Partner's home this year. Would half-day daycare fix our 2 year old's bedtime?

saffron_bookmark_745227 Oct 2026

Our son naps from about 12.30 to 3 at daycare, sometimes longer. Bedtime has drifted to 10.30, some nights 11. The daycare has one nap time for everyone and I do understand why. My partner is on a career break this year, so in theory we could collect him after lunch and keep him home in the afternoons. I'm not sure if that's fixing a sleep problem by removing the part of the day he enjoys most. He loves the afternoon play there. Has anyone switched from full day to half day for sleep? Did bedtime actually move?

2 comments

linen_spoon_767727 Oct 2026
With both my boys, the nap only got shorter when we asked daycare to wake them gently at a fixed time. It took a couple of conversations, and they agreed to try it for a week first. Might be worth asking before giving up the afternoons he loves ❤️
- cobalt_spoon_263227 Oct 2026
  Our 1 year old's daycare said no to waking one child, because it wakes the whole room. Depends on the place. We've ended up with a later bedtime and a later wake-up, which works only because nobody in our house has to leave early 🙂
bronze_sparrow_580727 Oct 2026
Before giving up the afternoons, I'd try a week of the same morning wake-up time, weekends included. With our son a late bedtime was partly a late start. If he is still awake at 10.30 after that week, the half-day decision becomes much clearer.