2.5 yo sleep

[SarahDay1990]

Is it too early for 2.5 yo to drop their nap? If my LO has a nap (no more than 45 mins - usually around 30 mins) then they settle around 8ish to sleep and then up at 5.30. If they don’t nap they sleep 7.30/8 to 6.30 - but this just doesn’t seem like enough sleep. Most LOs in their nursery still have long naps.
also any tips on how to stop my 2.5yo screaming as soon as they wake up to come out of their cot? They’re waking my 5 yo who needs a lot of sleep!

Ds is 2.5 and hasn't napped for the past three weeks or so. He's not in a cot anymore, he's in a toddler bed and sleeps approx 7/7.30 - 6

My LO dropped their nap at just turning 2. If he naps he won't go to bed until 9/10pm and is awake by 4/5. He generally sleeps 7-5 now sometimes earlier but he just has extremely low sleeps needs so I have to try and not compare him to other children who have a long nap (I'm so jealous and tired 😢) xx

Try not to compare - it sounds better for everyone to drop the nap xx

Babies and toddler sleep needs vary massively and lots of normals.
Yes it can be normal for toddlers not to nap but that is usually them dropping it not the parents forcing it. If they are tired and your refuse their nap your going to have one ratty / overtired child on your hands.

My DS1 will be 3 in 2 months and he still needs his afternoon nap. But when we travel or have family over sometimes he refuses and we allow it can't force them to sleep.
He was awful sleeper until 8/9months so I want to keep his naps for as long as possible. He naps from 1/1:30pm - 2:30/3pm. Wakes up it 7-8am goes to bed between 8-8:45pm.
Without a nap the earliest he will fall asleep is 8pm. So makes little difference.

DD was 2.5 in the middle of august and dropped her nap early in July.
If you look at the total sleep your LO is having then it's similar without the nap- sleeping for an hour extra in the morning as opposed to a 30/45min nap.
DD had been sleeping 8-5 ish with a 90min nap and is now going 7-6ish with no nap

My eldest napped until she was 3.5. My youngest pretty much dropped it by 2.5, might nap in the car post swimming but wasn’t having a regular nap or anything. They’re all different and generally you know by their mood the next day whether they’ve had enough sleep. In your case I think I’d definitely go for no nap and the longer stretch at night. As for the screaming upon waking it might be the cot and I expect it will resolve when they can get up of their own accord and aren’t ‘trapped’. So could consider a move to a bed?

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the replies and nice to know I’m not alone! Comparison js the thief of joy as they say. Anyone had success with a gro clock for a 2.5 yo just to get them to stay in bed and not scream? Wonder if LO is too young to understand the concept

Honestly every child is diff but sounds like dropping would be best. I had one who slept until 3.5 and one who dropped the nap at 23 months- all different.
On the gro clock 2.5 might be a bit young to understand it but no harm
in trying.

I'm going to try gro clock with DD is out of her cot- my problem at the moment is I don't know where I would put it that she can easily see it given she can't get out to check it. Also then she will have to option of taking a book into bed if she really isn't tired

If he knows his colours then he’ll understand it. Night time has a blue/purple dim glow. Wake up time and it goes green. So super simple and doesn’t need to be too close to the cot for him to see, if you’re worried about wires. Whether or not he listens to it is another matter though… Mine was in a bed when we tried it and he just used to unplug it and say ‘clock broken’. Thankfully he grew out of the early mornings but the stubbornness not so much 🤣

My 2.5 year old is defo on the way to dropping. I cap hers at 30 mins but some days she doesn't have any. Bedtimes are hard but she sleep until 7.30-7.30 without one. It's a really normal time to drop them I think

Mine had both dropped their naps by that age (unfortunately!), if they had one they wouldn't sleep until late at night so I preferred having an evening and not too early morning.
Every child is different, some just need less sleep than others