Naps - Riverhead,NY

I think they're all different. My oldest son even napped after his half day kindergarten. The youngest gave up naps at 2 and never looked back!

My daughter stopped napping at about 20 months. Nothing you can do about it. One good thing is that the late nights stopped and she was going to bed earlier.

S. Hoehner
www.sharethecause.com/detoxqueen

My son stopped napping altogether around 20-22 months. The only way we could get him to nap if we felt it was really important (Ie: he was sick, did not get enough sleep night before) was to actually lie down and nap with him, but even then it would only work around 3-4pm. Maybe trying a later short nap?

Hi T., All children are different and Yes they do change their nap times as they are able to keep going longer. I know how difficult it is when they start falling asleep at dinner time or on their plate. You could try having a rest time, you and your son could sit in front to a movie or TV show for 1/2 hour or longer and rest in the early afternoon. He may sleep or at least rest and it could do wonders for both of you. My best. Grandma Mary

What time is his nap? It might be too early and when you put him down he is not tired. Try to change the nap by a half an hour. He should be taking an afternoon nap now. give him lunch and than around 12:30 he should take a nap.

My daughters neither one ever napped well. The oldest(now 7yo) gave up napping completely at 18 months but started going to bed at 7pm and sleeping until almost 7am. She spoiled me being a great night time sleeper. My 2nd child is now almost 2yo and some days she naps and some she will not. If she doesn't she is often in bed by 7:30pm and sleeps until about 7am. If she naps it is no more than an hour and is late in the day and then she doesn't go to bed until 10:00pm and gets up between 7 and 8am.

My point is this maybe he is redy to give up the nap but go to bed earlier at night. I cried when I lost my daughters nap but it was the best thing for her! A.

Little ones are so busy and curious they dont want to stop. I suggest you dont put him to bed for his nap. Instead have a quiet time, it will be good for you too. Sit him on the couch and read to him, make him cuddle next to you with no other toys, no TV, just you and a book. As he gets more snuggly, let your voice get more soothing. I bet he will soon be fast asleep and you can leave him to get his rest on the couch.

I don't think it's out of your control..you said yourself that if he misses a nap he's a wreck....I have 5 boys and all napped until they started kinder-garden(or 3 did because my 4 year old and 23month old are still napping)...I agree with adjust it to a later nap(1230-1pm)that way he can still go down for bed at a decent time...as he gets older and you see that he doesn't need a nap everyday...you can switch to an every other day nap(my son goes to afternoon pre-k 2 days a week, the other 3 he naps...he's 4and1/2) or play a lulaby CD and when it's over(45mins or so)he can get up...that way you both get downtime and if he's really tired he falls asleep...but for now...NAP! (I'd say at least an hour)it really does make parenting easier and more enjoyable...the child is well rested and happier and so is the mommy(because you get down time to chat on the phone and fold laundry w/o kids underfoot!)

Well, yes all kids are different! My oldest child was great at napping...she would go down basically whenever I wanted her to. She's now 12 and would still do it if I said so!!!

My second gave up his nap at 18 months! Ugh! The only way I could get him to nap was to take him on a car ride and then try to transfer him to his crib which didn't always work. I finally gave up and noticed that when he didn't nap, he crashed for the night at 7pm and didn't wake until 7am! I thought, "that is fine by me..as long as he sleeps through the night I'm fine with it!"

My 3rd and 4th were the same as my first, butmy 5th was the same as my second...she's 3 now and won't nap unless she's fallen asleep in the car. When she does nap, she won't sleep at night!

I don't know about you, but I would much rather they sleep through the night, so that I can get my rest, than nap during the day. You'll have to figure out which is more important to you!

Oh my gosh! Are you looking in my window? At age 2, my son stopped his naps. He slept fine at night and woke up around his usual time either way. Dinner is hard. He sometimes falls asleep. But when I wake him, he gets mad. I've tried to get him to nap and it just doesn't work. Either he cries and gets out of bed or he just stays in his room and plays. I hope you get some good advice. I don't mind him not taking a nap, but I hate this sleeping at dinner because he doesn't eat.

we went thru that at almost 3 for a few months, then she dropped it completely. it was hard, she wouldnt go to sleep but then at 4 wanted to, but then if she did, when she woke at 6, she was a mess. then she wouldnt go to sleep till late. otherwise, she fell asleep while eating around 5. then there was a period where she seemed to nap every other day.

since he is still young, he may change back. he may just be having some changes like teeth, growth, ect. just take the cues from him. even at 3 1/2, my daughter falls asleep in the car every time, and if we have a particularly active morning she will go take one on her own. i just cant make her take one. the advantage of her being a bit older is she can communicate with me to tell me when she is in fact tired.

