I am wondering at what age all your little ones gave up naps for good and specifically, what were the signs for giving up the nap. I am asking because I have a 2.5 year old little girl and she's begun napping about 3-4 times a week and the other times she just plays in her bed for about an hour. She goes to bed by 7:45 every night and sleeps until 8am, with or without naps. So, I am wondering if she is just starting to not need naps anymore?
Well it definitely seems she is giving up naps, in the past week she slept once. However, she is perfectly fine with being in her bed (she's still in a crib) for an hour alone. In fact, she will even tell me she's not ready to come out when I go to get her, by saying "I not ready yet, go away mommy." :) So, thank you for all your help and experience!
Maybe. My daughter stopped needing naps at around that age. My son, on the other hand, needed naps until he was five. It is quite individual.
I'd suggest keeping "quiet time" as a part of the routine, so that you get a little break each day. Just have her play quietly in her own space for 30-60 minutes (depending on her tolerance for that sort of thing).
My youngest is 3.5. She naps EVERY day at pre-school, but I cannot get her to take a nap to save my life on the weekends. Mind you, as soon as we leave the house to go out on Saturday night, she is asleep before we get out of the sub! I would try and have her nap every other day if she is fighting to rest for the hour. If she is ok just laying there with a book or something, let it be and enjoy the quiet time :)
my son was 2 when he stopped taking naps. my daughter was a little older, but that was probably more me than her. she napped until she was 4 because i laid her down when her brother napped. she would still take a nap if i laid her down and she is almost 7 now. my son. who is almost 5, definitely does not take a nap and won't.
All 3 of my kids were done with naps right around 2 yrs old...and yup, the playing instead of laying down was what happened at our house...that and the constant coming out and saying 'I'm done now' :) I continued to give them down time but didn't push the sleeping b/c they were all fine in the late afternoon, not grouchy butts!
My youngest SS needed and took naps (willingly) until he was almost 5...you could absolutely tell the difference come 4p if he hadn't gotten his nap...SO grouchy!
Some kids just need more sleep than others. How is your little girl? Do you feel she needs the naps still? All kids are different.
My son stopped napping daily at about 2 years, 3 months. First he stopped napping on the weekends. Then he started just having quiet time and not sleeping during nap time at daycare. His bedtime is still before 8pm and he is happy during the day, so I don't push it. We have quiet time on the weekends when my daughter naps, he will sometimes fall asleep, but it is pretty rare.
I am a home daycare provider. I have found that between 2-3 many kids will start doing what you are describing. I have also found that if you continue to insist on nap time most will begin to nap consistently again and really need it. Of course there are some children who need less sleep than others, but from my experience 2 1/2 is really young to give up naps. Is your daughter upset about nap time? If not, I would keep at it. Even if she doesn't sleep it is good for her to be able to rest quietly for a little while. It gives her an opportunity for a daily break that she might not otherwise take on her own.
I think all kids are different. My first son was disappointed when he learned that they would not be taking a nap in kindergarten whereas my daughter takes naps 2 to 3 times per week if I am lucky and is only 2.5. So you just never know what to expect.
Our son started doing the same thing at about 2.5 yrs. He stopped napping when he was 3. It was a hard transition for him bc he needed to nap and was cranky in the evenings but no one could get him to take a nap no matter what we did! He had to have "quite time" though. Gradually he got used to no naps and stopped being cranky (also in the year he was 3).
Yes, she's giving up her naps. This is normal and typical and happens a lot after age two. You're lucky if she plays in her bed nicely and doesn't fight being put in her room for her quiet time. Accept that she's no longer going to nap daily and start working with her on having daily quiet time where she has to amuse herself in her room. The fact she sleeps 12 hours solidly means she is just fine and getting plenty of sleep.
Every child is different. From what I've read, the sleep scientists say that the average age to give up naps is 4, but some kids give them up sooner or later than that. I would just watch your child's cues. That can be tricky at 2.5, I know. A lot of kids start to resist naps at this age, even when they still need them. My kids all put up some resistance in the 2.5 to 3 year range. I chose to fight through it. My oldest gave up naps a few times a week during kindergarten, but not completely until 1st grade. My second will start kindergarten in the fall & he still naps. I would just watch the signs. If she is cranky & difficult when she doesn't nap, then she still needs them. If she's just fine when she goes without, then she doesn't.
My pediatrician says that most kids will need a nap until they are about five years old but most will try to give up naps long before that. That being said my almost five year old will still take a 1 hour nap about 2-4 times a week but most of the time she just lays awake in bed. I don't insist that she actually sleep but she needs the downtime without stimulation or she will be a bear later on in the afternoon before bed. My 2 year old will still take a 2-3 hour nap after lunch consistently although if any child will give naps up way early it is going to be her.
My son started doing this a few months after he turned 2 and I thought for sure he was done with naps, but I kept trying every day and it ended up being just a phase that didn't last too long. He is 3 now and takes a 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hr nap every day. I would keep trying..
Our daughter is almost 4 and has always been a SLEEPER. She is just now giving up naps. We give her the choice to nap for an hour when she needs it or to not nap. She chooses (and believe it or not, a couple of times a week, she CHOOSES to nap) unless she is feeling ill. I think 2.5 yo is a bit young to be giving up naps altogether but when our kiddos started fighting naps, we would still require they be in their rooms and have quiet time for at least an hour (my daughter had an LED mini flashlight and books she could read to herself quietly from age 2.5 yo). If they are still up after an hour, we get them. I think it is important at that age to at least rest. I would say more kids give up naps between 3 and 5 somewhere (more likely between 3 and 4).
I say let her sleep when she does and just press for quiet time when she doesn't :) Good luck!
