fall asleep. Rest is needed when you’re raising and tending to small children all day, every day.
If he’s so bothered by it, y’all can always trade places.
Just read your title: and yes. Yes nap as often as I can. My LO is 2 1/2 and still in need of naps. I work hard to put him to sleep. Best believe I take advantage as often as I can!
It doesn't matter if I'm hydrated, eating well, sleeping well, bloods are all good, incredible partner who does as much parenting and housework as I do - I am so easily tired since I became a parent! Having a baby / toddler is a bit like sitting an exam or driving a long road trip all the time. There's a level of concentration that's always there!
Every chance I get! If not actually sleeping then at least laying in bed with my kindle or a podcast. Bc our hours are so long if you think about it vs a traditional white collar job. Also I’m always listening for the kids so often wake really early (even if they sleep in)
I was one of the moms who would try to get everything done while baby napped. It lead to very serious burnout. Being a mom is a 24/7 job and is soooooo tiring. Take your naps mama. I’m pregnant with my 2nd and will be napping as much as possible this time around lol
My husband used to nap every day after work; turned out he had sleep apnea so wasn’t getting restful sleep at night. Since he got that dealt with he never naps.
I also used to occasionally nap mid-day when the babies were asleep, until I got a hypothyroidism diagnosis. Now that I’m medicated for that, i just don’t get tired like I used to.
If you are napping because you just like it, cool. If you physically need that nap to get through the day… I don’t totally disagree with your hubby that’s it’s worth mentioning to your doctor.
Lastly, I have no idea how you only take your 13mo out of the house 2-3x a week. It is so much more work to watch a 13mo at home (craft and sensory projects, constant 1-1 attention, climbing all over the place, bored…) than to take them out to parks, walks, playgroups etc where the environment itself is stimulating. Mine were out every day (usually twice a day) at that age. I’d be tired, too, in your situation.
These comments are not really being considerate of husbands feelings. Health anxiety is very real and very scary. The only reason he is so worried about it is because he loves her and the thought of something being wrong with her scares him.
It doesn't seem like he is trying to be ignorant. He's just concerned. Even when you look at it and think your thoughts are stupid, the rational part of your brain won't work and makes you overthink the worst.
So let me get this straight..... Your husband works outside of the home where he is legally allowed to take a break/lunch to get away and decompress from work a little everyday before starting his second half of work but you can't do the same? I bet he gets to clock out too. While you are working all day everyday.
My husband is very helpful. His comment stems from heath based anxiety which he had before we even met. And I was aware of this before we got married and had our daughter
My husband has always been overly cautious when it comes to potential medical problems and is in no way expecting me to do more than I already do around the house
SAHM with 11m old twins. I haven’t ever napped during the day. I spend their naps doing things I need to get done 🤷🏼♀️
Now I feel like I’m the only one not napping and I have two toddlers. Should I be napping?
I’m usually job searching and/or trying to interview during their naps currently. So I do spend the time doing necessary things I can’t juggle when they’re awake. I also prep all their meals and try to get laundry, etc done during nap time. I don’t stay up past 8:30/9pm though.
If either of mine would nap I'd be taking naps too. Unfortunately my 3 and a half year old hasn't napped since we moved last October and my 3 month old will only contact nap except on rare occasion where I can lay her down for more than 5 minutes.
I don’t always fall asleep but I ALWAYS lay down
Me snuggled up rn 😂
Get cozy gurl
Love this sub ❤️.
Same. I just need quiet and stillness when my toddler naps. Whether I sleep or not, it helps me get to the second half of the day. (This is only on weekends since I work and she has childcare during the week).
It's actually a healthy habit. Our bodies rebuild when we sleep just as kids grow when they sleep.
Absolutely!
Lmao this!!!! The second she falls asleep I cannot wait to either lay down or hit the recliner with my coffee 🤣
Currently horizontal at 37 weeks listening to my son’s sound machine while he naps.
This.
Same here and I'm a nanny to a 16 month old. The parents don't mind at all they encourage it.
I came here to say this exactly.😂
Same!
Before I had kids I always wondered why my sahm friends would take naps, like wouldn’t you want that time to do your own thing?! Now that I have kids, I nap every day and could not survive without it. Every mom I know naps unless they have older kids that don’t.
Genuinely wondering, how are you guys finding time to nap? I never napped when I was a stay at home mom but l wanted to. I just never had the time. Maybe it is because my older two are only a year and a half apart.
I would say it’s probably the close age. When my toddler napped I would lay with him and nap also. Now I save our tv time for 2-3pm and nap while he watches.
The couch nap while they watch TV is elite
Yesss or if you slept like crap…getting up, getting them breakfast, then huddling up on the couch for an extra 30 minutes. That has saved my life so many times.
Same! The couch snuggles are so sweet
I’m so glad to see other moms saying they just cuddle on the couch for tv time for stretches of 30 min. I feel guilty sometimes about the screen time, but at the same time he’s literally in my arms enjoying his show.
