When to drop the day-time nap?

[Lilypie]

DD is in her cot whinging and refusing to sleep, she is just shy of 18 months, am I right to think she still needs this nap? She's never had trouble falling asleep before when I put her down at nap time, is she too old to need a nap? Not sure when I should expect her to stay awake all day.

[EliBoo]

Can be any time from now on! 18 months seems young to me, but my nephew dropped his at that age and so did my neice (different family). I found that with dd, she would go through phases of resisting sleep - then go back to it easily for months on end. THough she started napping a bit later in the day - and occasionally still does at 2.11.

[BonfireNemo1977]

all different..ds dropped his around 19mths but dd loves her sleep sooo much cant see her stopping until she has too..i.e school age. Ds is just 3 and only sleeps 7.30pm-6am..dd will sleep in day for 2qhrs plus 6.30pm-9am

[comeoveneer]

I think you willfindit varies greatly between children. DS dropped all day time naps at 18 months (although tbh she wasn't ready for it and was utter horrid by 5pm). DS will be 2 in December and like clockwork he naps from 12.30pm until I gently rouse him at 3.15pm for the school run.

[bouncy]

dropped ds at about 2.5.

[jessicaandrebeccasmummy]

Jess went through a phase of resisting naps at exactly 2yr old

she is 2.3 now and up until last week was still napping for 2 hrs in the afternoon.

She probably still would if I let her, but she was refusing to go to bed until gone 10pm for a few nights so have cut the nap and she is now out cold by 7.30pm

[Pitchounette]

Message withdrawn

[clairemow]

DS1 has just dropped it at 2 and 5 months. At 18 months, he had only just dropped having a nap in the morning as well as 2 hours after lunch.
They are all different though. Don't give up just yet, she may just be having an off day! Or maybe there's been a change in her life (new nursery/childminder? new bed?), or maybe she had something different for lunch and has indigestion, or she's done a poo? DS often used to poo after going to his cot for a nap, and wouldn't go off until he was cleaned up (fair enough!).

You'll be able to tell when she's really ready to drop it, as she'll probably resist going to bed at bedtime, or will chatter for ages after going to bed at night.

[alison222]

We stopped DD napping at about 2.5 as although she would nap if put to bed she wouldn't go to sleep in the evening if she did so it was defeating the object really. We had a while when late afternoons were horrid though. Oh and we just cut them out gradually so at first miss one - shattered and have on the next day etc etc.
They do go through phases of resisiting though.
If you got DD up now what would she be like by 5pm?

[hotandbothered]

Dd still naps at 3.3. She goes thro stages and I think she's dropping it, but persevere with the routine and she goes back to needing the nap again. She now goes to bed at 8, 'reads' for 10 mins then we turn the light out and she goes to sleep. She was talking for hours until we introduced the book in bed. She sleeps 2-4 ish then 8.15-7.45 ish which is great.

[Bozza]

18 months is quite young. DD is 2.6 and has a 2hr nap quite often. Although she can manage without and has less at nursery. I would persevere.

[Gem13]

18 months seems pretty young. DD was about 2.4 although now at 2.8 she will grab 20 minutes or so on the way back from playschool/on the school run every other day. DS was 3.5.

[SpookySpoon]

my DD is 19 months - she stopped regularly having a daytime nap about a month ago. She will still drop off in the afternoon if she really needs it though - usually about 2 or 3 days a week.

She was sleeping for two hours every afternoon, but it was taking a ridiculously long time to get her to sleep in the evenings. Now she's ready for bed at 7.30-8ish and sleeps for 12 hours.

Every child is different. I reckon you just have to go with your gut instinct and hope for the best!

[Bodkin]

Have just dropped DDs(2.10) afternoon nap. She would probably still ahve one, but it was taking longer and longer for her to drop off at night, and it is nice to have the whole evening free again. If she is really ratty, or has had a busy day, I'll take her for a drive or walk in the pushchair (if I can bribe her to get in it in the first place) and she'll have 45 mins, which doesn't seem to affect her going to bed at night.

[incy]

I think every child is very different so please don't feel it has to go by a specific age. As people have already suggested, when your child starts experiencing problems going to sleep at night (my DS would not go to sleep until 9-10pm) it is time to consider dropping it. My DS was 2 but have plenty of friends who have older children still napping and not affecting their nightime sleep.

[DingALongCow]

My DD is 16.5 months and no longer wants her nap, she wouldnt settle and was just sitting in her bed calling out/crying (we tried several different naptimes over the course of a month too). Even when she had been really busy she wasnt having it and she wouldnt sleep in her pushchair either (not since she was a year old). She was also difficult to get to sleep at night, it was taking several hours longer. I dropped it as an experiment and she is not grouchy at all in the evening, she is fine all day and is now sleeping for 13 hours at night. Every now and then she will have a little nap after lunch, but its definitely on her terms (last time she was sitting next to me on the bus).

[Tutter]

COV at your ds's nap time

[aDadOnMumsnet]

dd1 dropped it at 2.3 i think.

it's whatever works for you, your child and your routine really.