Nap = terrible bedtime. No nap = overtired 3yo. Solution?

[jennimoo]

DD is 3.2 and if she naps at all, even half an hour, she won't go to sleep until late, somewhere between 8 and 9.

If she doesn't nap she's exhausted, grumpy, can't eat much dinner, asleep between 6 and 7.

I think the best thing for her would probably be to have a decent nap then stay up later but as I have a 3m old she'd be awake after I want to go to bed!

Any ideas? Just wait it out while she transitions?

Time...

(parent of 3.1yo :o)

When mine were at the stage of dropping their nap I would let them have an afternoon sleep maybe every 2-3 days. It seemed to ease the transition!

Thanks, I thought that was the answer. Hopefully it won't take too long...

Dd is also 3.2 and going through the exact same thing. I'm finding that a sleep every few days seems to keep her going.

I miss her 2 hour naps

I'd say try a nap every two or three days as well. It doesn't seem to make bedtime too hideous and tips them up so they aren't so overtired on the days they haven't napped.

I too miss the luxury of two hour lunchtime naps.

Same problem here! Interested to see this as DS3.5 still has a nap after lunch and stays up til 8-8.30pm. Problem is without a nap he conks out at about 3pm to then revel til god knows when.

The every 2-3 days like a hair wash regime seems like a good plan but how to implement?! They need so much input when they're tired and I have a 7 week old DS who's mixed up night and day this past week. My jaw aches from tiredness today.

I too will miss the lengthy naps. Sigh zzz

We have a similar dilemma except that DS1 goes to bed happily at 7-7.30 but is waking at around 5am on the night after he's napped during the day. He obviously is still needing a nap sometimes because he's a nightmare by 4pm otherwise but if I only allow him a half hour catnap he wakes tearful and its a struggle to calm him down. If I let him have a full 60-90 minutes he's rested and happy but wide awake too bloody early!

I think I might go with napping after nursery on the days he goes and try to leave the rest.

Pascha - how will you push through on the no nap days? Need ideas spoon-fed to me today wan

DS can fall asleep anywhere. This is my worry if we're out and about. It sort of suggests he's not ready to drop the nap. He also wakes at 6am which is an hour too early for the days' happenings.

Earlier or shorter 'power naps'? Or maybe just have some 'quiet' rest time in the day - so lying on a duvet on the floor with some nice music on or reading a story (or on a CD).

Quiet time and brazen it out I reckon.

Gin, Sisteroutlaw . And a desperate hope that DH gets home before 6.30 on those days...

Try a morning nap. I know it sounds mental but has made a huge difference here. Late morning so 11-11.30 and wake up in an hour for lunch. Gets us through to bedtime without the too tired to eat palaver.

We just try to have dinner a little earlier and put her to bed early. She ends up have 1 or 2 short naps a week if we're in the car at the right / wrong time...

I try to avoid meltdowns for the last couple of hours but there are many!

Sounds like a good idea to have quiet time. Any ideas how to persuade DD to chill in her room for a bit?