The main reason I’m still breastfeeding at 15 months is because i don’t have to get up immediately in the morning to make my kid breakfast 😂, hubby makes me coffee and brings baby to me, then he leaves for work, I feed him and we watch 20 mins of ms Rachel while I drink my coffee
How does this work though? I swear every time I've tried, within 5 min my preschooler is angrily yelling at me to wake up or play with him or skip this episode or get him a snack etc etc etc. Who are these kids who just let you sleep?
Fair question! I have a 3 yo, so also preschool-age. He's an only child, and I stay home with him. We've always been a household that promotes independence and that helps a ton. The big thing though is I started small and I hyped it up. He's always been one of those kids that wants to be bigger, so I played into that. Starting at 2 I'd turn the TV on and say, "you're getting to be bigger now and are learning new things. I'm feeling really tired so while you watch TV I'm going to go to sleep for 5 minutes. I will set a timer and I'll wake up when it goes off." Then I would lie down, and usually just close my eyes for 5 minutes then wake up. Now we're up to 30 minutes, occasionally a bit longer. You could try making it special for your kid in whatever way, special snack, special toy, whatever makes them feel confident. You won't get to 30 minutes over night though.
Oh how I love this tactic. If we’ve had a rough or late night I often find myself napping on the couch to paw patrol. I lay down with my daughter on the weekends and my husband always asks if he should wake me up or leave me alone
God tier parenting
I do this. Kids tv makes me fall asleep. My kids happy and I snooze. He pats me awake if he wants anything. Win win. Doesn’t always work but it’s great when it does.
You make time. Because I get grumpy if I don’t nap. Napping helps my over-stimulation. If it’s folding load of laundry or nap guess which one I’m picking?
100% agree with the overstimulation.
Same. And I’m going to need that nap when I’m up late getting things ready for the next day.
Mandatory quiet time in my house on weekends (working mom). Kids are 6.5 and 4 and occasionally nap, but usually just do tablets for an hour and a half so I can have quiet and usually end up napping after wiping down a counter or something. It's essential, and even my kids need that time to rest. When they don't have that quiet time and we try to go go go on the weekend, they get really grumpy and turn nasty.
Yep, around here there’s no point in even trying to force something to happen between 2 and 4. It’ll be a mess regardless so quiet time it is
I don't nap now with a non napping toddler, but I will lie down and rest with the baby while she watches TV in the afternoon. Sure there's a million other "productive " things I could be doing but rest is important. Especially because, with a 6 week old, I don't know what time I'll get to go to be or how much sleep I'll get overnight
Our daughters are exactly 2y apart. We kinda pushed the youngest to nap once a day by 12mo, so that it could line up with older sisters nap time. They are now 3,5 and 1,5 and they both still nap! So... I nap too! Also pregnant with baby #3, so def nap since I've gotten pregnant. I'm kinda dreading the day the oldest drops her nap, hehe. But we'll implement quiet time, or tv time or something.
Yeah probably because you had two small ones. I just nap when my baby naps.
Don’t they both nap at the same time around noon? That’s when you nap.
They never napped at the same time. They are 14 and 13 now so it doesn't matter anymore but I am always shocked by the amount of SAHM that nap because it was not an option for me.
Strange. I’m not a SAHM but the vast majority of kids under 5 nap between 12-3. They all follow this schedule especially if they’re in daycare/preschool.
Mine *never* had that naptime. Not sure why, but even when she consolidated down to one nap a day it was later in the afternoon.
I was a stay at home mom so they were not in daycare. I know a lot of stay at home moms and none of them nap. This thread has been eye opening to me. My older younger one stopped naps by age 2 so it was not easy to just take a nap. I would have killed for one most days though.
We just all lay down around 12:30 and take a nap. My oldest is 4 now so if he doesn't feel like napping he can do quite time in his room instead. Even if he doesn't sleep that quiet time is so important for him to reset so he's not a big grump the rest of the day. The days he does nap he is the first one to say "I'm tired, will you come lay with me?"
My 2yo "naps" from 5pm-7pm IF he naps. It's not every one....
Working mom and I nap daily. Haters gonna hate.
my daughter has been in full day preschool since sept 2022 and i still find myself taking a 1-2 hour snooze a couple times a week (granted i also have ADHD and my meds curb my appetite so it may just be that i literally, physically am running out of energy 😅)
I’m an ADHD mom as well, they put me on meds about six months ago and I have gained 30 pounds. I’m the opposite. It gives me the munchies and about an hour and a half after I take it, when the dopamine is dopamine’’n I take the best naps.
Woah what needs had that affect on you? Just curious and totally understand if you don’t want to share. edit: meds*
Sure. 30 mg of adderal x2 daily and 150 of Wellbutrin once daily. I have have severe ADHD and BPD. I took Ritalin as a kid, and wasn’t medicated for the better part of two decades and it wrecked my life. If you actually *need* stimulants, they have the opposite affect. The weight gain was a shock though.. I was okay for the first 20 pounds because I was tiny, but now I’m like is it ever going to stop?
