Is your toddler still napping during the day? If not when did they stop?

Kelly - posted on 08/09/2010

My son will turn three in Oct. He still naps but I find that he will nap better if he stays more active. There are some days when he naps late or doesn't at all. Those are hard days because he is more cranky. I am not going to stop his naps but will let him wean himself off of these. I am going to enroll him in a preschool/daycare and I know this will help with a structured nap time. They do not have to nap (sleep), but must lay down or sit and rest. Good luck!

Emma - posted on 08/09/2010

Julie that doesn't sound so good. I hope your lil one starts sleeping earlier so that you get some time to yourself again. My boy was the same always slept so well as a baby then we went through a phase of his sleep pattern being all over the place but eventually he settled down and settled into a routine of going to bed at 7 and getting up between 8 and 9. In my case Jamie probably doesn't nap because he gets the extra hour or 2 in the morning. I'm finding the responses to this topic very interesting, it shows how different al our children are considering they were all born around the same time. Thank you everyone that has replied so far and I look forwad to reading others responses too.

Mandy - posted on 08/09/2010

Yes and long may it continue.... Miss all grown up now, has 1.5 - 2 hours about 1 pm and sleeps 7 pm - 6.30/7 am each day. We had sleep and settling issues with her as a baby but she is the easiest toddler to put to bed. She gets very busy when she is tired, but not grumpy! That happens when she is hungry!

Julie - posted on 08/08/2010

my son has done the same thing with naps and bottles at arround 14 months . was always a sleeper from the day he was born nap nap nap then bed for the night at 8 pm and not wake up untill 8am. but now he will still not nap and will not go to bed until 10pm or later .. I dont know what has changed for him but I now have no joys afternoon nape time to my self or before my bed time , time to my self he fianly goes to sleep so I have to ....

Kim - posted on 08/07/2010

My daughter cut out her naps at the grand old age of 4yrs and 3 mths, she was still having 2.5-3hours sleep during her naps.

My son who is nearly 3 still has a nap in the afternoon of around 3 hours and I hope he will continue to do this for a while. Although with my daughter starting school in Sept, not sure how it is going to work yet.

Erin - posted on 08/07/2010

My LO still naps depending on when he gets up in the morning. If he wakes up after 10am then I can forget it. But that doesn't happen too often. He takes a nap around 1:30-2pm for about an hour, sometimes longer. I think if he doesn't nap he is grumpier in the evening and he also won't sleep as well at night. I wouldlke for him to continue to nap until he is 4 but we will see. If he doesn't sleep, I always make him at least have "rest time" for 30-45 minutes so I can at least get somethings done or just to relax.

Emma - posted on 08/05/2010

I know what you mean Kirsty. I'm not in any rush for my son to grow up any quicker than he is lol. I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that he's nearly 3 already. Personally I don't think Jamie needs his naps and that's why he's weaned himself off them. I wish he would still nap as I'd get my peace and Jamie wouldn't seem so grown up for his age. Its trying to find that balance between not pushing them to grow up and not holding them back trying to keep them babies. We all have our own ideas and methods with our kids and as they say nobody knows a child better than their mother. If I thought Jamie was still in need of his naps then I'd be doing what Griselda does with her daughter but as been as Jamie has an endless supply of energy and the lack of sleep in the afternoon doesn't seem to be affecting his mood or development I didn't see the harm in allowing him to cut out his naps. Bottles were the same, he was 18 months and just refused his bedtime bottle instead I offered him milk as a normal drink in a tippy cup during the day so he wasn't missing out on the goodness. I do miss the bedtime bottle routine though, miss the mummy and Jamie time before he goes to bed. But instead we've gone to stories before bed so I still get that one on one cuddle time.

Kirsty - posted on 08/05/2010

i feel the same emma!he took himself off bottles too,and formula,that was about 2 weeks before his second birthday.i believe some parents rush their kids to grow up too fast.if a kid needs a nap then let them have one,if not dont push it!

Emma - posted on 08/04/2010

Nice to know I'm not the only one with a child that weans himself off things Kirsty lol. Jamie only sleeps during the day now if he's on a growth spurt and when this happens I fully take advantage of it. Its that rare that it happens these days. My boy is very hyperactive and is constantly on the go, I get to the point of needing a nap myself just watching him lol.

Kirsty - posted on 08/04/2010

my son weaned himself off naps and bottles too.he was probably a little younger (15 months old) when he pretty much stopped going down during the day,unless he was in his pushchair,where he did sleep.its a rare occurrence now,and if he does i do take advantage of it.i miss nap time too lol but our circumstances at the time meant that his daytime nap was actually a substitute for a proper nights sleep.i dont think theres a right time,i think it should be left up to the child

Alicia - posted on 07/29/2010

I didn't read Griselda's comment, but that is nearly exactly what happened with my little girl.

Emma - posted on 07/29/2010

I wish Jamie had given me the choice with his naps Alicia lol. My lil boy got his independent streak quite early. I still get my 'Ahhh' time when he goes to bed at half 6-7pm. Thank you both of you for your responces and how you deal with your situations.

Alicia - posted on 07/29/2010

My daughter is still napping. She's beginning to now have more trouble with it. She's not as tired for the nap, but she is still in her bed for 1 to 2 hours everyday before noon. I think it helps her temperament and also gives me that needed "ahhh" so that I can be a better parent for her. I don't plan on weaning her off of it. I actually would like to keep that time slot quiet permanently. I plan on homeschooling her, so I'll have no trouble with that :)

Griselda - posted on 07/26/2010

My little girl tried to wean herself from her afternoon nap but that was not negotiable in my house. At age 18 months of age she tried to skip her naps but I'd take her to her bed and forced a nap. If she didn't want to nap she still have to hang out in her room for 1.5 hours. It was a constant battle for a few months but once she turned 2 nap time became a breeze. Now that she's almost 3 (on the 3rd) she tells me when she wants to nap and goes to her room without me telling her. She sleeps for about 2 hours. My girl is definitely not ready to let go of nap time and quite frankly neither am I.