My child has not napped since he was two. The reason we stopped his naps is because he would stay up until 11:00 at night. We put him down at 8:00 (he falls alseep at about 9:00), and he sleeps until about 9:30 the next day. During the day, he needs a rest time. Since he won't nap, I usually allow him to select one movie a day to watch during the rest time. Watching the TV allows him to relax, and that is all he needs to get himself through the rest of the day.

Hi T.,

Hang in there, most likely it's just a passing phase. When my first daughter decided she didn't want to nap anymore I went with it, she too was 23 months old and in retrospect I think she could've used a few more years!!! If your sons sleep habits aren't changing at night then most likely you'll be able to keep his nap. My 4 1/2 year old just stopped napping two weeks ago (she still gets incredibly cranky around 5-6 every day). My cue for her was really giving me a hard time during the day and then staying up until 10:30-11 on the days she napped. I would've had her nap forever LOL!! I have a girlfriend who's daughter gave her a hard time around 22 months and she stuck with it and her daughter is sleeping still a year later. Be warned though, some kids just stop napping around this age, if that's the case with your son, you should still have him "rest" around the same time every day, whether it be in his room or watching a movie, or reading a few books on his own. Good luck!

My son is 30 months now, and still napping. I think he started napping later around 23 months as well. So when he is in daycare, he still goes down around 1 and nap time is till 3. Weekends are a different story, there is so much going on that he naps much later. He is exhusted, but normally naps around 3. We are always doing something on weekends like park, zoo, pool... so too much going on to slow down for a nap at 1 :) When he goes down at 3 (sometimes 4) I wake him up around 5 or 6. This is really late, but I figure weekends are OK to go to bed later than normal time. During he week his bedtime is aroung 8:30 but weekends depending on nap time I adjust the night time to sometimes 10 or 10:30 PM. He wouldn't last past 7 if he didn't nap during the day.

Hi there,

I think kids need to nap till they are at least 4. My guess is, he is learning to be more assertive with his wants, but doesn't yet understand what he needs... which is to have a solid nap everyday. Don't give up or in to this! Keep your routine (same time everyday) and let him know you are serious about it and you call the shots. If you put him in his room and he doesn't sleep for now, that's ok. But tell him he's not allowed out of his bed for at least 90 minutes (or let him cry if he's still in a crib). My guess is, he'll start to fall asleep for you again because he needs it.

I have 3 kids and this has worked well for me. My two older ones napped until they were about 4 1/2. The little guy is on that path too, I hope! Good luck... And remember, you are doing him a favor by giving him the sleep he needs!

Hi T.,

Under 2 is a little young to give up the nap, and if he is falling asleep over dinner, then clearly he's not quite ready. My suggestion is to try to get him in for a nap, but prep for optimal situation - for instance, lunch around noon, then outside to play for 1/2 hour - fresh air/exercise, then in for a small snack and story to let him wind down. I wouldn't put him in for the nap when he's wound up or stimulated from television. And even when a child starts napping, its fine to gate their room and let them know that there is a quiet hour each day where they can lie on their bed, listen to music, look at books, play with stuffed animals.

My daughter stopped napping just before she turned 3 and I was more than ready for her to do so. My son napped til he was turning 4 and I wished I could have gotten a couple of more months from him.
Good luck!

Hi T.,

I have two boys ( now ages 5 and 7) and they both gave up their naps right around age 2. it absolutely killed me! for me, they kept pushing their nap later and later in the day and then would not go to sleep at night until really late, so i had to cut out the nap completely...... I had the same problem as you that they could not make it fully through the day with out getting cranky or falling asleep around dinner time (which messes up the whole bedtime routine.

one thing that I tried and was pretty successful with is taking a drive in the afternoon. i would keep the car really quiet and bring the favorite stuffed animal and take a drive on the highway. most often within 15 to 20 minutes he was asleep and then I would drive home. It was often only a 20 to 30 minute nap because he would sometimes wake up when I turned the car off, but it was enough to take the edge off and get us through the rest of the day.

after a while I found that we only needed the nap a few times a week and not every day, but I was never successful putting my boys down for a nap after the age of 2, we always had to take a drive.

good luck

W.

