OT: When did DS or DD give up napping?

[molly2004]

Just curious...how old were your kids when they gave up napping. My twins are almost 2. I swear, they are trying to "kick the habit," despite my protest, of course. I think they're too young to give it up, but they'll try their damnedest! Without a nap, by the end of the day, they're tired, but still very good-natured. How are you supposed to tell if they're ready? I remember this happened for a few months when they were giving up their second nap. Then ultimately, they kicked that second nap. Now, I'm wondering how much time I've got before they drop this one too. They currently go to bed at 7PM (but may take 30 minutes to an hour to fall asleep) and up anywhere between 7 and 8AM.

Any thoughts you may be able to share would be very helpful. We are planning a trip to WDW when they are 2 1/2 and wondered if we should put it off until we get this napping thing all sorted out first. That could mean another year! Then we'd have to deal with potty training at WDW. Oy! Will we ever go again?!?

Thanks in advance!

 

[momofbgtwins]

My twins are 3.4 yrs old, and they are napping now! (Yeah!) They are usually in bed by 7:30, but they are up at 6:30. My DS loves to nap, and is a bear without it. His sister's temperment isn't as dependant on a nap. I know they'll be giving up naps in the near future, but I will resist it with all my power as a MOM!

 

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

We are in this dilemma right now too! My DS just turned 3 in Dec. He has always taken a nap in the afternoon but lately has been not going to bed until at least 11:00, then back up at 7 or 8. Without the nap though, he just cannot make it through the day and ends up falling asleep around 5 or 6, despite all I do to keep him awake. Then he's awake and ready to go when I want to go to bed. There's go to be a way to work him into a comfortable routine!!

 

[CEDmom]

My DD has always been a good sleeper so please don't hate me . Up until she was about 20 months she'd take 2 naps a day and sleep about 10-11 hours a night. Then she gave up her morning nap but started sleeping about 12 hours a night along with a 2 hour afternoon nap. Around 3 she cut back to 10 hours a night but still had an afternoon nap. She kept that nap up through kindergarten. Even now at almost 6 1/2 she'll still sometimes take a nap or fall asleep at 6pm and be out for the night. Right now her bedtime is 8pm and that's been pretty consistant for the last few years.

 

[annie1995]

My DS gave up his afternoon nap at around 3 and started sleeping close to 12 hours at night. The only time he were to take a nap is if he were coming down with something, I'd know he was getting sick .

 

[bigbabyblues]

My boys are 5 and 2-1/2 now. The 5-yo still naps on some days, not on others. Just depends on what he's done that day. If he goes to preschool (3 hours, 3 days a week) then he definitely needs the nap. 2-1/2 yo still naps around 3-1/2 hours a day and definitely needs it every day. 5-yo goes to bed around 8:30 (earlier if he hasn't had a nap and is grouchy) and 2-1/2 yo goes to bed at 7:30, both get up around 7 am or 7:30.

 

[Bird-Mom]

I have 2 really bad sleepers. The older one started giving her nap up right around age 2, and she was finished with it at 28 months. The younger one is 18 months old, and it seems like she is starting to give up her nap. I think she is way too young, but she wants to be just like big sister.

 

[NotUrsula]

DS never took 2 naps, unless you count early infancy when he would just randomly drop to sleep for short periods all day long. By the time he was around 26 months we had to enforce a no-nap policy, because by that time if he slept during the day he did not sleep at night. He has never slept much more than 8 hrs at a stretch unless he is ill, so if I had put him to bed at 7, he would have been up like a cuckoo no later than 4 am, with 3 am being more likely.

He's 8 now; he goes to bed at around 10 pm and gets up at around 6.

Note that none of this applies at WDW; between the pace, the heat and the excitement, I think very few kids stick to their normal sleep pattern while there. Ours always sleeps more while at Disney, because he is just dog-tired.

 

[kidshop]

My first ds slept 12 hours at night and took a 2-3 hour nap until he was around 4. The year between 4 and 5 he took sporadic naps until he just didn't sleep anymore. But he still has rest time at 6 1/2 for about an hour on weekends or in the summer when there is no school. He just plays in his room and I get a little break! Ds2 just does not need as much sleep. He really stopped sleeping regularly around 2 1/2. He (at 3 now) doesn't take a nap every day, sometimes he sleeps an hour or two. But many days he just plays in his room. On those days he will go to bed at 7 instead of the usual 7:30-8pm. He wakes up around 7am. I am definitely keeping the rest period though! He doesn't have to sleep, but he has to stay in his room and be reasonably quiet.

I wouldn't worry too much about naps at WDW. They should be wiped out, and may just crash in the stroller when needed! You may just want to get them in bed at the usual time so they get approximately the same amount of sleep overall as they do at home.