When did your dc drop their daytime naps altogether?

[iwasyoungonce]

It has suddenly become a right palava trying to settle DS to sleep at 1.00pm. He eventually goes off, and sleeps approx 1.5 hrs.

Then at nightime it is another struggle to settle him at 7.00.

This routine used to work fine a few weeks back. Do you think I need to try and drop the nap altogether?

He's only 17m - it seems very young to me. My DD still had an afternoon nap at almost 3yo.

That does seem very early to drop a nap altogether.
My DD stopped napping at 2.5 and DS has just stopped at 2.2.
I thought that was early enough!
DS is currently exhausted every day and seems to need a nap, but refuses to take one unless we go out in the car.

Thanks Ruth. Yes, this was what I thought.

Not sure what to do really! At 1.00 he is jumping around his cot and getting upset when I try to lay him down.

I can't try getting him to nap any later, as I have to leave at 2.45 to pick up DD from school.

My dd 4 stopped napping for six weeks when she started school.The friday two hour nap is now back as the week is hell without it!She goes willingly too !

When my DS started doing that, I simply put him in his cot and left him.
He would play/cry/much around for a while.
If he fell asleep, great, he got a nap.
If he was still awake and making a fuss after half an hour or so, I gave up and took him out.
It was his choice whether he got the nap or not.

Last month he started climbing out of his cot, so there was no longer anything I could do to keep him in. That's when the napping actually stopped completely.

have you got a lie-flat buggy? Might he sleep in that instead of the cot - or in a travel cot / on sofa..? My DS won't nap in his cot in the day anymore (20mo)

My DS is 2.7 and he dropped his nap about 4 months ago. I tried putting him up in his cot and leaving him but he was adamant that he wasn't going to sleep. Despite all this, I know he's tired around 2-3pm so these past few weeks, I've wrestled him to the ground and got him on the couch, covered him in a blanket and sung to him whilst stroking his face. I swear he's asleep within 5 minutes every time, even if I have to stop him from jumping, whooping and hollering. My best Mama Cass impersonation floors him every time. 17 months is young to drop a nap and that time is so precious to you to get things done so try anything you can, maybe he just needs some reassurance as I think my DS did. Good luck.

Thanks very much for your replies - you've all confirmed what I was thinking, it's too young. gilly you are right - it's precious time, when I can run around clearing up before the school run!

I haven't got a lie-flat buggy - but will try the sofa, defintely. My DD used to nap on the sofa under a blanket actually.

Thanks again to all.

Ds1- 4 years old
dd- 15 months
Ds2- 3 years old

DS1 16m (would go off in buggy/ car after this until about 22m)
DD2, now 2.3 and still napping (but we are having the school run problem, too), nap getting shorter, but she won't cope without yet and can be persuaded to nap in cot as long as I lie down next to cot while she drops off (I don't do this at bedtime) and threaten to leave the room if she rampages around/ cries/ talks

DD1 2.5
DS 3.5
DD2 still napping at 2 years 1 month.

DS 3.7 still has a nap. My neice doesn't nap at all age 2 so I suppose it varies a lot.

I don't necessarily think it is too young. Depends on the child.

Ds - dropped completely by 22 months although he would still sometimes drop off in the car for 10mins or so. In hindsight our lives would have been a lot easier if I had stopped trying to make him sleep some months previously.

Dd is 19months and although she falls asleep easily around 12 (usually on the go) I have to wake her up after 30min or she doesn't sleep at night. I can't see her napping much longer.

Can he fall asleep on the school run, if only for 20min or so? Might be enough to see him through till bedtime.

PS all those people who have three year olds who nap - I hate you

2 and a 1/4 both of them.

My DS (3.5) still has a sleep at lunchtime, and really needs it. I think it depends on the child and what's happening in their life though. He went through a phase of not getting to sleep at 7pm so we dropped it and then he started school and that made him exhausted, so he is back on it.
Sorry marge2 ...

Sorry liege is what I meant...

DD1 dropped hers at 2.5
DD2 at 1.9
DS at 3
and DD3 at 1.7.

Had same problem with DD2 and DD3 as you have in that nap was probably needed but bedtime became a bloody nightmare trial. DD3 can sometimes be a bit crappy between 3 & 4.30 but I jolly her along and we get over that bit. She crashes the second her head hits the pillow as a result and usually does 12-14 hours.

I try very hard though, not to get in the car after 3 as she will sleep in seconds. But it's handy if we are doing something in the evening with her as she isn't poison....

When DS was 18 months he stopped his afternoon naps. I did what RuthChan did (leave him half hour and if he slept he slept, if he didn't he didn't) and after a couple weeks he started napping again easily. I have heard from others that this is a phase that many of them go through

When DS was 18 months he stopped his afternoon naps. I did what RuthChan did (leave him half hour and if he slept he slept, if he didn't he didn't) and after a couple weeks he started napping again easily. I have heard from others that this is a phase that many of them go through

DS1 2.5
DS2 14 months, and nothing I did could bring back the nap.