Is my child too tired?

[beakysmum]

My DD is 4 years 5 months old and still needs an afternoon nap every day without fail. She sleeps about 11 hours per night.

She started school in September and is the youngest in the class with an August birthday. Most of the class started full time within a few weeks, but I still pick her up after lunch 3 x a week (on the days I am not working). If she does not get her nap for whatever reason, she is just so miserable, it makes me sad. She also was still napping over the Christmas holidays. I know Christmas is a busy time for children, so maybe that's why she needed the sleep, but I really thought she'd be growing out of it by now.

Should I be worried? Is it just her body clock, or something else?

My DS had an afternoon nap every day until he went to school fulltime - also an August birthday. My DD grew out of naps at 18 months! I didn't worry, just let him get on with it and he managed fine without once he was fulltime but he was very tired after school for months!

I wouldn't worry, some children just need more sleep and need that afternoon nap for longer. My ds still needs 12 hours a day he is 8, and my dd2 who is 3 has a two hour afternoon nap on top of a 13 hours sleep at night.

My ds still had a nap in the afternoon right up until he went to school ( April baby) and even now at the age of 10 he is in bed at 7.30 asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow and difficult to get up for school 12 hours later!

Ah thanks, that's reassuring. LOL at NK346; I guess I have this for some time to come!

Sometimes I wonder whether to leave her at school til 3.20 every day, but then she falls asleep about 4pm and it affects her going to sleep at bedtime.

It's just so different for me compared to her older brother who gave up his naps by 2 1/2 years. Also I guess I do worry that as she's a picky eater and avoids protein, maybe she's missing some nutrients. But I do give her vitamins.

my 19 yr old would nap 24/7 if I let him!
She will grow out of it.
My dd napped up til last summer then stopped for three months then went back to napping for a few weeks now hasnt napped in the day for 5 months.
All dc are different, thats why we love them.