What age do LOs start "asking" for naps?

[dairymoo]

My 8mo DTS are actually pretty good with napping during the day (one at 9ish, 12:30ish and 4ish) but sometimes it is a struggle to get them to sleep for the 'desired' length of time - i.e. more than 45 mins!!

Having read through some recent threads about toddler's nap times, I just wondered at what age does nap time stop being a battle of wills between baby and mum and become something that your LO actually asks for?

hahahahahahahahahaha!

Maybe I'm dreaming of this imaginary day, eh?

Oh well - you never know!!

Sorry, but DD NEVER asked to nap during the day. It wasn't really a battle of wills either, I would put her down, she would sleep for deisred amount of time and then wake up again. The length of the nap never bothered me, just as long as she had one otherwise she would be a nightmare come bed time.

As it is now, she is still a nightmare at bed time , but she doesn't sleep anymore and no amount of gentle persuasion helps.

DS1 2.8 years has asked for his afternoon naps since he was about 18 months! He's like a little old man in that he eats his lunch and then says "I need bub-byes now". We are currently struggling trying to get him to take less of a nap!

DS2 12 months fights it a bit more but even he tends to suddenly clutch my leg and cry hysterically until I take him up to his cot.

I think the child that asks for a nap is unusual. You will be lucky if you get them to do that. But you might get them to accept that it is naptime at a set point in the day. 3 naps is quite a lot at 8 months. I think mine dropped to 2 by 6 months or so.

My 20 month old DD has 1, sometimes 2 naps a day. Usually I just put her down and if she needs one she will settle. Has got to the stage now though where if she makes a big fuss and cries after being put down then I know she is not ready. Doesn't ask for one though, but there are obvious signs if she is tired. Sometimes it is not for very long but I don't think that matters as it is obviously enough for her at that time.

DS was totally different. Slept well at night but only did naps if he fell asleep in car or buggy. Stopped completely before the age of 2.

Sorry, meant to add, I don't think that many children ask for a nap, but the ones that like naps will go if put down for one.

I've never known a child ask for a nap. Ever.

Are they having 3 45 minute naps a day?? If it is a battle maybe they only need one or possibly 2 longer ones in the day!
Neither of mine have ever asked for a nap, ds just falls asleep where he is and dd I new when she was tired.

Thanks for your replies - don't really know where I got the idea of LOs asking for naps then?! Wishful thinking I guess?

Bozza - I agree that 3 may be a lot for some LOs but mine are sleepy little things and until recently were having 4 naps and still sleeping well at night so def needed them. I'm not complaining though....gives me more time for MN!

Ineedacleaner...no, not all 45 mins...they have a 45mins - 1 hour in the morning and an hour and a half after lunch, then usually 20-30 mins around 4pmish. I wish they could drop the 4pm one as that's the one that is sometimes a struggle (the others are great, put down in cot, chat to each other for a while, fall asleep...) but they just can't last from 2pm until bedtime. The main problem I have is that sometimes they wake from the lunch one after 45 mins and I can't get them back to sleep, although they are still tired. With one baby you can rock it a bit, etc but with two it's a bit more tricky!

Just got back to this. I personally would try pushing the naps back a little. So start the morning one a bit later, and the afternoon one also later so that they can last through. It sounds like they are quite good sleepers so you should be able to come up with a solution somewhere along the way.

ds2 is 13mths and gets his bear and says nigh nighs and waves and bashes the stairgate most mornings.
piece of cake he loves to sleep!
he has been on one nap morning 10-12 since 10 mths though

My 16 month old DD will say "night night" and take my hands and lead me to the stairs. She then climbs the stairs with me right behind her, goes to her room, and climbs into bed! Wow! I'm very surprised that she does this as I'd never seen that before. She usually has a 1.5 or 2 hour nap. She's been an excelent sleeper since she was 7 weeks old. Knock on wood!!

They are only napping for 45 mins at a time though so 45 mins seems fine to me! If they need the sleep, which they do if they are going down easily. My ds is 9 months and only ever naps for 30 mins at a time no matter how mch I try to extend them. He still has 3 naps a day too. If he only had 2, the awake time would be far too long due to short naps and he'd get over tired. Stick with what works for you. My friends ds asks to go for a nap andhe started at about 18 months.

my 14mo strongly resists any attempt of mine to get her to nap, and always has done. Even when she is bleary-eyed, yawning and dead on her feet she will often grumble for a couple of minutes in the cot, though will falls asleep quickly. guess it depends on the personality of your DTs!