When did your children drop their daytime naps?

[dogindisguise]

DS is not quite 17 months and sometimes doesn't nap in the day, in which case he is likely to be quite grumpy in the afternoon and will be asleep at 7pm.
If he does have a nap, he seems to not want to have one before about 2.30pm (whether he wakes up at 7am or 9am), in which case he won't sleep much before 8pm. Yesterday I tried to get him to have a nap at 1pm to no avail!
He will sometimes nap earlier if out in his pushchair, sling or long car journey, or if he has been to a tiring toddler group in the morning.

I'm just wondering whether to try and go down the road of dropping his naps, but thought that toddlers didn't usually drop their daytime nap until a bit older.

Both of my DC were 3yrs before they fully dropped daytime naps, although by that age they weren't having one everyday.

It's tricky when they're going through the nap dropping stage but I always valued a bit of downtime in the afternoon so was usually happy for them to have later afternoon naps, and then just put them to bed a little later.

If your DS is happy to nap in the buggy I would do that a couple of times a week - does he stay asleep if you park him? With my youngest I often wanted her to sleep earlier in the afternoon (otherwise she would fall asleep on the school run and then not wake up till tea-time). Fairly often I would take her out in the buggy for a walk after lunch. If she fell asleep I would head home and leave the buggy in the hall and have a cuppa catch up on some chores.

Mine both need their sleep and still used to fall asleep after playschool sometimes. I'd try and do lots of physical activity in the morning to tire him out. Hopefully someone else will offer some more helpful advice.

My DD dropped hers at 2, and was on 45 mins from about 18 mos. I know of a little girl who dropped hers at 18 months so while it's rare, it's not unheard of.

At the other end of the scale you have some who are still taking a nap at 3+. If your child has always been less sleepy than average, I would say dropping naps at this age is perfectly normal, if a little annoying.

Thanks for the replies - he does sometimes nap in his pushchair and stay asleep when we get back. I think I might have to get in the habit of going out for a walk at lunchtime.
Sometimes I think DH and I need more sleep than he does!

20 months!

DS dropped his the week of his 2nd birthday but as he only ever took about 20 minutes it was hard to tell the difference. From about 20 months he would only sleep in the car.

My dd dropped her daytime nap at about 14months and has woken at 6.30-7.30am ever since.
Ds1 did the same at about 20months.
make no wonder i look rough
I tried to get them to nap but they just wernt interested and at least they (for the most part) sleep through the night.

I'm 37 and I haven't dropped my daytime nap! ;)

Being serious tho, my 2 y.o. still has daytime naps. I value the downtime too much.

DS 25 months. Still sleeps up to 3 hours at lunch time. But only in his cot. And 8-7 at night.

Ds is 22 mo and will have one good nap (1.5 to 2 hours) when he is at his nanas Monday to Wednesday, and then Thursday to Sunday has two feeding to sleep on me, one about 9:30 and then one about 3:30 for 1.5 to 2 hours each. He doesn't show any sign of dropping them yet.

At 2 years old.

From about 18 months their naps got later & shorter, then only actually sleeping once or twice a week but still going to bed.

From 2 it stopped all together as more hassle than it was worth.

Bonzo, you are lucky!!!!