When did your toddler give up their nap?

[MamaLema]

After weeks of battles with DS2, I gave in and stopped putting him down for a nap in the afternoon. My older kids stopped napping at 4. This is new to me and the afternoon is really l-o-n-g now. Around 5 pm, he becomes miserable and makes all of us miserable too.

BTW, he is 2 and 4 months.

 

[mtemm]

my eldest will be 4 in feb and is just giving up his nap, although he really still needs it. we moved in november and that seemed to have shaken things up...he now shares a room with his little brother that may contribute to it a bit.

I certainly hope the twins follow in his footsteps!

 

[RadioNate]

About 2.5, definately by 3. He always disliked napping. It took another 4-6 months for him to not be horribly cranky before dinner.

He does sometime still get cranky and he hasn't napped regularly for about 2 years. We started putting him to bed earlier, 730-8 to get up at 7ish and that has helped.

 

[Rachie0507]

DD gave up her nap around 2.5.

DS is 3 1/2 and he still naps

 

[nhpooh]

My two napped until they were 4.5 or 5. The oldest was 5 and my other DD was 4.5. They were and still are good sleepers. They stopped taking naps around the time they started school.

 

[ckay87]

When he just started sitting in his room and peeling wallpaper off the wall instead of sleeping .

He was 3...stopped napping when his bro went to school ...figures

 

[kbkids]

DD quit napping at 3 1/2 - honestly, the day I brought DS home from the hospital - guess it was the excitement of a new baby in the house. I was so looking forward to taking naps when they were both asleep, but that didn't happen.


DS, however quit napping at 2, if not a little before. He just wouldn't go to sleep. But he would go to bed at night by 7:00 and sleep for 12 hours. So, I didn't complain too much. He still sleeps like that now at age 4 - he'll go to sleep around 8:00, up at 7:00.

 

[Ava83]

DD3 stopped at 3.

 

[Glynis]

My oldest DD was about 2 when she stopped and I can sympathize with you. She was so cranky by about 5:00 each night. I finally figured out a nice compromise. From 1-3 each afternoon was "quiet time". DD would get her blankie, and make a bed on our couch. I would put on a quiet movie and the rules were she had to stay on that couch from 1-3. Usually, she would end up napping for at least an hour and that made all the difference. Dumbo was our best nap movie, followed by Snow White.

 

[TandJ61574]

I was just going to ask the same thing! Would you believe my grandson stopped taking naps before his first birthday!! He does sleep 12-13 hours at night though.

 

[Trish5768]

My oldest stopped napping at 12 months. He would sleep from 8 pm until almost 10 am though. Very unusual, I know, but true.

My DD never gave up napping and had a real hard time giving it up in Kindergarten. Apparently, she was the only one who took nap time literally and would sleep.

My youngest DS napped until he was about 3 1/2.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i am going thru the same thing
ds who will be 2 in feb is sleeping for like 30 min and then is up freaking out to get out of his crib
its hard cuz ds6 napped til he was like 4
i used that time for housework, naps and my own school work
as i work nights
it kinda stinks but oh well

 

[pixiemomma]

4 and 2.5.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Well, the little one I nanny is 2 1/2 and apparently he has decided TODAY he won't be napping! He is in his crib SHOUTING "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Happy Birthday" while alternately pounding on the wall. His 4 year old sister is fast asleep! He is actually a pretty good napper most days, but once in awhile we have these HORRIBLE days where it takes him forever to settle down. But if he skips his nap then he is worthless by dinnertime.

DS is 9 and he will still nap on the weekends sometimes. But he also gets up at 6 AM on weekends so he can play, so by late afternoon he is tired!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

DS3 stopped napping at 18 months. He would only nap if we were in the car.

He goes to bed around 7:30-8:30 and gets up between 6:30 and 7:30. I gave up trying to get him to nap.

Lori

 

[jennyl772003]

I took my son's nap away when he was 2. He wasn't sleeping through the night anymore. It was rough at first, but he quickly adjusted and then he was sleeping through the night again.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

You should research this on the internet. I remember when DD5 was in full time day care, I remember the director of the school saying something in regard to our state's regulations that a child under 3 must nap 2-hour or at least have quite time. It is essential for their brain development. My DD5 still takes 2 hour nap on the weekends and DS3.5 takes one at day care and begs for one on the weekend.

They both go to bed at 7:30, my son is out like a light, and the daughter thinks she's sneaky, she'll go in my room and watch TV until 8:30

 

[cinmell]

My daughter stopped napping when she was 2, maybe even a little before 2.

 

[ReneeA]

You should research this on the internet. I remember when DD5 was in full time day care, I remember the director of the school saying something in regard to our state's regulations that a child under 3 must nap 2-hour or at least have quite time. It is essential for their brain development. My DD5 still takes 2 hour nap on the weekends and DS3.5 takes one at day care and begs for one on the weekend.

They both go to bed at 7:30, my son is out like a light, and the daughter thinks she's sneaky, she'll go in my room and watch TV until 8:30

I don't know how you get a 4 or 5 year old to sleep when they just aren't tired or don't want to.

My DS4 gave up naps at about 3 years 4 months. Would lay in bed and sing at the top of his lungs. It got so bad that he would wake up his baby sister from her nap. Now he's expected to rest during the day, and read books or have quiet time. I can barely get him to nap on days when he's sick or obviously tired and cranky.

DD is 2 yrs. 6 mos. right now. About 2x a week she refuses to nap. Just will not do it, lays in her bed and screams her head off for up to an hour. I give in at that point and let her get up. I can't FORCE them to sleep. Lord knows I would like to most days .

They both go to bed at 7:30p.m. and get up about 8 a.m. On especially crabby, tired days they are in bed by 7 p.m. By that point, I've about had all I can take, so they have to go to bed.


ReneeA

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I don't know how you get a 4 or 5 year old to sleep when they just aren't tired or don't want to.

Well, they ARE tired and they just don't want to nap. To that I say too bad. If they expect to do anything "cool" on Saturday evening, like going out to dinner, or show or whatever, they must nap, no ifs and or buts about it. And they do nap because deep down they are tired. If they don't want to nap, I insist on 2 hours of QUIET time each in their own rooms no TV on either.