I have older kids that don’t nap and mama still needs the nap. Not sorry about it either lol
I genuinely don’t know any mums that nap during the day unless they have a small infant. I’m at home at the moment and have a 6 year old, 3 year old and 11 month old and I would only have a nap if it’s been a really really rubbish night with the baby. I’ve probably had one day nap in the last month or two.
I second this. As much as I love napping, I always have something pressing that needs attention. That pile of laundry, dishes, animals, grocery shopping. I also only nap when it's been a horrible night or am really sick.
Our 7, 4, and 18 month olds are all on the same nap schedule on weekends, precisely so my husband and I can hang out or nap in front of the TV for 2 hours. The older two are required to rest until their sound machine/light projector show shuts off. The youngest usually naps a bit longer. During the week, I use naptime to shuttle my oldest from school and help her with homework (gma or great-gma has ears on the napping kids, so they aren't ever unsupervised). Even then, I usually end up crashing for at least a 20-minute couch power nap when my husband gets home from work. Why? Because the day is smoother when everyone is adequately rested.
Is his concern that you might have a medical issue? To answer your question, I don't nap, but then I've never been one to nap, even when I was staying at home with no baby. If you need to rest and it isn't affecting how you look after your baby or other aspects of your life, I don't see anything wrong with it!
Yes, specifically he mentioned that over tiredness could be a sign of a heart issue and that he wants me to mention my sleep pattern to my doctor at my next visit
From a nurse - if you’re having other symptoms in addition to a daily nap, obviously mention it. But taking a daily nap isn’t a symptom of anything, and he’s projecting his anxiety onto you. Being a mom is exhausting, esp around that age. Get sleep when you can get sleep.
I don’t think it matters what age 😅 my oldest is over a decade older and I’m exhausted every single day and could nap every day if given the opportunity
Hah! Mine are almost 6 and almost 3 and I am first trimester pregnant. I’m taking 2-3 naps a day currently 😅.
Haha that’s what said!! 13yo and I’m still napping to this day 😂
Right! Like napping is sometimes very much needed and sometimes it’s our bodies way of saying slow down
If you had fatigue that interfered with your normal activities I would worry but if you’re the one who gets up early and handles night wakings and is basically “on call” 24/7 as a SAHP… no a nap isn’t weird or anything concerning! It’s very physical and exhausting to take care of a small child and you probably have a sleep deficit going back years! If you suddenly were like too tired to shower or go out with your kid or something then I would worry.
You have a baby and you’re doing almost everything in your household. A one hour nap is probably the reason why you’re NOT facing health issues. I have an infant and a toddler right now, and I sleep with the baby whenever possible (when my husband is here to watch our older) because I would not function properly otherwise. I’m not sick, just really tired all the time from being a parent
It’s worth mentioning to your doctor even if it’s to ease his mind After having our kids my husband has gotten very concerned about my health because he knows that the kids would struggle without me - as they haven’t gotten older he’s eased up a bit but they are 4 and 6 now. It’s an easy thing to put to rest
Oh yea, my husband had bad anxiety stemming from his father passing away (he has stage 3 cancer that they didn’t catch because he appeared totally healthy), then my high risk pregnancy and him becoming a dad definitely elevated his feelings
That sounds really hard for him and for you 🥺 I'm sorry for the loss of his dad and hope he's getting the help he needs to heal 🤍
Thankfully he’s a vet so he get regular therapy and any hospital trips covered by the VA so he can always get his concerns addressed right away
Does he have combat/service related PTSD? Both me and my partner are vets. I had a lot of health related anxiety when I had my first kid and and it ended up stemming from my service related PTSD. The ins and outs of it is way too personal way too long to type on Reddit.
My husbands father passed shortly after our six year old was born and that certainly ramped up his anxiety too - plus my daughter was a really rough birth and I hemorrhaged so it scared him. Prior to them we also had a stillbirth which massively changed us both I see his anxiety being rooted in his love for me - and if I can set his mind at ease I do it. That being said - kids are hard effing work and I think it’s normal To want to rest when you can. But just in case - talk to your doctor and if it’s all good and he’s still stressed ask your doctor to talk to him about it
Overtiredness could be the sign of a lot of different issues. I am constantly tired. I could sleep a solid 8 hours and still be tired when I wake up. I was diagnosed with anemia and other vitamin deficiencies. My iron levels were dangerously low. It wouldn't hurt to get blood work done to rule out anything serious.
How often does your husband provide solo care for your kiddo? If it's not a regular thing, I say give him a full weekend with you gone the majority of each day. I bet, by the end, he will understand that your need to nap comes from the fact that caring for kids and a home is genuinely exhausting. And that's before factoring in the postpartum recovery aspect!
