Whyyy??

get him som really good physical time before lunch. Lots of running around. See if that helps. Maybe he just needs more activity? Just a thought.

My kids are very active and still take naps (they are 4 and 6 1/2). My older child doesn't sleep everyday but usually at least a couple times a week.

My youngest stopped napping by age 2.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sleep.html#

Children ages 1-3 years old only need 10-13 hrs of sleep this includes naps. He's getting 11-11.5 hrs at night I think that's not too bad and I'd rather have a kiddo that sleeps at night :)

Try quiet reading time after lunch. In bed, "reading some books." My 2 yr. old was out like a light after 15 min for a short nap. Worked well for about 6 months.

Some kids (yours truly) just don't require as much sleep. That's the thing with kids... you can't force them to sleep if they're not tired! All three of us gave up our naps entirely before we turned 2. My mom used to do the "quiet hour" thing with all of us... everyone (mom included) was quiet for an hour- reading, puzzles, Disney movie, laying quietly on the bed with our dolls- whatever. Just an hour of "downtime".

Sorry.... you're done mama.

What toddler doesn't nap? ... MINE! She was around 18 months when she gave it up. :( I blame it on my 5 old year son because she didn't want to go to sleep when brother is up doing great things like watching Curious George or coloring!! Yeah, it's very depressing. If he is your only one you could try what I did with my first. I would tell him that he needed a "rest time" (because Mommy needed a rest time!) I would put him in his room for an hour and he was allowed to read books quietly or play with a toy quietly. Sometimes he would fall asleep and sometimes he wouldn't. This worked until he was around 3. Then he would just come to the door every 5 minutes asking for a drink or to go potty or any number of excuses until it was just easier to NOT have him have a rest time! And it could be just a phase. Maybe in two weeks you'll try again and he will nap for you. You never know. Good luck!!

My grandmother used to say, in her heavy German accent "sleep is for the stupid". Meaning that kids who don't sleep much are those who have great intelletual curiosity and don't want to waste time sleeping. Now there are plenty of highly intelligent people who love to sleep!

All that aside - some kids are not sleepers, don't need as much in the way of naps as other kids - and frankly, it's exhausting for the moms! My daugher never slept - two 20 minutes naps a day as a newborn - then an occasional long nap to catch up it seemed. By the time she was 18 months old she was down to one short nap a day. BUT the more I took her outside and enabled her to be active the better she'd sleep in general. Take her to big open spaces where he can stretch his legs and run - playgrounds, school grounds, beaches. Lots of fresh air makes them sleep.

But take comfort in knowing that my grandma would think your child to be brilliant. I have to concur since my non-sleeping child is very very bright and my good-sleeping child although highly intelligent has some minor learning disabilities. Coincidence? Who knows!!!

I bet it's just a phase. My kids go through this every so often and I'm stricken with fear that nap time is officially gone by the wayside, but usually it's not! ;) (although my almost 4 year old is officially done with naps, but the "baby", aka 22 month old, still does!)

I would probably put him to bed about 1/2 hour earlier on the days he barely naps and then just keep putting him down at his normal time. I'm willing to bet that he will start napping again soon, probably within the next couple weeks! At least I hope so!!!

Good luck! :)

What happens when you put him in his crib to nap? The reason I ask is because my son (15 mo.) still naps twice a day (2 hrs. each/average)...sometimes when I put him down he will cry, talk, jabber, sing, etc. for a while until he settles in...unless he is REALLY crying (I know the difference between a tired cry and a "M. I need you cry") I leave him. For nap time I also play classical music softly. After the CD runs through, it turns off...just a sugestions. I do not do it at night though. I agree, these little ones need sleep. I am assuming he is active too?

I don't agree that naptime has to end. All it takes is persistence & a set mindframe. Add some quiet music, wear his little bottom out all thru the morning, get him playing with some other children....& be firm.

The reason I insist on naps is because our school district has full-time KG... with "quiet time" for the 1st semester. By sticking with a nap schedule, the children are better prepared for coping with the structure of KG. & Mom has some peace & quiet.

My son napped through kindergarten and on weekends through first grade.
Now that he's 12 yr old and hitting some (more) major growth spurts, he's napping on weekends and sometimes when coming home after day camp again, too.
When he was a toddler he'd fight naps because he was afraid he'd miss something fun or exciting while he slept.
So we'd all lay down with him and we really would all fall asleep together.
Sometimes I really miss those naps we use to take.

Is his room dark enough to take a nap? At his age he needs his sleep? Your lil' man sounds like the same schedule as mine. Also, what kind of stimulation is he receiving? Is it loud in the house? Music...TV? Musical toys? Is he getting enough activity to tire him out? Keep up with your routine. Same time every day if possible. If he chooses not to sleep let him play in his crib..fall asleep there. Quiet time for a least an hour at his age is appropriate.

My son just turned three and it is still a battle to get him to nap.
You can TELL he needs it. But most days he will refuse to sleep and just scream and jump in his bed.
So I've started 2 naps.
He wakes up around 8am. Around 11:30-12 I give him his 1st nap. I tell him if he sleeps he won't have to take another one later.
Then if no sleep he gets another Nap at around 3:30-4ish

I swear I wish I could give him a tranq..lol TOTALLY kidding :)
Most days he screams when I just mention naptime. It drives me F'in nuts

All of my kids stopped napping at 1 year.

