Naptime Battles

Kayla - posted on 11/18/2009

my little girl is three, and she hates naptime. i cant get her to go to sleep untill nine each night and she'll sleep until 8 or 8:30. but by one she so ill. what can i do?

Alison - posted on 11/16/2009

My daughter (3 1/2) naps 3-4 times a week. I find this is sufficient for her, but every child is different. I have read that children can stop napping between the ages of 3 and 5, depending on the child. Maybe you are putting in all of this effort in vain.

Marie - posted on 11/16/2009

kids do reach a point when they won't take a nap anymore. My older two did around the same age. Unless they were really overtired then they wouldn't take a nap. they were like the energizer bunny. lol.

Renee - posted on 11/13/2009

Yes my almost 4 yr old refuses to nap, and I ensure he has time in his room to play 'quietly' when myself and my 6 week old are trying to have our arvo nap. Sometimes i have had him in my room and put a movie on for him and he has fallen asleep but then he sleeps all afternoon and is not wanting to go to bed at night then. He usually stays in his room and plays but he can forget about he quiet part

Jessica - posted on 11/12/2009

My son started to not take a nap soon after I began babysitting my three year old niece who never really like to nap. He is three almost four (in march). It's fine, he does sleep almost 12 hours a night and doesn't really need one. We do have quiet time in the after noon to relax and reenergize for the afternoon. Maybe in the afternoon, lay him down with a favorite movie/cartoon for a little then maybe a quiet activity (coloring, reading). Anything he can just relax with. Three is about the age they stop napping unfortantley. I dreaded seeing this day my son stop napping but it doesn't really bother me! Good luck.

Mandy - posted on 11/09/2009

My 3yo doesn't always nap but we do have quiet time every day where all of the kids can play quietly in their room for at least an hour. My 5yo even has a quiet time after coming home from school and naps maybe once a week. My 3yo does end up taking naps on most days but at least 1-2 days a week, she may decide to just play in her room.

Shayna - posted on 11/05/2009

My son is shy of 3 and I don't bother putting him down for a nap anymore. There is no need for it, he is not tired. He get his 12 hours of sleep at night. There certainly can be some days when he is cranky and in a miserable mood I will put him down then, but that doesn't happen often.

All children are different. Some will nap right up until school entry, while others will stop alot sooner. If he is getting 12 hours of sleep at night, and is still refusing to go down for a nap in the day time, I'd say don't give him one. He is old enough now he doesn't need it. I mean if you personally slept for 12 hours, would you want to nap the next day (probably with 2 small kids eh lol, but speaking on his behalf)

Jessica - posted on 11/03/2009

i had the same problem with my lil boy, he'll be 4 in march. i think it was 3 months after his 3rd birthday naptime became a huge fight, unless i was to lay down with him. which i couldn't really do either, my daughter was only about 8 months at the time. i don't know if this is an option for you or not, but we gave up on naps. his dr told me once a child starts to really fights naps thats normally when they grow out of them. he goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up between 7:30 and 8 am. so he gets at least 12 hours of sleep a night and he doesn't really need a nap. sometimes he will be a lil tired and he will lay down on the couch and fall asleep by himself. when he does this i only let him sleep for 45 minutes at the most.