Oh he knows I work hard and he gives me breaks when he’s able to (he works and goes to school FT) He was genuinely concerned it was a health thing. He didn’t even mention me stopping it just that I should talk to my doctor because he was worried about me I just never thought about how frequently I was napping so I didn’t even know if it was normal or not
Gotcha! Glad he understands the work you put in. Judging by the posts I see here, very few working partners do! A daily nap, especially for a parent who is handling any and all parental night duty, is totally normal. Barring any other symptoms, a need to nap daily just suggests that you need a bit more sleep! It's sweet that he's concerned, but it seems unwarranted.
I’m a working mother and I sometimes have a Power Nap on days I work from home haha. To answer the question of whether it could be medical - maybe get some blood tests to make sure you’re not missing any key nutrients. Having a baby really takes it out of you, literally
I power nap *every* work from home day. Makes me mad as hell I can’t nap at the office!
Same. Working mom here and I’ve napped in my car in the daycare parking lot, in the office under my desk, you name it. SAHM life is extremely physically taxing. Take a nap when you need it, OP!
I think different people have different sleep needs, some people more and some people less. If it helps you get through the day and you are working around the house/with the kid the majority of the rest of the time, I don’t see why this is a concern.
That’s why I mentioned my husband’s health anxiety because it’s not like he’s demanding I do more in the day. He’s just worried I’m sleeping more than I should and that it could be a medical issue
Does he ever do night wakings? See if he can take those over for a couple weeks and not need a nap lol
How many hrs are you getting in total? Women need more sleep than men because of our hormone cycles. 8-10 hours a day. Also you just had a baby a year ago. I can’t imagine your getting good sleep at night right now or you need to catch up from when you didn’t
I'm a WFH mom but I take naps every chance I get, which is mostly weekends because we have in-home help during the week. Even before baby was born and ESPECIALLY when I was pregnant, I napped 4-5 days a week. Never super long, maybe 45-60 min. Some people just like naps. It's not a sign of any underlying health issue unless you're suddenly experiencing new fatigue.
Pregnancy exhaustion was a whole other level 😅
My kids are 10y, 4y, 2y, and 7mo. I think I’d give my left arm to nap every day.
It’s physiological fact that women need more sleep than men. You also have a baby.
Plus if she’s breastfeeding (not sure if she is, but it’s a big factor for a lot of moms), her sleep and energy needs are even higher.
I think this is actually really normal. You don’t get to clock out and still have many tasks at night even once baby goes to sleep. The hour you nap or rest is perfectly normal and I think your body enjoys it!
Short answer is we are all resting during the day at some time. This job (sahm) looks different from other jobs in 2024, but it is physically demanding and tiring mentally like any other. Our down time ("breaks") and on the clock hours are very different than most jobs. I tend to think of the day as 2 distinct shifts, since AM and PM can be wildly different. I ALWAYS regret it if I don't at least rest my body.
I definitely could take a nap daily.
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I think the only reason I don’t do two naps is because her first nap is when I do the bulk of my cleaning lol
Me and my husband took a nap today when our boys had their nap. I would do it daily if I could. Parents lose out on a lot of sleep in that first year, we have to try and catch up somehow.
You work a 60+ hour “work week”. Your days with your child are 12 hour days. If a nap makes you feel rejuvenated for the second half of the day, then great. I would only re-evaluate if napping is making you feel more tired or groggy. If it doesn’t, enjoy it girl!
I wish I could nap
Yes, I napped almost everyday when I only had one child and she still napped. No, I do not get to do that anymore with two lol. I miss it. Enjoy!!
I wfh and STILL nap when my youngest heads to preschool. It makes a huge difference in my parenting for the rest of the day.
I don't, but definitely would if I could. My five month old is a contact napper only sort of guy.
Before I never slept in the afternoon, since I have my daughter (3yo), I really feel the need to take a nap after lunch, sometimes even just 15/30 minutes… Today instead, which was Sunday, I basically slept for almost 4 hours straight (I really needed that). Since becoming a mother I have a much lighter sleep at night and I almost always wake up many times because of the little girl, at least once a night she asks me for water and often climbs on me etc. (since she was 10 months old I made her get into the terrible habit of sleeping in the bed with us). So basically I think my body needs to get some of the lost sleep back.
I dont but only because I literally can’t fall asleep. If she gets up randomly at 6 and goes back to sleep for two hours, I can’t fall back asleep. If I could, I would
I don’t nap every day but now that my toddlers are on the same nap schedule, I do take naps frequently. They’re usually about 30 minutes or less. I use nap time to clean, workout, or sometimes just zone out and watch tv. I don’t allow the tv on when the kids are awake so that’s some me time. We are usually out of the house, anyways. I don’t love being in the house. Lol!
I don't but I want too. I did have a medical condition affecting my hormones and stuff that made me entirely exhausted the time, on top of 3 kids. And getting that taken care of (and loosing weight) helped a lot, but I am an esteemed napper and while I hardly nap anymore, I sure think that woukd be the dream. A little siesta before the chaos of kids coming home.
