Preschooler and Naps

I think a night time routine and restful sleep at night is more important than anything. So, if he sleeps better at night when he has a nap then let him nap. Will he go to KG next fall? If it's half day then by all means let him nap after lunch. Gradually you can wake him up 15 min. earlier each week until he goes to first grade full day. Some kids just need more sleep than others. I envy you. My kids hardly ever napped...I never get a break...

My 4.5 year old still naps & she needs her naps. Is there a reason you want to stop them? I think they every child is different & will give up naps when they are ready.

why are you stopping naps? It sounds like he still needs one.

I have found that the transition to "no naps" can be a rough one. It sounds as if your son is a growth spurt, whether it be mentally or physically. I have noticed with each of my children as they have approached the age of 5 ( I am now on child #3 at this stage) they start to fight the idea of a nap, but truly need that quiet time to be able to successfully function in the evening. What has worked best for me is to keep the routine the same, i.e. preschool, lunch, quiet play, "naptime". We go to their bedroom, read a few stories, have a snuggle, and then sometimes the child will fall asleep, other days, they are ready to get up after ten minutes or so of laying in their bed. I have found that even if they never actually fall asleep, the quiet moments of rest have given them enough to make it through the evening. If they do fall asleep, I never let the nap go longer than an hour and a half, otherwise they are still wide awake at 9pm.

Hope that helps !

Hello K.,

Between 4 & 5 kids normally let their naps go, but it's very common every other day a child will need a nap. I suggest you try "quite play" time in your son's room around 4 each day. If he naps, ok, if not, ok, but give him the opportunity earlier in the day. This should help getting him asleep in the evenings easier.

He will probably give-up the later afternoon naps completely in a few months.

R. Magby

When my kids have a nap they actually go down for bed at night better. I just have to make sure it is early enough in the day. They are more happy when they do have a nap. I am a strong advocate of naps at any age. If he is tired. He will benefit and you will benefit from him having a nap. :)

I wouldnt stop naps at all, unless it was interefering with their sleep at night. I guess I wonder why you want to stop naps? Most moms fret when their kids stop napping! :) I can only assume its because he goes to school and you want that time with him? If so, maybe lying down together and resting would be an option.

It's a tough spot to be in - you want to give them all the sleep they need, but still have them go to bed without a fight. I would just give the reminder that sleep is the main way the body heals, and you don't want to withhold sleep if your little one is fighting off an illness or having a growth spurt. (Which also includes growing in brain knowledge, not just physically!)

If he really seems to be needing a nap, let him sleep for 30 - 60 minutes as soon as possible when he gets home. The closer to bedtime he wakes from a nap the more likely he will be cranky and hard to put down again.Then wake him and let him go to bed just a bit later. Hopefully it's temporary!

I agree with Denise and if nothing else, limit his nap to maybe only an hour so he doesn't take a 'long' one that WILL interfere with bedtime.

I can totally relate to your wanting to wean him off naps! My 4.5 yo is like yours - even a catnap means bedtime will be difficult. If he falls asleep in the car for 15 minutes, we can plan on bedtime being an hour later. So in our case he gets *less* sleep overall when he has naps, and is more tired the next day because he couldn't settle at bedtime the night before.

He's in all-day preschool so we had his teacher switch him from napping with the younger kids to just having quiet time on the couch with some books. Some days he'll pass out on the couch but most days he doesn't. It's kind of hit or miss during this transition period. We did also request that she never let him sleep for more than about 45 minutes if he falls asleep on the couch. That helps too. Then you just have to get through the early evening crankies, and bedtime can be earlier and easier.

Go with the nap - he sounds like he still needs them. Count your blessings and enjoy it. My daughter gave up napping at 2.

However - I do understand why you are trying to get rid of them. I imagine your getting him ready for kindergarden. Is it a full or half day program?

