3yo great sleeper doesn't want to go to sleep?

[chays]

Agree with dropping the nap. Our DS1 & DD gave up their naps by 2.5 so having DS2 napping at 3 was new territory. He started (out of the blue) saying he hated his bed and crying at bedtime. And demanding me to stay with him, too. As soon as we stopped napping him all of that went away. I think he was trying to say, "I'm not tired" but didn't know how. All is great now!

[Melaine]

I'm back just to go into more detail. My girls were rough sleepers as babies but starting sleeping very consistently about 14 months old. We kept the schedule down practically to the minute and it served us well. Out of the blue they started fighting bedtime. They were still napping ok, although there were days when they would fight it too. Finally, I clued in and didn't put them down for a nap and finally bedtimes went back to peaceful. They were 2.5 when they quit napping. Just recently they have started napping once in awhile. I think they are old enough to recognize if they are tired and with our encouragement they will sometimes sleep. They are also old enough to know that they will get to stay up later if they take a nap.

[Pinky]

Agree with dropping the nap. Our DS1 & DD gave up their naps by 2.5 so having DS2 napping at 3 was new territory. He started (out of the blue) saying he hated his bed and crying at bedtime. And demanding me to stay with him, too. As soon as we stopped napping him all of that went away. I think he was trying to say, "I'm not tired" but didn't know how. All is great now!

I think this is exactly what's going on with us... She is saying she's not tired and its clear that she's not the more that I think about it.

I'm back just to go into more detail. My girls were rough sleepers as babies but starting sleeping very consistently about 14 months old. We kept the schedule down practically to the minute and it served us well. Out of the blue they started fighting bedtime. They were still napping ok, although there were days when they would fight it too. Finally, I clued in and didn't put them down for a nap and finally bedtimes went back to peaceful. They were 2.5 when they quit napping. Just recently they have started napping once in awhile. I think they are old enough to recognize if they are tired and with our encouragement they will sometimes sleep. They are also old enough to know that they will get to stay up later if they take a nap.

Thanks Melaine. I'm going to try to do an earlier/shorter nap and if that doesn't work, maybe I'll try just doing "quiet time" reading books etc so we both have a little recharge time.

[Melaine]

I think this is exactly what's going on with us... She is saying she's not tired and its clear that she's not the more that I think about it.

Thanks Melaine. I'm going to try to do an earlier/shorter nap and if that doesn't work, maybe I'll try just doing "quiet time" reading books etc so we both have a little recharge time.

Some folks also have luck doing a nap every other day. That worked for a short time for us before I finally gave in.

[Pinky]

I'm happy to report back that this was just a little phase and all is back to normal in our house... even still taking a nap (though a bit earlier than before).