Hi T.! I have 33 month old twin girls who still nap. One of my girls absolutely needs to nap every day and the other one can go without. So there are definately differences between kids. You just have to take cues from your child. At 23 months I would think that your son would still need a nap. Is he still in a crib or a big boy bed? Even if he doesn't sleep, quiet time can be enough for him and especially for you. Just darken the room, maybe try some soft music and leave him in the crib with a few quiet toys. I do this with my girls and 90% of the time it is enough to help them fall asleep. Even if they don't sleep, it is still some time alone for me. (They are in toddler beds, but we have a gate on their doorway, so they have to stay in their room.) It may be hard in the beginning, but just like any routine, stick to your guns and he will get used to it. Keep the time the same every day so your son knows what to expect and if he doesn't like the word "nap" use quiet time instead. Tell him mommy needs quiet time , too. Unfortunately, you can't force your son to actually sleep. Good luck!...M.

Hi T.,

Nap time is the one of the hardest times in a child's day. Is he getting enough play? enough to wear him out ? to take a nap? What is his nap time routine ? is it the same as his nap? if it's not it should. I am a first time mom as well, and my daughter is only 4 1/2 months and we're starting to have nap time issues so I've been reading a lot on napping. Some kids just arent nappers and sometimes their nap time routine has to change as they get older. I was also a preschool teacher and our kids stopped napping at age 5! If they didn't fall asleep after 30 mins they could do a quiet activity. Routine for me was the best advice I read! and now my daughter takes 2 naps during the day and sleeps through the night! Hope this helped!

Hi T.
Hope you can get into a routine that works.
None of my 4 children had naps after 18 months. If they happened to go to sleep it was a worse mess because they wouldn't sleep at night. I am not much help I guess, but just wanted you to know that others have lived through much worse than short naps or none at 2years. Our younger son slept 2 hours in 24. Our older daughter sleeps 4 hours in 24. The other 2 love to sleep, and both as adults sleep 6-8 hours in 24. The two that didn't sleep as youngsters still don't sleep much as adults. In fact the younger boy will soon give us a grandchild. I hear he doesn't sleep much now either. If you need the quiet time, try reading books to your son after lunch. I read about 5-6 of his choice and I was able to relax while doing so.
God bless you and all you do.
K. Married SAHM of 4

At about 20 months, I made my daughter's naps later in the day since she was no longer tired at about 11am. Now, at 25 months, she goes down between 12 and 1 and sleeps for 1-2 hours max. She definitely still needs this nap or she becomes very cranky in the evening and has a hard time going to sleep.

I'd let his natural sleeping rythyms take effect and that will determine his new nap time (look for an eye rubbing and yawning pattern). If he needs a nap at 2pm, so be it. As long as it's not disrupting his night time sleep.

My first born son stopped consistently napping at around 1 year and 8 months. After that time, I could occasionally count on him falling asleep in the car or on the couch after milk. As I was expecting another son early October, I tried very hard to re-establish a nap routine that didn't include rocking him for the entire nap. I eventually left him in his crib daily for at least one hour in the hopes he would realize over time he HAD to sleep or at least relax. Well, I did that for almost 2 months and then gave up. His night routine stayed fine (7-8pm when we are home and up at 5am) so I just counted my lucky stars. On most days, I do still think he needs the nap and he, as well, will fall asleep at dinner in his high chair....but I'm not sure what else I can do. My pediatrician says some kids are just like that. Makes for an exhausted mom though:) Good luck.

Unfortunately for me, my son stopped all naps before he turned 2. He gets up at 7:00 am and is in bed by 9:00 pm. He is healthy and happy despite not sleeping the recommeded 11-12 hours per day. I guess you just "go with it".

4-5 years old is the general age when they stop due to school

at 23 months thngs change and to dwindles down to 1 nap per day, If your chld wakes at 730 am, he should nap around
1230-1pm til about 230-3pm NO MORE than that.quite likely LESS

M

Try to be consistent for a few weeks, the naps may return. If not, he may not need them any more. It is normal for them to fall asleep at dinner and be really cranky for a while as they transition out of nap. My oldest napped until 3 1/2, my second until only 2. Good luck.