My kids don't like to nap - since about 2 (now 3 and 4). I talked about this w/ my Dr. She said that each child (person) is different. If he is happy and not crying/melting down, he is getting enough sleep. I did learn that .... when desperate, we would go for a drive.... and get a little nap in. If he's happy, he might not need to nap long or every day. One last suggestion, you might be able to get him down earlier and get more sleep that way - esp. when it begins to get dark earlier.

Put him in the car... He'll nap! Its the sleep machine. (You just have to be really good at taking him out of the car without waking him up.)

My oldest son stopped napping well around 15 months. I tried to force the napping along for a few more month, but gave up. He turns 17 in a few weeks and is fine. My younger son stopped napping about the same time as yours. It is ok. There is an average for when kids do things, but our kids are not average. Enjoy your time with him now. Every minute of it. He will catch up on any sleep he might of missed when he is a teen.

I also want to add that he/she is no longer an infant and does not need multiple naps. If the child looks tired then sit with them and read a book or watch a movie with them. It will keep them still long enough to fall asleep if they are really tired. If the car works for you then drive around for their nap. It is all in what works. Your child may just not want a nap. He/she is growing up.

First question would be- how is he in the afternoon and towards bedtime? If he is fine in behavior and mood, he probably is okay without naps. The 30 minutes he gets is sufficient.

If he is out of control, acting wild, crying, arguing, etc, he probably needs naptime and you should work harder to get it- Or at least have him in his room "resting" for awhile.

Ideas?
no sweets for snack or lunch
heavy curtains, no light
earlier bedtime at night to get him sleeping again
wait it out-just keep trying everyday for a few weeks, same routine expecting he will nap- may just be a phase or teeth or something

I think they all "get there" eventually. I stopped spending time trying to "enforce" the nap, when it was obvious it was not going to happen that day. Then I just always bumped the bedtime earlier that night. :)

My older 2 went to 1 nap at a year and quit napping altogether by 2.

So sorry to hear that you are in the same boat as me, R.. My daughter decided that she didn't want to nap, starting at 4 months old!!! I had to use tricks like breastfeeding to sleep while in a swaddle, etc. Then when BFing was over, I used the car, but she wouldn't transfer out of the car, so that got expensive with gas and all. (And what a waste of time!!! Nap time is supposed to be for parents to get things done or rest, not sit in a car for 1-3 hrs!) I've tried everything... crying it out in the crib, baby whisperer type approaches, sleeping on her floor with her, but nothing ever worked. Then when she moved to a toddler bed and became potty trained, that added all new challenges to an already challenging situation. I basically gave up sometime before 2 years old and instituted a "quiet time" where she has to stay in her room and can do whatever she wants in there. Now she is almost 3 and will only nap if she is EXTREMELY exhausted or ill, and I STILL have to be firm about it. Bedtime is around 7-8p and she gets up around 7-8a. Night time sleep has always been quite easy and good. Anyway, I just wanted you to know you are not alone out there. I am always so jealous of ALL of my friends who have great napping kids. Life just isn't fair! I feel your excruciating frustration! And, you are lucky he gets 20-30 min/day... I never even got that much. :P

My kids stopped napping long before the age of 2.

I have 5 kids and 2 of them wouldn't nap. One stopped at age 12 months and the other was at age 2. They were the only two of my kids that I didn't have to chase all over the house constantly...LOL The ones who gave me a run for my money were all nappers, thankfully!! =)

Maybe it's over! Try instilling quiet time for him. Close the blinds, put on some soft music, and let him "read" some books or color. Then move his bedtime up to 7 or 7:30. Good luck!

What does he do around nap time? Is he fussy in afternoon? Does he have outside time in morning? Don't give up even if he stays in crib for quiet time it is good for him.

Sorry, R..

You may not have a napper. I had the exact same issue as you did and the pediatrician told me that all kids are different and their bodies will tell them what they need much like little ones that don't eat a lot.

My daughter is now five and will only occasionally take a 2 hour nap during the day. She wakes up early AND she's a night owl.

Maybe your son will become a good napper when he's older.

I wish I had some sort of solution for you but please know that I feel your pain.

My 2 year old does not nap. Some children don't need or want them. She is taking a nap today which is very unusual for her. I don't push it, though. If she wants to she can, if not, no biggie.

When it comes to babies, toddlers and sleeping there is no "normal."
My three were done napping before two, and I was not pleased :(
We did still have quiet time, laying down in bed with books, or snuggled up on the couch watching a movie.

Neither of my kids were ever big nappers past age one. They woke a bit later than most kids, between 7 & 8 & went to bed between 7 & 8. If a day was really busy, they napped. Otherwise, they just went to bed a little earlier.

I never stressed about it. I figure it is just like Forrest Gump explained, "When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go...you know... I went." For the most part, they do what they do when they need to do it.

My daughter started doing this when she was much younger (7 mos or so). I used my sis-in-law's method:
Naps are in the crib and last 1 1/2 hours. If they wake up after 20 minutes, they are still going to be in their crib for another 70 minutes. If they scream, they scream. Eventually they're going to figure it out and they'll start sleeping. It sounds a bit harsh, but it has worked with two different kids for me (my son fought it much harder - he would sleep for 20 minutes and scream for 70 for a week or two before he started really sleeping). Your son is in a habit. It just needs to be broken.