Almost 3 year old won't nap in bed anymore... WHY

[DarkGreen]

My toddler is almost 3, he's always napped really well in his cot and bed, until 1 month ago. He now will only nap in the car, as soon as he's in the car he will fall asleep but in his bedroom he will stay awake until bedtime if I left him!

His bedtime routine is bed for 7 asleep usually around 8 and awake af 5am sometimes a little later but never really later than 5.30am.

How do i get him napping in his bed again??

In the car he will nap for 2 hours which is what he used to nap in his bed but I am usually waking him up after 1 hour now otherwise we are sat in the car all afternoon

Isn't he a bit old for a nap? He might sleep beyond 5.30am if he was more tired at night. That would finish me off tbh

He's dropped his nap, perfectly normal at that age. My 5yo still falls asleep in the car, but she dropped her nap 3 years ago.

I can’t believe you got this far with 2 hour naps!! Sounds like a dream. Unfortunately he might well have grown out of it now which will probably be a huge shock to the system for you. Good luck!

Yep he’s telling you he doesn’t need his nap anymore. It may mean bringing bedtime forward on very tiring days.

I think, unfortunately, this may be the beginning of the end of napping. My DS napped until 3.5 but the last few months he wouldn't nap in his bed but would often drop off during quiet time on the sofa.

My DD is 3.5 now and has the odd occasional nap when she's had a really busy day but most days we now have a chill hour on the sofa instead. I sometimes put her down in her bed if she's under the weather but it's very rare now.

He doesnt need it anymore. My DD was the same age when she dropped her nap, it started by taking her longer to settle, to falling asleep in the car.

I just cut it out completely, had a couple of accidental naps and bit grouchy for a couple of days but soon was in to a new routine. Up at 7am in bed by 7pm.

How do i get him napping in his bed again??

Just accept it's gone. He is going to fall asleep in the car sometimes, especially at first, but just wake him up when you get home/your destination, you don't have to sit in the car for hours!

Sounds like he outgrew his nap

Fwiw I fall asleep in the car so I've no doubt a toddler could too.

He's growing up ☺️

I also think that is a pretty average age to drop the nap.

naps at 3 - I'm not surprised you're having problems. Sorry to tell you, but the days of naps for your toddler are at an end. Look on at as a rite of passage - for you both. Others are right - he's growing up!

You were lucky to get to 3 - my DD stopped hers at about 16-17 mths

Definitely dropping his nap, but nobody can resist a car doze!

My dd dropped her nap when she was just a little older than 2.

My DS dropped naps when he was 2yr 4 months. He's now 3yrs 2 months and will still nap in the car if we were to let him, we generally don't as it leads to long awake periods in the middle of the night thats torture for us all!

I think you've done well to get to almost 3 with that much nap, and don't worry, its really not as hard without a nap in the day as it sounds! its actually a good thing as we don't have to plan our days around him sleeping anymore!

Yep, nap not needed anymore unfortunately. DD2 is almost 3 and stopped napping regularly about 5 months ago. She will still fall asleep in the car and occassionally has half an hour on the sofa if she's been up earlier than normal or had a busy day but no naps in bed anymore.

My son still likes his nap 2 years and 8 months… I don’t think every child is the same. This thread is teenie snapshot.

Though my son only naps on the sofa as he just didn’t like being put upstairs by himself any more. Bed at 6.30 and up at 5.30… which is also not actually an abnormal awakening time… contrary to mumsnet belief.

He might be dropping his nap

Time to drop the nap!

You might find hell sleep past 5am without the nap.

Yes, you have entered the phase where they drop their nap BUT fall asleep in the car, given half a chance, and then stay awake late. Or turn savage between 4pm and 7pm because they are tired and scrappy.

But you had a good run with the nsps!

Time to drop the nap

I would stop the nap too.
Bed at 8pm and you might just find he sleeps longer.

We dropped our 3 year olds naps and she started sleeping 7-7 (ish) and it was bliss. She still naps maybe once or twice a week after a long day at nursery.

Before that it was Peppa pig with a biscuit and duvet on the sofa.. She’s never napped in her bed!

@LittleLottieChaos

My son still likes his nap 2 years and 8 months… I don’t think every child is the same. This thread is teenie snapshot.

Though my son only naps on the sofa as he just didn’t like being put upstairs by himself any more. Bed at 6.30 and up at 5.30… which is also not actually an abnormal awakening time… contrary to mumsnet belief.

It is a tiny snapshot but of the dozens on children aged 2.5 to 3.5 I know, only one little girl was still napping at age 3. My daughter dropped hers around 2yrs 9 months but will still fall asleep in the car occasionally at 3.5. She does now sleep later in the morning which is great, but I do miss the nap!

Mine only naps in bed if he's poorly. He's not regularly had a nap for 18 months now but often has a car nap if we're out at lunchtime and very occasionally has a sofa (or floor) nap if he's particularly exhausted from a busy week of pre school/destroying the house/playground climbing.

He doesn’t need a nap! That’s why he’s stopped sleeping. I’m another one who cannot believe you’ve got this far with it!

The nap / no nap transition is annoying though and they’re grizzly without it as it approaches bedtime for a few weeks so you have my sympathy for that bit!