PARENTS: When did your kid stop napping?

AllOutof_Bubblegum

My son is 3 and a half, and I'm due to have son #2 in two days. My boy has always been a really "good baby", he ate well, slept well, hit every milestone right on time, and has a sweet temperament.

He wakes up on his own between 6 and 7am, (which we don't mind because he quietly entertains and feeds himself until I wake up). He used to go down for a nap at noon, usually without much fuss, and sleep until 2 or 3. Then he would go to bed for the night at around 8 pm.

But for the last two or three weeks, it's gotten harder and harder to get him down for a nap. I'm talking head thrown back, kicking and limb-flailing, banshee-shrieking apocalyptic tantrums at the mere mention of the word "nap". And then he'll scream in bed for twenty minutes, and continually try to sneak out of bed and play with his toys for the entire duration of naptime.

He's almost 4, so I'm willing to accept that he may just be getting too old for daily naps, but when he DOESN'T nap, he either gets insufferably hyper later at night, or he goes to bed too early and wakes up wanting to play at 4:30 am. I can't win.

At what age did your kid(s) stop napping? Did they stop cold turkey, or need a nap every other day, or how did you make it work? I'm thinking of implementing a "Quiet Time", so even if he won't sleep, he still gets some rest, and I get sanity time to myself.

Alisontheice

Mine stopped at a year and a half or two at the most. He takes after my family and we don't nap. He'd sleep a max of 12 hours a day which meant 10 at night with a 2 hour nap or all 12 at night.

I would think yours is ready to give up napping

Spnneil06

It's about 3-4 that they quit napping consistently. With my kids I suggest a "quiet time" They can lay with a blanket, and read, or play, but have to be very quiet and stay in one place, ps they usually go to sleep.

branflakes1980

Both my kids napped until they were almost 4. But from 3-4 the naps started getting shorter and shorter. Good luck mama!

Alluminati

they are supposed to nap?

bubaluboo

Alisontheice wrote: »

Mine stopped at a year and a half or two at the most. He takes after my family and we don't nap. He'd sleep a max of 12 hours a day which meant 10 at night with a 2 hour nap or all 12 at night.

I would think yours is ready to give up napping

My daughter was the same and dropped naps by about 1 and a half. I found I was spending all afternoon trying to make a nap happen and then she didn't sleep well at night so I gave up and things became much better. But..oh how I missed nap time.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

bubaluboo wrote: »

Alisontheice wrote: »

Mine stopped at a year and a half or two at the most. He takes after my family and we don't nap. He'd sleep a max of 12 hours a day which meant 10 at night with a 2 hour nap or all 12 at night.

I would think yours is ready to give up napping

My daughter was the same and dropped naps by about 1 and a half. I found I was spending all afternoon trying to make a nap happen and then she didn't sleep well at night so I gave up and things became much better. But..oh how I missed nap time.

Well, *kitten* me. You mean I just BARELY missed that glorious window where I'd have two kids napping at the same time? Hellfire and damnation. Shoulda gotten knocked up sooner.

nikkohli

I was lucky my older daughter napped until she started kindergarten. My younger one stopped around 3. I did the same as someone above mentioned--quiet time where they can draw, color, quiet play for an hour. They are 9 and 6 now and we still do quiet time on school breaks/weekends. Sometimes they fall asleep, but usually they are trotting downstairs right at the 60 minute mark!

determined_ella

all 3 of my children didn't nap after the age of around 1 years old.. so they got a good 12-14 hours sleep, my 6 year old still sleeps up to 10-12 hours a day. I just let them do what comes natural for them... if they're tired they will sleep, mine normally get hyper just before bed, I look at it like.... their body gives a last boost of energy before they give in to tiredness.. kind of like a last attempt at trying to have some extra awake time! lol. so you get the hyper... but not long after it's peacefully quiet. but all children are so different.

zcb94

Beast_Mode_Engaged wrote: »

I am 35 and still nap!

^this. Even 20 year-olds should take breaks from the rush of life.

determined_ella

zcb94 wrote: »

Beast_Mode_Engaged wrote: »

I am 35 and still nap!

^this. Even 20 year-olds should take breaks from the rush of life.

0_o I get 5 hours sleep a night and still don't nap, no doubt this will catch up to me in my 30s

flinx1241

First one hated napping, fought it all the time and finally won out - before he was even 3.
Younger son was much better about naps, but finally decided, in very adult fashion, that he should no longer have to take them (age 4 1/2). He still drops off pretty quick during car rides though

flinx1241

determined_ella wrote: »

zcb94 wrote: »

Beast_Mode_Engaged wrote: »

I am 35 and still nap!

^this. Even 20 year-olds should take breaks from the rush of life.

0_o I get 5 hours sleep a night and still don't nap, no doubt this will catch up to me in my 30s

Undoubtedly...