Any tips for helping DS drop morning nap?

[BigEggLittleEgg]

DS is 13 months and about two weeks ago we dropped his morning nap after cutting it down gradually to about 15 mins.

Most days I try to take him out in the mornings to keep him occupied so he doesn't realise how tired he is, but then he often nods off in pushchair / car at 11am which is worse.

Some days he is fine but days like today he is so tired he cant even eat lunch. Have moved lunch forward to 11:15/11:30 (used to be about 12), but he just screams when I try to feed him and his little eyes start closing.

(Didn't help that today I had to keep reading amusing AIBU thread while trying to feed him so he got really peed off).

Also, him not having a nap in morning is seriously eating into my MN time. Would it be unreasonable to put him infront of tv for three hours in morning while I chat on MN ???????????

I think the nap thing fizzles itself out on its own, wouldnt' try to stop it as you will end up with a grizzly baby.

My dd's both wanted theirs later and later until the morning nap turned into a lunchtime nap to an evening nap to noting.

He's still only young probably still needs his sleep. I'd make the most of it, you'l be begging for it soon

Why do you want him to drop his nap?! My ds3 is 17 months and still likes a good couple of hours most mornings - and I'm certainly not complaining

Hmm did wonder if I was being a muppet. On the days he doesn't have one he sleeps better at lunch and better at night, so thought it might work. Think I might have read somewhere that it was the easiest way forward...

i had the exact same problem. My ds got to a stage where if he had his morning nap he wouldn't sleep after lunch but if he didn't he was too tired to eat/fell asleep if we went anywhere in car in the morning etc. I just persevered with the early lunch (11am) and straight to bed by 11.30am. On days where he seemed really tired I would let him have a half hour nap in the morning from 9-9.30am then do lunch a bit later so that he would be tired by say 12.30/1pm.

It took a good few months to fully drop it. I think he stopped having it completely by 21 months. He has just turned 2 and we still do a very early lunch cos he gets so tired. Today he and my 8mth old had lunch between 10.30 and 11.30 and both went straight to bed. They should sleep for a couple of hours and then we will all go out.

I would only advise dropping his morning nap if it is stopping him from sleeping later. This didn't happen with me till ds was about 18mths!

Ah, didn't realise he was sleeping after lunch too! He obviously really needs it though by the sounds of it. Could you try dropping the after lunch one instead?

think it's better to drop the morning one and not the after lunch one, otherwise most children find it dificult to get through to bedtime.

I think you have to go with the flow a bit - like you say, if they're sleepy they cry and won't eat, so it backfires anyway.

My DS is 18 months, and his morning nap has got later and later. He used to have a morning and an afternoon nap, about an hour each time. Now he has one nap at about 11am, for 2-3 hours. I've taken to giving him a snack at about 10.30am, then lunch at about 2pm.

Tis v tricky. I think he mainly struggles on days like today when he woke up at 6:15am. If he sleeps til 7am or so he is ok until 12. Think Soph is right in that I should just play it by ear and if he is desperately tired then let him have a little nap to get him through. Was not sure if he would just get used to no nap and find it easier if I persevered. He often does "dip" about 9:30am but today was perfectly happy til 11 and then he had a meltdown. Poor love. I know if he took main nap in morning (say 10-12), he would then need a little nap in afternoon anyway.

Hi RachelG sorry hadn't seen your reply before i posted again. I was worried if I did it that way he wouldn't sleep very long as he would wake up hungry by 12:30. Does your DS still eat a good supper / tea after such a late lunch? What kind of size snack do you give him in the morning? Sorry to ask so many questions!

Mine's 16 months now and only just started making it to 12. They take some time to get into it, I used just offer him snacks if he was too tired to eat and gave him proper lunch after he woke up, it does push your routine during the day, but at the end a 3 hour nap from 12 noon is glorious!

Hehe, I have been LOVING him sleeping so long at lunch, but have been spending ALL the time on MN and not cooking nutritious meals for DS / cleaning / anything constructive.

I gave him milk today as he only managed a few spoons of spagbol before dissolving into tears.