Nap Time Challenges: Tips for nap time misbehavior in the ECE classroom

Nap time is basically sacred for early childhood educators. 

It’s a rare moment where the adult can sit down for a consecutive 10 minutes.

And unfortunately, in the ECE field many educators only get a 30 minute lunch break, so by the time adults are able to decompress they have to go right back in the classroom again, so nap time is an opportunity to process and relax a little bit. 

Even if not all of the children fall asleep, it’s dedicated time to sit down and slow down in the classroom, which is often needed for everyone in the room. 

So, it’s understandable when teachers are frustrated by nap time challenges and perceived misbehavior. 

Things like children whose behavior keeps others awake (or wakes them up), needs constant attention which means the adult gets little to no time to get much needed admin/cleaning done, or just behaviors that siphon the little energy educators have left. 

So let’s talk about common nap time challenges and what to do about it.

In many classrooms the transition can be pretty tough for educators.

Logistically, especially in younger classrooms, trying to get everything done is a momentous task and that often leaves pockets of time for little ones to get into a bit of mischief like running around, arguing, etc. 

If a child is struggling to transition to nap time:

• Give them extra, individual warnings about the transition to napping. 

• Use a visual schedule and visual aids/timers. Fifteen minutes is a hard concept for young children and how long that time frame feels can depend on their mood and how engaged they are in an activity.

  A visual timer can help them better conceptualize the passage of time and how much time they actually have left. 

• Empathize with their frustration, and let them be sad about having to stop whatever they were doing to transition. There’s nothing wrong with being sad, frustrated, or even angry.

  This isn’t something we need to “fix”. Our goal is to help them recognize and appropriately express these feelings, but not to stop feeling them.

• Brainstorm solutions to preserve a work in progress. Maybe they were building something important, coloring, or intently working on a play task. Just like when we get frustrated about being interrupted while “in the zone”, children can feel that way too.

  Work together to find ways to preserve their progress. Some examples could be taking a photo, moving their activity to an empty table to be finished after their nap, or even allowing an extra five minutes to finish. 

• Let them go to sleep sooner or a few minutes later. A child that is overly tired could be more irritable, making transitions more challenging, so it could be beneficial to make sure they’re one of the first to be laid down for a nap.

  Or likewise, they might not be as tired, so letting them stay up a few extra minutes to help sweep or letting them be the last to be changed before nap can give them some extra time to wind down. 

Child won’t lie down. 

This one can be tough, because these children could be keeping other children awake. The advice educators are usually given is to give the child something to do on their mat.

You might hesitate to let the child read or play with soft blocks/toys because other children might want to as well, but children are surprisingly understanding that when it comes to meeting needs, it doesn’t look the same for everyone.

A confident explanation that one child doesn’t nap because their body no longer needs it, is usually enough. 

But if it continues to be a concern you could ask the child to “rest their body” for 15 minutes before being allowed to get up from their cot. 

If the child is having a hard time with volume control, remember 60 minutes plus is a long time, so they’re likely bored. Include them in things like wiping off the table, allowing them to play with special toys, or getting to try challenging activities like sewing. 

Also remember that they should use a softer voice, but it’s unrealistic to expect them to remain silent for the whole time.  

If they’re older and grew out of nap, if ratios allow it, you could also allow the child to visit their future classroom during nap time. This could be part of helping their future transition into the class too! 

If you’re having a hard time keeping a child on their mat after they’ve woken up:

• Pick your battles and consider if they actually need to be on their mat. They could likely play just as peacefully at the table as they would on their mat. 

• Is their nap too long? Every child is different, and even if it feels a little early, some kids simply grow out of naps sooner than others, and forcing them to try and sleep is just opening an unnecessary power struggle.

  When considering if they’re growing out of nap or not, be really honest with yourself. Do you want them to lie down because they truly need to keep resting?

• Plan ahead. If you have a child that is consistently waking up 30 minutes before their peers, consider it as part of their routine. Maybe they clean up their sleep area and get to use that extra 20 minutes doing a social emotional activity with your co-teacher. 

If you know the child can fall back asleep try to get to them before they fully wake up. As they start stirring, go pat their back or cover them with their blanket if they’ve kicked it off.

Child running around the classroom or being disruptive before nap.

Usually when children are getting into mischief, it’s out of boredom. Reduce idle time as much as possible and give the child something to do while they wait. 

For ideas about how to make the transition to nap time easier read this post here. 

Also consider using the classroom furniture strategically if you have friends who encourage each other during nap. Space can be tricky but if you can, separate the two friends who have a hard time settling down, or remove distractions by placing a child next to a wall or separated by a shelf.

Children who need one-on-one attention.

This isn’t misbehavior, just more of a logistical challenge. If you have a classroom of twelve and you’re juggling trying to get everyone to bed, it can be challenging to take the time to rock a child to sleep. 

One method is similar to one mentioned before; ask the child to “rest their body” on their own for 15 minutes and afterwards you’ll give them cuddles or rock them. If they’re tired enough they might just self soothe themselves. Either way this gives you some time to help other children get to sleep. 

Offer a weighted blanket, pillow, or stuffed animal. The deep pressure weighted items offer is similar to a hug and this might be comforting enough to help them sleep.

Also, special routines that you two share might also help fill that need for dedicated attention. For example, you might take an extra minute to read the same poem together before their nap, or sing a song.

You can individualize this for each child. Sometimes it’s not necessarily the amount of time that makes the difference, you can build a strong connection with a child with an intentional 2 minute activity that can be just as impactful as a 15 minute snuggle. 

Each classroom and child is unique, so it will always come down to individualizing care, observation, and the adult being persistent with trying to figure out what the child is communicating with their behavior. 

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