Nearly 3 year old does and doesn't need a daytime nap

[StealthPolarBear]

If he doesn't have a nap he is a wingey, tantrummy, unhappy child from about 4pm onwards. If he has more than about an hour he doesn't go to bed (still awake now!). If I try to wake him before an hour it can take up to an hour of tears, screaming, bribery, cuddles etc before he wakes up unless he is in the car and we arrive where we're going after, say, half an hour. Obviously that's the solution, except it's not always practical to go out in the car. He wakes soon after five and is sometimes up thorugh the night. How can he need less sleep than me?!
Any suggestions, I'd be really grateful?

Same problem chez NG.
DS2 is 2.5ish and now refusing to nap, then spends the day being hideous.
If he does nap, then he's up for ages into the evening (although in a pleasant mood) and more difficult to get to sleep.
Alternatively he'll have a sleep in the car which seems to do the trick but as we don't have anywhere to drive to it's not really an option.

Then he's up loads during the night and has the cheek (the audacity even) to have a long lie in the morning while we have to get up with our early rising 5 year old.

No suggestions, just sympathy.

Sympathy here too - my dd2 wouldn't have a daytime sleep after about 1.5yrs, although she desperatly needed it.

I found putting her down at 11am for a screaming 45 mins followed by 1 hour sleep worked quite nicely.

Hope it gets better soon.

Would 'quiet time' work? i.e put him in his cot with some books and a quiet (and safe) toy or two? He might just rest for a while and not be so grizzly later.

Um, that's all I can come up with atm.

DS1 went through this stage when dropping his nap at around 2.6. There is only one solution -- stick Cbeebies on at his normal naptime. For the first couple of weeks he would occasionally nod off on the sofa but now he just vegges (sp?) out for an hour or two and is refreshed enough afterwards to get through the afternoon.

I don't think my ds understands qiuet time! Beebies is on and off at various points through the day but i can rarely get him to sit & watch it. Might have more luck with a film, i'll let you know how i get on, thanks.

Could you lie down with him in your bed, that might be enough to get him to quieten down enough to have a little nap, you could have one too!

I clicked on this hoping for tips Ds is getting annoying with his nap. We seem to have a cycle going, he naps, sleeps well then isn't tired the next day so doesn't nap, sleeps ok, next day still doesn't nap, seriously tired, has night terrors, shattered next day so has a huge nap, sleeps well and the cycle starts again. Yesterday he fell asleep on the bus then had a 3.5 hour nap and would probably have slept longer but I thought i should wake him! Doubt he will nap today! I am keeping fingers crossed that it is just a phase we have to go through as he drops his nap. He won't do quiet time either.

My DS (2.4) is just the same as the OP's - really, could be the same child you're describing! I have no answers, just wanted to add commiserations. It does sound as if this is a common phase, so fingers x'd it will pass soon enough.

My DD gave hers up at 2.6 when we lost her dummies BUT now (3 next week) she tends to have them every other day. It does require a trip in the car but I'd rather do that than deal with her over-tiredness (I realise this isn't an option for everyone). Yesterday, for the first time ever she fell asleep on the sofa during her enforced cbeebies quiet time - am hoping she may continue!

Having the same issue but for me popping my 2.8 DS in front of a DVD for 45 mins seems to work as 'quiet' time - he goes into a bit of a daze and seems to avoid the horrible crankiness that happens if he's on the go all day without a nap - he does regularly sleep til 9:30-10am though which is fantastic ridiculous I know - he still so clearly needs the extra sleep but screams and kicks and fights against a daytime nap so much it's not worth trying to get him into his cot!

We have the same problem... DS going to sleep around 10pm now! Unfortunately he's at nursery and they do a 2-hour nap (not-negotiable) that often runs longer... and on weekends DH can't bloody watch him for an hour without him dropping off.

DD was ame, she's 2.9. A few weeks ago it was clear that a nap means a nice pleasant refreshed DD who parties til 9.30/10pm.

I dropped the nap. I really miss it, esp for getting the tea ready, and she was vile all afternoon for a few weeks.

But she seems to have finally got used to it, generally sleeps from 820/830 til 7.30am now.

I also introduced a nightly bath/story bed routine for both her and DS, seems to be helping. Although DS still doesn't like to sleep at night, which is why I am up, and have been for Quite Some Time.