My daughter, she is 4 1/2, stopped napping somewhere between 2 and 2 1/2 and she sleeps the whole night through to make up for it, between 11 & 12 hours. Now if she falls to sleep at all during the day (even for 5 minutes, seriously), it's like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," she is up until midnight!!

My daughter was all done with naps by 2...our son who is 4 will still take one...all kids are different, just follow your sons cues.

Best wishes!
J.

my daughter started fighting her naps at 1 year old! For 6 months I did everything I could to get her to keep napping. She would ONLY fall asleep in the car and I would have to drive around for almost a half an hour first, and she would wake up as soon as I turned the car off! I kept giving her naptime, but No matter how tired she was, she could keep herself awake singing, and moving around etc, forever. I dont see how you can force a kid to fall asleep! You can put them in the bed or crib but you cant make them sleep. She just started going to sleep earlier for bedtime so she still got the same amount of sleep in total. So by 18 months I finaly stopped forcing it on her. I think it was more that I didnt want to give up that break during the day then she really needing it. And I am very happy with her sleeping 12 hours a night (7-7 or 8-8), since a lot of moms I talk to still get naps but nights are a problem!

My son started doing the same thing around April. He turned 2 1/2 in June. I would put him down for his nap (which was usually 2 hours every day after lunch) and he just would not go to sleep. He would sit in his crib and talk and play, until he would just start calling me nonstop to come and get him. Surprisingly, he was usually OK without it, but sometimes he would be a total crank right around dinner. Most of my friends with children said their kids started giving up regular naps between 2 & 3. Lately he'll lay down on my couch and take one on his own once and a while, and he does sleep longer at night if he doesn't nap. Maybe you could try taking him out in the stroller for a walk. Motion always knocks my kids out. But he might just be at an age where he's phasing out the daily nap. It's hard, because I needed that nap more than he did! Good luck.

I think he is too young to drop his naps. I have read that most babies drop their last nap between 3-4 years of age. Maybe try to get him to take a short nap in the late afternoon before dinner. good luck

From what I hear some kids give them up at that time, or start trying... but i would just develop a steady nap time routine, like you do at bed. My son is 30 months old and naps still from 12-2 every day. some days are only 1hr others 1 1/2 but occasionally it slips down to 1 - 3 etc..but that's the latest..
I usually plan some tiring activity in the morning so it starts wearing him down and he's having fun, then we eat lunch for 11:30, and he falls asleep in the car on the way home, then i transfer him. If we are home it's more challenging for me cause he's in daycare so when he's with me he doesn't go down so easily at home, but the days he's really tired, I jsut do the same bedtime routine and I snuggle with him to encourage the sleep, then I close him in his room (no toys) and leave him til 2ish hoping he konks out. every now and then he just doesn't nap and i put him to bed an hour earlier that night... Good Luck

He's probably on the fringe of letting go of napping. try putting him down an hour later, and letting him nap for a little shorter time (you may have to wake him.) That may solve the problem.

My daughter has been a challenging napper from the get-go, but she really started giving me trouble at about 18 months. Her naps got really inconsistent and I started having to drive her in the car to get her to sleep. For her it wasn't an issue of not being tired, it was because she was getting older and didn't want to nap. So I had to really take control of her sleeping altogether and make her stay in her crib at least an hour every day. Once we got her night sleeping back on track through some CIO, she started napping much better. I think some kids are more prone to fight the naps than others, but you have to remind yourself that it's in their best interest. Certainly you want to try to time it so they're genuinely tired (my daughters nap times are all over the map still, which isn't great but some kids are just more inconsistent) but I think it has to be required at this age (at least quiet time with the option of sleep). Good luck, let us know how it goes.

My girls were both around 2 yrs old when they kicked the nap habit. It's frustrating, but eventually it will work itself out to the point that they will either get the extra bit of sleep they need during the night or their schedule will just become adjusted. This was extremely hard for us w/our oldest because to this day she doesn't get the normal amt of sleep - it would be pushing it if she got even 8 hrs. When we started putting her down for school at 9PM in kindergarten she would wake up at 3 in the morning! UGH!