Giving up the Morning Nap

When I worked at New Horizon, the kids wanted to continue their naps as long as they could. They stayed in the infant room until 16 months, and until then would nap when they wanted (usually twice a day). At 16 months they came into my room, and had to nap on the toddler schedule, which meant going to sleep between 11:30 and 12 (after lunch), and sleeping anywhere until 3 pm. Some woke up at 1... some had to be woken up at 3. They were all different (probably depended on how long they slept at night, and how early they got up in the morning). I would say around that age, if you would like to wean her (and open up your day more!), just start keeping her up longer, and she will adjust. She will want to sleep when she is used to sleeping, and an average toddler seems to take a 2 to 2 1/2 hr nap. (from what I have seen). After a year old, I think going down to 1 nap is fine, but not needed. It is more important that she gets enough sleep than when she gets it, and as long as she sleeps well at night, let her nap as long as she wants. Good luck!

J.

My daughter did not give up her morning nap until 18 months and then it was still a struggle. I really followed Weissbluth's book (Healthy Sleep Happy Child)with my 2nd. She is a rock star when it comes to sleep! I also made sure that the morning nap never became longer than the afternoon- but that was closer to 18 months.

My oldest gave up his morning nap at 9 months, my youngest at 11 months. When the afternoon nap became less than an hour, I cut out the morning nap and put them down around noon and they slept for 2- 2 1/2 hours then.

Each baby is different, if your daughter is content with her sleeping habits now and its working, then go with it.

If your daughter is happy with her sleep situation, then I wouldn't change it. I believe in letting sleeping babies lie, provided of course they aren't having any sleep related problems like not wanting to go to bed at night. As far as when a nap gets given up, your daughter will likely stop sleeping as long, then not sleep t all (but not necessarily cry during this quiet period). It also sounds like your daughter will give up the 3-4 nap before her 10:30-1--and that the 10:30-1 will creep back to after, around maybe 1-3. My older daughter gave up hers at about 18M; up to about 11M, she had a 30 minute nap from7-7:30 in the evening; The younger one never took an evening nap, and gave up the morning nap at about 11M. All kids are different.

I worked at a inhome daycare and we had a little girl very attached to her morning nap and around 12months old we would do our best to keep her awake. At this time we were always outside so she was in a swing or stroller and if she happened to fall asleep we would let her but would wake her up in 30min. and a then we worked it to where we only let her nap 15min. and in probaly a month she was done with her morning nap and then we did afternoon nap from 1-3 everyday with everychild. Every daycare my daughter has been to has had afternoon nap from 1-3 too.

A. my son is 15 mos old and still takes two naps and is on pretty much the same schedule as your daughter. My daughter who is now 3 yrs old took two naps till she was almost two. Now when my daughter stopped it wasn't just one day it stopped the nap length itself was getting shorter. To the point it wasn't worth putting her to bed for 30 min. hope this helps A.

I read in a book called healthy sleep habits, happy child that 50% of toddlers are still sleeping 2 naps a day. This was a statistical graph in a section about naps (I believe). My daycare provider has a daughter (her third child) that's about 16 months old and my son is 13 months old, she has told me that as long as her daughter is sleeping at least 1 1/2 hours she's not going to cut back from the 2 naps.

I think it all depends on your child and how tired they are getting during the day. Sounds like your little one still needs lots of sleep. I don't have any particular experience, but it would seem, from what I read and how my daycare is approaching naps, that if the morning nap starts to consistantly get shorter, it might be time to move naptime out and only take one.