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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To stop afternoon naps at 24 months!

65 replies

Ayla182 · 29/04/2021 18:55

DS is 24 months old. He has always had slight sleep issues. We had to drop his 2nd nap at 6 months and life turned a lot easier as it was a complete struggle putting him to sleep.

For the past month it has become an absolute nightmare putting him to bed. He howls, screams starts shaking bangs his head for 2/3 hours until he finally gives up and goes to sleep. He then ends up sleeping until 5/6pm which then ruins his night bedtime.

I am considering giving the day naps up because its so exhaustign and stressful to see him go through the stress. However it worried me that he will be awake from 7am up until 7pm every day!

Any advice??

OP posts:

lanthanum · 29/04/2021 21:48

By a bit after 2, mine only slept on the bus, and was down to about one nap a week. If we didn't go anywhere during the week, on Friday I would get the bus to the next village and back, because she did seem to need that one nap (she'd stay asleep for a while after we got off the bus).
At 2y3m she had chickenpox, and buses were out - that was the end of naps. She was fine. They're all different on how much sleep they need - my godson was still having a nap after lunch in his first few weeks at school - fortunately he coped when they started full days.

Dippydinosaurus · 29/04/2021 21:56

I have an almost 2 year old. Over the last 6 months DD has very gradually been reducing her naps - I've cut back the length of sleep to 45 mins and also brought forward the time to 11ish waking by 12 rather than half 11 til 1. But now at age 2, she has been very difficult to get to sleep in the evening. As of a few weeks ago she no longer naps but it's been a gradual lessening of the nap. The evenings are so much better she's asleep in a few minutes rather than it taking an hour

FrankButchersDickieBow · 29/04/2021 22:42

My dd is 124 months now and sleeps right through

Puntastic · 29/04/2021 23:05

@FrankButchersDickieBow

My dd is 124 months now and sleeps right through

Trying... not.....to...roll.... eyes....

Aaaaaargh!

Urge... too.... strong...

🙄

SarahAndQuack · 29/04/2021 23:12

What are his sleep issues - you don't explain?

I think if he's struggling that much against a nap, aged 2, he's probably just not needing the nap, which is totally normal at that age. If I were you I'd just thank my lucky stars he'd napped twice up to six months and once up to age two! That's more than a lot of children do.

OTOH, if the sleep issues are him waking up in the night (?), perhaps this is because he's not sleeping long enough. My understanding is there can be a tricky stage where they're transitioning out of naps, and they are shattered at some point in the day because they didn't bank enough hours of sleep, but also, they're not quite shattered enough to sleep. Maybe that is what is happening? If so, personally, I'd keep trying to make it easier for him to sleep longer at night, so he can drop the nap.

Atinytrolley · 29/04/2021 23:44

DS dropped regular naps at around 18 months. I say he dropped them as he just wouldn't sleep and after a few afternoons of it taking over an hour to get him down, with him crying the whole time, I stopped trying. Checked with Dr and she said as long as he's sleeping well at night (he slept 12 hours) that it was fine.
If we were out in the buggy, he'd fall asleep and I just left him in the buggy when we got home. He would fall asleep in the car and I just carefully carried him in and put him down, if he woke up and wanted to stay awake that was fine. If he fell asleep any other time (which he did occasionally) I just let him sleep.
When he started nursery at 2 yo he was the only one who didn't go down for a nap, just carried on playing quietly while the others slept! They're all different and it sounds like your DS doesn't need a regular nap anymore and is only sleeping after he's worn himself out. Tbh I wouldn't put yourself or him through the stress of trying to get him to nap. It sounds like he sleeps 7pm to 7am so he should be fine.

JackieTheFart · 29/04/2021 23:51

My older boys napped till they were 4. Youngest dropped his at about 2.

I’m not really sure why you’re asking, do whatever works for him and you.

Caterina99 · 30/04/2021 02:32

My kids were both done with naps by 2.5. Process started around 2.

On no nap days they’d usually go to bed at 6pm and sleep til 7am next morning. Whereas they could nap for an hour and still be awake til 9pm. For me I preferred no naps and earlier bedtime

Jamboree01 · 30/04/2021 02:40

All of mine just stopped napping at around two. I never made them nap. I wouldn’t have put them in the cot in the day unless they actually wanted to go there. My daughter did but my sons would have hated it.

Once they went to pre school/ reception/ y1, 2 all of them napped after school for about an hour... if they need a nap they’ll take it.

Why do you feel you need to make him nap?

Jamboree01 · 30/04/2021 02:41

But I should add- not in a cot or a bed- they just had a snack and had a nap. If you’re reading any books about how children should be doing this or that- I’d suggest to stop

SympathyFatigue · 30/04/2021 03:31

What do you do when he's screaming for 3 hrs?

Jamboree01 · 30/04/2021 03:45

Two is a time when some kids want to sit quietly and play with a pot and a spoon, a couple of building blocks, or a car... I don’t get why you’re putting him and you through this?

Forcing him to nap will only cause night time sleep issues in the long run

Mypathtriedtokillme · 30/04/2021 06:43

Oldest Dd dropped all naps at 18 months. She is at 7 still the kid of little sleep. She doesn’t doesn’t seem to need much but neither do I)
Our youngest was about 2 and dropped all naps. It made life easier, bedtime wasn’t a battle and they started sleeping through the night.

You might need to bring dinner and bed a bit earlier for the 1st few months.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 30/04/2021 09:33

When he falls asleep in buggy why are you trying to transfer him to the cot? Just park it in the hall/garden & leave him to snooze.

By 2.5 I always woke DS after 45 mins, and he often wouldn't go down until 1.30 or close to 2. I also had some days where he would sleep, some where he didnt. I sometimes planned trips out so that he could get 30-45 mins in the car driving back at 2ish.

If he didnt nap I just did a super early bedtime, 6.15 or 6.30.

Maray1967 · 30/04/2021 13:38

Both mine had stopped naps by 2, DS2 at not much after 18 months. He used to have a short doze in the pushchair when picking up DC1 from school and then would go to bed at about 7.30 which was fine. I tried to persist with it for a week or so but it was obvious he didn’t want to sleep.

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