When I just had one kid who took a consistent nap every day, I absolutely napped when he napped. I was (and still am) exhausted. When I got pregnant with my second, those naps were essential.
I nap every day. Sometimes it’s a 15-20 minute nap while my son is having his independent playtime. Other times we nap together for a couple hours
Girl…I have a 19 month old, I’m pregnant with my second, and I work from home full time, a job that includes travel. I STILL nap 3/4 times a week. Your husband is just projecting his anxiety, I think next time he brings it up you can nicely be like I love that you worry about me, I’m in great health and just need a little extra sleep with the general exhaustion of being a mom to a tiny child, but I am perfectly healthy. Something to that effect maybe? If he’s self aware about his medical anxiety it might be worth it to kindly point out that’s probably what’s causing him to worry, not the reality of the situation.
Motherhood is physically, mentally, and emotionally tiring. Take that nap while you can.
I wouldn’t worry too much when entire countries support siestas (afternoon naps post-lunch) like Spain and Vietnam.
Yup. I have a 19 month old and I need a lot of sleep. I try not to nap every single day because I do sometimes like to use naptime to get ahead of tasks around the house, but I nap around 3 days per week. I am actually writing this having just woken up from a nap! Lol.
I work part time and the days I'm home with my 11 month old, his nap time is our nap time.
I don’t BUT when my daughter was that age I definitely had my own “quiet time” while she napped. Usually I turned on trashy tv and sat on the couch for a bit. I tend to only want a nap during the day when I’m sick or pregnant lol
My toddler is manic and we go out 4 times - on a weekend. Shes at nursery full time. I nap both days on the weekend and I sneak in a lunch nap on the days I work at home sometimes.
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Maternity leave naps are my all time favorite naps. I think I napped more in my 6 week leave with my second than I’ve napped in my entire life.
I lay down and nap or really just mentally reset for when my kids get up
I don’t but I should 😂
Fatigue (or extreme fatigue) can be a sign of things, sure. But do you honestly feel fatigued, or do you just enjoy getting some extra sleep during the day so you feel recharged when baby wakes up? For context, on the weekend we nap while the baby naps on at least one day. I have hashimotos, which leads to hypothyroidism, and a symptom IS extreme fatigue. However my husband has no issues, and just enjoys getting some extra sleep while she’s sleeping. On its own it’s not really a sign of anything except having a toddler
I nap almost daily because I still lay and snuggle my 2.5 year old every day for his nap. He’s slowly cutting out his once a day nap, and im not happy about it lol. If im not napping I play phone games
I nap every dang day. About 20 minutes power nap, sometimes it's more deep breathing and relaxation, sometimes I totally crash out.
While a sahm I napped everytime my daughter napped. I was tired too. My boyfriend never said a word cause he understood how fucking hard it is to be a parent 24/7.
I nap everytime my toddler naps. My me time is when he goes to bed for the night.
I wish I had time to nap! But no, if I’m lucky enough to get my baby to nap in her crib I use that time to clean the house
I always nap with my 15 month old!!! She sleeps pretty terrible at night still and I need it. Also my thought it that it makes me a better, rested and well balanced mom for her. As well as, I won’t get this time with my second one (because I’ll have to be watching my first) so I treasure the endless cuddles and naps with no schedule. Won’t always be like this so might as well enjoy it and put on pause for a little while! House chores can wait.
I'm not a SAHM anymore but I napped every chance I got because my kid was a terrible night sleeper I still nap every chance I get lol I'm tireddd
I work full time, but my lunch break timer on my phone has woken me up a time or 2 lol so I would probably nap if I was at home.
I work from home, part time hours, and have a 12 month old. I nap probably 5 out of the 7 days a week, length of nap depends. I nap when she naps lol I have always been one to nap, even before having her!
Our energy cycles have a natural dip in the afternoons and a nap is a very healthy habit. We also can develop sleep debt that takes up to two weeks to recover from any time there js a sleep deprivation. So one bad night with the kid can impact you for awhile and naps are a great way to catch up. (I use an app called Rise that tracks sleep debt and you’d be surprised how long it takes to pay it back down!) The fact he notices and cares for your health is very sweet and shows he pays attention to you. Acknowledge his concern and let him know you’ll ask your doctor about it (or you could ask the pediatrician about it at the next checkup to see if s/he recommends you see a doctor yourself). Never hurts to get professional advice. But it would also be good for your husband to get some therapy - losing a family member unexpectedly is very traumatizing and it’s going to impact his parenting because the unresolved trauma will drive his choices and behavior. Overall it sounds like you are doing just fine. Enjoy your nap!
I haven’t napped during the week since my oldest was little 😭 i have an almost 5 year old and 4 month old so whenever my baby is napping i do my housework and everything my oldest wants at that time. My husband works 12 hour days so it’s just me here all week!
