OT: Almost 3 yo and naps

[Hillbeans]

My youngest DS will turn 3 on Sept. 23rd

I was wondering at what age did your DD/DS outgrow their nap? I can't remember when DS 7 stopped napping every day but it had to be somewhere around 3. I think he sleeps better at night after he takes a short afternoon nap, but I don't want to force him to nap if he fights it since he's getting older and sleeps 9/10 hours a night. If we are going out somewhere at night where the kids will be up late I will take him for a ride in the car to get him to fall asleep and then i'll bring him inside to his bed.

When did your child give up their nap?

 

[thegrimdwarf]

My older boy napped until about 3.5. My little guy stopped at 26 months. I was in some serious denial about that, lol. But it is what it is, and I've actually learned to like the freedom of not needing to be home for naptime (neither boy was ever able to nap well outside their own crib).

 

[LisaNJ25]

My toddlers are turning 3 and 4 next week. My older one still naps almost daily. The 3yo has recently stopped. I will tell you they are terrors without naps. They are both going to school in Sept from 12-2:30 which is usually their nap time.

 

[yankeechick]

my dd turned 3yo in june and she quit taking naps when her older brother got out of school for the summer

 

[FJJM0621]

My DS 2-1/2 stopped his naps around when he turned 2. I couldn't believe it because my DD 4 can still benefit from an hour nap - but if he naps - even for 45 mins - he won't fall asleep till 10:30 pm!!!!!!!!!! So reluctantly I let him give it up. I need them to be sleeping by 8pm so I can have some peace.

My mother would always say he's a baby & still needs a nap - so when he would go to her house she woulld lay him down & when he got home I would call her at 10pm & let her talk to him!! Like see - he's still awake!!!

Its hard because DD would ASK to lay down - even at 3! Him - forget it.

But I have been training them to "rest" at 1pm in preperation for Disney - we will prob. be taking a "nap break" when we are ther in Sept.

 

[Schmeck]

Both of my girls quit regular napping when they were 2 years old, but would fall asleep on the car ride back from the grandparents' homes until they were over 4 years old.

Funny thing is now my 17 year old naps almost every day, and so do I!

 

[Aristomommy]

DD9 stopped napping at 2.5 and never looked back, LOL. DS is 3.5 and still takes one nap in the afternoon. He still needs it because he is very active. On the days he doesn't have an opportunity to nap, he is exhausted around 6pm.

 

[tnd]

My son will turn 3 on Sunday and he still naps every day, generally for 2-3 hours. He is a terror without that nap, and I really think it does contribute to a better night's sleep for him. I'm so not ready for him to outgrow it, I love napping on the weekends when he does.

 

[Erin13178]

My dd(4) still naps. But then she goes to bed later too. If she doesn't nap during the day, she's usually out by 8pm, and is a bear.

 

[TravelinGal]

DS has been off naps pretty much for the past year (he'll be 4 in Oct). He wasn't going to bed until 10:30 or 11pm when he was napping but would not tolerate a shortened nap. (major monster if awakened before he was ready to wake up) When we dropped the naps completely we went to a much easier bedtime of around 7:30pm and very few tantrums.

If he's not feeling well, he'll still nap or if we have something going on in the evening I'll put him down so he's able to stay up a little later (but that's rare).

 

[LuvBaloo]

DD3.5 is in daycare full time and they have a 1 hour quiet time/nap time and she still sleeps most of the days. At home on weekends, she doesn't generally nap unless she stayed up late in the day. When we did WDW&DL in May she'd have a sleep in my arms for about a half hour in the afternoon and then she was good to go again. On the Cruise - her & I would go for an hour nap in the afternoon and then she would still sometimes have a snooze during the shows.

DD6 was the same way. Naps were sporatic from 3 until school depending on how much activity/outside time/how late the night before.

 

[imthatgirl]

all three if them were just before their third birthdays when they stopped taking regular naps. my youngest turns 3 tomorrow and he will still takes naps randomly,maybe twice a week.

 

[riley2008]

My boys will be 5 in September and still take regular naps. They also go to bed at 9:00 and get up about 7:30-8:00.

 

[mccathy]

My older son will be 4 in Nov. and still naps every day. I think at this age they still need about 11-13 ours of sleep - day sleep plus night sleep. So, he gets about 12 with the nap.

 

[ColleenG]

My DS 2.5 is starting to give up his nap. He still needs one every few days. If we are going to be doing something that we will be out late I still put him down. He doesn't always fall asleep but he does lay down and relax. I'm starting to find that if he naps and didn't really need it he doesn't fall asleep until 9:00 or later. As much as I miss having a quiet after noon at least I can get him in for the night a little earlier.

 

[pednurse]

DS (who is now 10 years old) stopped napping at 18 months old!! Nothing (not even driving around in a car) would get him to go to sleep. I would still put him down for a "rest" time but he would never actually sleep (stopped "rest" times at around 4 years old). But for me it was a good trade-off.....because he didn't sleep through the night (would wake at 45-minute intervals) until he stopped napping. And no, his nap wasn't too long....when he did nap, it was only a 45-minute nap. Never a good sleeper....until he stopped taking a daytime nap. Even now he sleeps less that most kids his age at night. DD on the other hand has always been a good sleeper....took a 1 1/2-hour afternoon nap until age 2 1/2, then stopped napping altogether (although I still made her take a "rest" time until about age 4 as well....she's now 6). She was a better night sleeper as well....slept through the night starting at about 5-6 weeks old! She will still occasionally ask to go to bed early (and her bedtime is already 8pm) if she's tired.....and sleeps until 7-7:30 the next morning.

 

[NY_MOM]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY in advance to your DS as my own DD will turn 5 on September 23 as well! As for her naps she quit taking her afternoon nap when she was about 2. She told me while the sun was awake, there was no need for sleeping. As long as he's getting enough sleep during the night I would slowly pull back ans see how it goes. Good Luck!

 

[AUDramaQueen]

Wow, I must have some lazy kids! They all napped until they got in Kindergarten and would still go to bed at 8-8:30 and sleep through the night. My 3 year old (4 in Oct) isn't quite as consistent but he still needs one. He gets cranky without one. He has to lay down and rest even if he doesn't fall asleep.

At Disney, they usually all fall alseep if we come back in the afternoon (which we usually do).

 

[perkinsrose]

Both my kids were 4 or 5 when they started skipping the nap--sometimes needing it more than other days & they've always gone to bed early (8:00ish).

similar topic--thread below

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1907322

 

[abcboys]

My youngest turned 3 in July. He stopped taking a nap at the end of May when I moved him from a crib to big bed and also when big brothers got out of school for the summer.

He will usually go to bed somewhere between 7:30 and 8 without the nap. Somedays he will fall asleep at 6pm at that really drives me crazy. I miss naptime, but its not worth the struggle anymore.