At what age did your child (or children) drop their nap?

[abigailsmom]

My 3 year old is starting to act like she wants to drop her nap. Most days she seems like she can go without a nap, but then there are some where she seems to need her nap.

Just trying to figure out if there is a norm.

TIA,
Robyn
Mama to a precious little Pooper, Abigial

[Lynnie]

I thought they napped thru kindergarden??!!

FWIW, my 3 1/2 year old naps at pre-school every day with all the other kids. gotta love peer pressure. but at home on the weekends, it is sometimes a struggle to get him to nap.

[Roleysmom]

Two weeks after her third birthday, unfortunately. After that, she would take a two hour nap once every couple of weeks but even that stopped in September when she started pre-school. Occassionally she will fall asleep in the car in the late afternoon and sleep through the night. She could use it, and so could we, but she wills herself to stay awake.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia, January '02

[abigailsmom]

mine lays there and stares around and has only taken a nap once. So then if she takes a nap after preschool (and extended day care so... 3pm) she misses all of her playtime before dinner time.

Ugh!!!

[wagner36]

Charlie is almost 2.5 and he naps maybe one day a week, usually when we're in the car during the late afternoon. Without a nap, he likes to stay up until 11:00! He will toss and turn for hours....

[Momof3Labs]

I had to vote between 2 and 3 since it happened a few weeks before DS's third birthday! He's taken a couple of naps since, probably from exhaustion on our vacation. And fallen asleep in the car a couple of times very late in the afternoon (he does wake after 30-45 minutes in those instances). But it's pretty much official - DS is done with naps!

[Rachels]

Abigail's nap was gone by the week of her third birthday. Now she'll nap on rare occasion, but she usually gets through the day without one. It was exhausting at first, but is kind of liberating. Also, bedtime is now earlier and easier.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
New baby coming in October!
(Holy smokes, it's a boy!!!)


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

[g-mama]

I considered myself pretty lucky that Paolo napped regularly til 3 months before he turned four. Most of my friends with similarly aged kids had stopped right around their third birthday. He went from taking 3 hour naps one day to totally refusing a nap the next. It really seemed like he still needed to nap, it was more a question of him being able to outwit me! He'd continuously escape and hide somewhere in the house and I'd take him back to his room and he'd call me over and over and then wake up Benjamin. I finally gave up and decided it was not worth the struggle anymore. For at least 9 months after that, he'd almost always fall asleep in the car if we were out in the afternoon, but would not transfer.


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
and a *THIRD BOY* coming in December '05

[Sarah1]

I'm actually reassured to read these responses. I thought Audrey was the only kid her age who doesn't nap most days! She naps inconsistently (she turns 3 next month)...maybe one week she'll nap some days, the next week not at all.

The problem is she really doesn't start getting tired until late in the afternoon (even on the days she goes to preschool--go figure), and if she takes a late nap, say at 3 PM, then she isn't tired until like 10 (ugh). I can't stand having her up so late, because I feel like I get no time to just unwind and relax with DH before bed. This sounds bad, but I'd rather deal with the crankiness for an hour and savor the hours of freedom I have after she goes to bed at 6:30-7.

She's also like Roley--she never admits to being tired--it's like she wills herself to stay awake most days.

[kalebsmama]

I didn't vote since DS still naps 6-7 days/week. He'll be 4 in 4 months. He tells me every day that he doesn't need a nap but once he's in his room and settled down he sleeps 2-2.5hrs. I am going to start to wake him sooner because if we start the nap too late he takes forever to fall asleep at night. Sometimes I'm ready for him to give it up because I would love the chance to do things with just him while DD is napping. But he usually gets so grouchy when he misses that nap that I'm going to keep it up awhile longer if possible.

[wagner36]

I feel the same way - I would much rather deal with crankiness than have tossing and turning all night long. An 8:00 bedtime is such a treat!

[muskiesusan]

Nick stopped regular naps 3 months before turning 4. He also went from taking a 3 hour nap to plotting one day to have to go potty at that time, thus refusing to nap! He still has not adjusted and is a pill all afternoon. I thought he would nap after preschool, but no such luck there, either. He will fall asleep in the car if we got out late afternoon. If I am lucky, he will nap a couple times a week (and I need a nap since DS2 wakes at 5), but even then it can be a battle where he holds the cards since I am afraid he will wake DS2.

If he doesn't nap, he is in bed by 7. With a nap, it is a bit of a battle, but usually b/w 8-9.

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[sntm]

Jack's 2 1/2, naps 2 hours at daycare, but rarely naps on weekends, despite the fact that *I* am napping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif[/img][/url]
Breastfeeding 2 years & counting

[mom2kandj]

My DS dropped his nap at 18 months! And DD (at almost 5yo)would still nap if we let her! FWIW, I thought I was "tiring" out my DS to try and get him down for a nap when in reality, I was just building up his endurance. The guy wakes up at 7:30am, goes full steam for just about 12 hours then gets a wind down bath and crashes about 8:30pm. Sleeps like a log for 11 hours. HTH!


Rose
mom 2 Katie 12/02/00
& Jack 04/16/02

[marinkitty]

Mia started to drop naps a day or two a week a few months ago. She is just past 2 1/2. Now it seems like she either naps for three hours or does not nap whereas before she did an hour and a half to two hours every day. And it seems like when I put her down earlier (12:30 or so) I actually have a better chance of getting the nap. By 1 I think I have sometimes missed the window.

But we do "rest" time for 1.5 hours regardless of whether she naps. Luckily she is pretty happy to play with her stuffed animals and sing to herself in bed most of the time.

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03) and baby brother Jack (3.23.05)

[loewymartin]

Alia moved to a bed at 2 years and 3 months (so 27 months) and that was the end of the naps. She now has "quiet time" reading books or watching a movie for a little while in the afternoon if she's getting tired. We moved her bed time a half hour earlier (from 9pm to 8:30pm). So she will drop right off to sleep at 8:30pm and wake up around 7:30am or so (some days earlier, some days a little later).

Michelle
Mom to Alia born 5/16/02 and Kira born 7/30/05

[daisymommy]

UGH. Joshua stopped takin naps at 2 1/2. I cannot believe my bad luck! I really hoped he would still be taking naps until he was 4! So, now I persuade him (some days are more successful than others)--to stay in his room and have some "quiet-time". I turn off the lights, turn on some peaceful music, and give him some books in his bed. I tell him he doesn't have to go to sleep, but mommy is tired and needs some rest time, and so does Joshua, so he needs to stay in his room quietly until I come to get him. This usually will work for an hour max till I hear all sorts of complaining, comotion, banging on the wall, etc. Then I have to go get him and go back to "work." Sigh...

[fauve01]

DD dropped her nap at 18 months! it is so hard to go straight through till bedtime with no break for mama, but she is great about sleeping at night--that's all that REALLY matters to me. she isn't tired or cranky at all--no one can ever tell she didn't nap. so at least she's in a good mood!

btw, she has NEVER been a transportation sleeper--only sleeps in a crib, even as an infant. no car, no plane, etc. even when i woke her at 430 am to take an early morning flight--she went straight through til 630 pm!
A