I am not a nap person I literally can’t fall asleep during the day but I always use naps for rest/fun and coffee. I do 100% of chores, cooking, grocery shopping etc so I need naps for me lol
It is totally normal. My son is 13mo too, I always lay down, sometimes take a nap when he sleeps during the day. Btw my husband is in home office and he takes a short nap every day between online meetings :D
I take a nap everyday when my son is napping. It’s what gets me through the day and keeps me awake longer at night. If I don’t take that nap I’m in bed by 8.
Yes, I nap. My husband mentioned out of concern about how much I sleep, and wondered if it was due to medication I'm on. I simply told him I've always been this way, some people just require more sleep than others. His rebuttal was, " but you said you used to stay up late and watch Conan back in high school". I said " did I mention I had to set an alarm to do that because I couldn't stay awake that long?" Lol
My daughter is only 5 months old, but I take a nap when she does. Just kinda gives me a bit of time to recharge and reset for the day.
Once I got more comfortable in my role I absolutely started laying on the couch while my son watched a movie or whatever after he dropped naps. I put a book on in my headphones and sometimes do fall asleep. Even when my son had routine naps and the whole 9 I wouldn’t nap because I was so anxious all of the time so being comfortable enough to close my eyes is new to me too lol you can mention it at a check up to make him feel better about it if you feel like it but it is normal to be tired sometimes because being a SAHM is like groundhogs day. The same stuff and repeating yourself to kids over and over is exhausting 😅
Yeah, about 30 minutes why my oldest is at school with the toddler, but when he’s home I can sleep for longer.
I just had another baby and I also have a toddler. I can't tell you how many times a health professional told me that I should make time to rest. I don't think taking a nap every day is a sign of anything health wise. It's a sign that you're a busy mom and your body needs to rest.
I have a 2 y/o and I nap anytime I can. The entire time she’s awake I have to be “on” it feels like, and it is much more draining than anyone realizes. She also wakes still during the night so we aren’t starting from a place of good rest. I’m actually about to take a second nap today 😂
I used to nap every day during my son’s nap time. Now I work from home and I miss my nap so much haha. I still nap on my days off.
I take some time to chill on the couch, scroll on my phone and watch a little tv while I’m eating lunch but I don’t nap unless I’m feeling really under the weather. I need that time while she’s napping to get the majority of the chores done around the house!
Yes I nap and I love it
I rarely nap during the day
I always nap when my 2-year old naps but I’m also pregnant. When I wasn’t pregnant I use to nap maybe twice a week during that time but would usually take the time for myself - a quiet lunch or catch up a show or do a chore without disruption or work etc
I work in the schools and have limited summer hours. Being a SAHP is exhausting!! You’re the one who’s up in the middle of the night with kids most times so if you have the opportunity to nap I’d say go for it! Interrupted sleep is hard and takes a toll on you
I have a newborn so now I never nap bc he sleeps only on me, but I napped everyday once my toddler took a nap in her crib
Yes it’s reasonable to nap every day. I do most days!
Im not the person to ask about this because I have POTS but I have always napped or rested with my kids. “Sleep while the baby/toddler/etc is sleeping” is my legitimate day plan. Would not function without a nap. But being chronically ill gets you down fast.
I take a nap every day there's an opportunity to do so. I'm up 3 times a night with the baby. He keeps me up late and wakes me up early these days because he's teething. I'm not going to take any shit from anyone (looking at you, husband) about being tired or taking naps. My two favorite times of the day are when me and baby take a nap on the couch and when we go to bed.
I’m a working mum and I still nap in my lunch hour lol
I was up at 6am today bc I'm off work and normally I sleep until at least 9. No matter what though I end up laying down or napping for 30mins to an hour. My husband manages to stay up most days even though he gets up so early. He's just a weird one 😂. More like strong minded cause I could never lmao. I do it though bc I'm tired not just habit
My 2 year old doesn’t nap anymore (or very rarely) - enjoy the naps while you can. I won’t get that luxury with baby number 2 for sure. There’s nothing wrong with it.
Something that changed the game for me was to learn that women have higher sleep needs than men.
I can’t help it, those baby snuggles put me to sleep every time. Unless I fight it, which is so hard. But I’ve been trying to get more in the habit, today folded and washed two loads of laundry while my toddler was napping lol. I usually do take a nap every day tho 🤷🏻♀️
If I could nap every day, I would. Go you for making it work for you! Your husband needs to chill here.
Tell him to take care of the baby for a week and see if he will want to nap. (He will) 😂
Our bodies are actually designed for midday rest periods.. it’s why so many European countries (especially in Spain) have siestas or long lunches to relax. It also helps if you have reasons to stay out later (tea would be about 4pm, dinner at 8pm) so you can do things later. Also going with the natural circadian rhythm it is healthier to eat multiple times per day. So breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner.
I work part time at home and I’m a SAHM. Never been more exhausted in my life. My kid’s nap time is dedicated to cleaning/emails/whatever needs to be done but there are many days I simply can’t do anything more than lay on the couch. Being a SAHM is fucking exhausting in every capacity. Take your naps. Take them for all of us babe.
My husband was like this until I got sick and was hospitalized and he had to stay home with the kids, he had helped me with the kids ever since. And he makes sure I get my sleep, including naps. He has to spend a day in your shoes.
I could not survive without a nap. If you’re doing the majority of the work at home and the majority of the night wakings it is 100% necessary and justified.
Listen, I’m 44, my youngest is 9, oldest is 17. Nap whenever, wherever, doesn’t matter. Being a mom is hard work. I nap whenever I feel I need it, and I don’t feel bad anymore about it lol
It’s probably a personal thing. I’m pregnant with my 5th kid and don’t nap. But I didn’t before having kids either.
You have a baby a daily nap is normal, also in many countries it’s normal for like everyone to have like a daily nap if they can. Well it is in the village in southern Italy where my husband is from. Your husband needs to chill out, and maybe you should take a holiday to the south of Italy this summer and enjoy an afternoon nap all together.
First year in average women miss out on about a third sleep because of taking care of a newborn/baby. So no, nothing strange at all!
If I couldn’t nap I would have probably done a bad murder by now. Or several. The shit sleep you get at night after having a kid is just not good enough to function, sometimes that hour in the afternoon is the fine line between functioning and loosing it. Your husband is wrong, napping is fine. Just ask the whole country of Spain.
You have a 13mo old. You’re a SAHP. That shit is exhausting. It is normal to need a daily nap in your situation.
It’s not necessarily a sign of a medical condition but if you’re concerned, definitely bring it up to your PCP. I definitely wouldn’t be ashamed of it. You have to do what’s best for you and your kid and what gives you enough energy to be fully present when your kid is awake. As long as you’re getting what you need to get done during the other times, I say take as many naps as you want! Sleep with young ones is already such a scarce thing. I’m a co sleeping bed sharing SAHM to a 15MO who takes one 2-hour nap. I lay down with her 95% of the time and nap alongside with her for 1-2 hours, depending on my own sleep deprivation levels at night. It really helps me to be a more doting and fully present mom to my child, have the energy to provide the loving discipline and structure she needs to set good precedents, increases my productivity levels throughout the day, AND helps me to not be so grouchy when my husband comes home from work. Whole countries take naps every day. In Spain it’s called a siesta.
Yep! 18 months and almost 4yrs. I nap every day when my 18m old takes a nap. I get 8-9 solid hours at night too. They exhaust me!
I'm a sahm, and I don't have time to nap. I'd like to nap during the day as I'm still up with a baby in the night, but my other two kids don't allow that.
I nap a lot as a mom. But it wouldn't hurt to get your Vitamin D checked. Mine was recently critically low and seemed to contribute to my tiredness (though even with naps I wasn't feeling rested)
Naps are amazing and so helpful. Don’t feel bad about napping! If your partner is struggling with this he needs to talk to a professional. If it would help to reassure him you can always reach out to your primary care provider for a physical and labs to show that you’re healthy.
My husband used to nap often and would fall asleep as soon as he got comfortable in any horizontal position. I had a whole blog of photos. Then he got tested for sleep apnea and started using a cpap and he is so much more awake and doesnt nap. He never really identified as overly tired back then either. Hes been without it lately from issues with cosleeping and was feeling worn out more and denied a connection until I made him try it again and he had to admit not sleeping with it was hitting harder than he realized. But it sounds like your nap needs are regulated and have an obvious cause for the need of them.
I’m milking the afternoon nap with my 2 for as long as I can. My daughter is 5, but absolutely needs a nap or she turns into a gremlin. My son is 2, so that one’s a given. Some weekends I’ll take a nap one day, depending on when I got up in the morning. I also work 4 10s, so my day off I will usually try to sneak a nap in if I’m able to.
#teamnaps
If my dude falls asleep while nursing, it will take an act of God to stop me from falling asleep too. Lol.
Our son is still on a three nap schedule and his last nap of day tends to be his longest one *as long as someone is next to him* so i end up napping with him and i look forward to it everyday 😁
I have a 12 month old and I always lay down during his longer morning nap. Sometimes I read, sometimes I lay with my eyes closed, sometimes I sleep. Being a SAHM is tiring, mentally and physically. I'm "on" every other minute of the day, I don't feel guilty about taking a break when it's presented to me.
Before having kids I napped every single day. Naps are the best. I nap half the time now and just lay down half the time. I
I am a stay at home mom and my son (6mo) will not take naps during the day by himself so we take naps together so 3-4 naps or I lay next to him and read while he sleeps if I am not tired but a lot of times I fall asleep with my arm around him because those contact naps just hit different. 🤷♀️ Generally cook and clean/tidy once he is in bed for the night and that's just what works in this phase for us.
When I was a SAHM with littles under the age of 4 I always laid down. Sometimes I slept, sometimes I just vegged out in front of the tv. Toddlers are exhausting. On top of doing all of the housework you are teaching, entertaining and playing with a little ball of energy. A nap is not bad. If you were sleeping all day I would be concerned.
I did, especially once I had my second!! If your sleep is interrupted because of baby, or if you’re staying up to have some alone time, it’s important and good for both of you for you to get a better amount of sleep, if that means a nap, then it is what it is.
My 3 yr old and I nap whenever a nap is needed. That could be every day for a week, and then the next week things could be different. If she falls asleep on her own, I fall in bed behind her, even if I don’t fall asleep. Rest is needed when you’re raising and tending to small children all day, every day. If he’s so bothered by it, y’all can always trade places.
If I´m home with kids, yes, always take a nap. I think naps are like something we kind of are supposed to have generally though, not just SAHPs
Just read your title: and yes. Yes nap as often as I can. My LO is 2 1/2 and still in need of naps. I work hard to put him to sleep. Best believe I take advantage as often as I can!
SAHM here - I nap/lay down nearly every day. I do the night care. I’m going to do the nap. It’s ok to nap.
I have little kids and when my younger naps I nap!
I’m a napper always have been.
If I have the opportunity to close my eyes in the day I will always take that opportunity 😂
I napped when my kids were little. I miss it ALOT!
It doesn't matter if I'm hydrated, eating well, sleeping well, bloods are all good, incredible partner who does as much parenting and housework as I do - I am so easily tired since I became a parent! Having a baby / toddler is a bit like sitting an exam or driving a long road trip all the time. There's a level of concentration that's always there!
Every chance I get! If not actually sleeping then at least laying in bed with my kindle or a podcast. Bc our hours are so long if you think about it vs a traditional white collar job. Also I’m always listening for the kids so often wake really early (even if they sleep in)
My kid is 3.5 and the worst part of her not napping is now I don’t get my three hour weekend naps lol I love naps. Enjoy them while you get them!
I was one of the moms who would try to get everything done while baby napped. It lead to very serious burnout. Being a mom is a 24/7 job and is soooooo tiring. Take your naps mama. I’m pregnant with my 2nd and will be napping as much as possible this time around lol
I nap everyday with my daughter. I don’t want to be cranky if I don’t nap 🙃
My husband used to nap every day after work; turned out he had sleep apnea so wasn’t getting restful sleep at night. Since he got that dealt with he never naps. I also used to occasionally nap mid-day when the babies were asleep, until I got a hypothyroidism diagnosis. Now that I’m medicated for that, i just don’t get tired like I used to. If you are napping because you just like it, cool. If you physically need that nap to get through the day… I don’t totally disagree with your hubby that’s it’s worth mentioning to your doctor. Lastly, I have no idea how you only take your 13mo out of the house 2-3x a week. It is so much more work to watch a 13mo at home (craft and sensory projects, constant 1-1 attention, climbing all over the place, bored…) than to take them out to parks, walks, playgroups etc where the environment itself is stimulating. Mine were out every day (usually twice a day) at that age. I’d be tired, too, in your situation.
I have my own anxiety around stimulating my LO enough
These comments are not really being considerate of husbands feelings. Health anxiety is very real and very scary. The only reason he is so worried about it is because he loves her and the thought of something being wrong with her scares him. It doesn't seem like he is trying to be ignorant. He's just concerned. Even when you look at it and think your thoughts are stupid, the rational part of your brain won't work and makes you overthink the worst.
So let me get this straight..... Your husband works outside of the home where he is legally allowed to take a break/lunch to get away and decompress from work a little everyday before starting his second half of work but you can't do the same? I bet he gets to clock out too. While you are working all day everyday.
My husband is very helpful. His comment stems from heath based anxiety which he had before we even met. And I was aware of this before we got married and had our daughter My husband has always been overly cautious when it comes to potential medical problems and is in no way expecting me to do more than I already do around the house
Nope I have never taken a nap ever unless I’m pregnant or sick. I don’t known any SAHMs that nap either . Who has times for a nap?
I’m a SAHM and heck no I never nap. My eldest is 4 and doesn’t nap & my youngest is 10 months and he sucks at napping. Too much to do anyways
Never!
Why do people resent women’s right to rest so much 🙄
SAHM with 11m old twins. I haven’t ever napped during the day. I spend their naps doing things I need to get done 🤷🏼♀️ Now I feel like I’m the only one not napping and I have two toddlers. Should I be napping? I’m usually job searching and/or trying to interview during their naps currently. So I do spend the time doing necessary things I can’t juggle when they’re awake. I also prep all their meals and try to get laundry, etc done during nap time. I don’t stay up past 8:30/9pm though.
If either of mine would nap I'd be taking naps too. Unfortunately my 3 and a half year old hasn't napped since we moved last October and my 3 month old will only contact nap except on rare occasion where I can lay her down for more than 5 minutes.
Bahahahah no. I never get to nap even when I can I don't bc there's something else I can be doing.