First of all, I'm impressed you have a 4.5 yo that wants to take naps. My son gave up his naps at 2 yo, but if he does get one during the day he is up until 10pm. It sounds like he is getting worn out at school. I would suggest moving his bedtime up by 1/2 hour. I know that makes dinner hard to get done, but he will probably be a happier kid and then not need the nap. Every kid is different, but my daughter who also gave up naps at 2 yo goes to bed at 7pm and sleeps past 8am. If she needed to get up earlier than she would need to go to bed earlier. It's just how she functions. My son, on the other hand, wakes up before 7am no matter what time he goes to bed and functions fine. He normally has a bed time of 730pm-8pm. He's 5 yo.

hi K.!
he could also be going thru a growth spurt and require more rest temporarily. i also have a 4.5-y-o that some days requires more rest than others. exactly the same situation...we try not to nap because it makes bed time sooo much harder on all of us. i would certainly try to do it earlier in the day tho to make bedtime a little easier.
good luck!

Updated

hi K.!
he could also be going thru a growth spurt and require more rest temporarily. i also have a 4.5-y-o that some days requires more rest than others. exactly the same situation...we try not to nap because it makes bed time sooo much harder on all of us. i would certainly try to do it earlier in the day tho to make bedtime a little easier.
good luck!

I agree with Denise. Have him take a nap when he gets home from school. Mine did the exact same thing. I chalked it up to school and being around all those other kids just made him tired. He eventually stopped napping after a few weeks/months, it's been awhile, he ten now : ). He just needs to get used to the change. But you definitely don't want anything interfering with bed time!

Kids need naps when they have growth spurts. My oldest child took naps after kindergarten at the age of six, but my youngest is transitioning out at 4.5 years old. Every kid is different. Hang in there, there is light at the end of the tunnel! By the time your preschooler is six he/she should be nap free and sleeping a good 12-14 hours per night!

My daughter is 8, and she continued to take naps all the way up to just before she was in 1st grade. She was a napper! A good one too. During Kinder - she was in the AM class so she could get a good afternoon nap after school. The summer just before 1st grade started is when she quit her naps. I never had a problem with her not taking naps or trying to stop them because I figured if she was passing out before dinner (which she would like your son) then she really needed the extra sleep. This was also after she'd sleep for at least 9 hours at night too.

I'd say re-introduce them for a bit and see how he does. If he really needs the sleep, he'll take the naps as they werent taken away from him in the first place. :)

Good luck!

I taught kindergarten for many years and many mom's reported that their kindergartners had a relapse in napping when they started school. Being in school is hard work :-) Maybe a short nap when he gets home, especially if he seems to need it. A good test may be to have him have "quiet" time with some books. If he falls asleep he needed the rest, if he stays awake for 30 minutes then at least he got the down time. If you don't want him to fall asleep later in the evening, maybe have him set the table, unload the silverware or some other little chore to keep him moving.

Best of luck!!

Why on Earth would you ever want to get rid of naps? Let them nap as long as possible!

I would definitely let him take a nap after lunch/school. At least that way it won't interfere so much with his bedtime. As you described it, it seems like he IS tired, so why not nap? I know moms who have kids who come home from elem school and take a little nap. Consider yourself lucky that you have a little guy who knows when he needs sleep!

I agree with the other moms who say you should just continue the naps. My daughter turned 5 and is in preschool as well. She has naptime after her full day preschool (around 2:30-2:45). I keep her naptime capped - I wake her no later than about 4 pm. I find that she is happier (and easier for me) when she naps and isn't overtired in the evening. On the days she doesn't sleep, she does "quiet time" in her room and then I put her to bed about 30 mins to 1 hour earlier in the evening.

Usually at Preschool, they still have a nap time for the kids.

When my daughter was in preschool at that age, she still took naps. Everyday, at home, after preschool. She needed it. Thus, I went by her cues and did not stop naps for her. But, she would still go to bed fine at night like normal and slept fine.

I would, let your son nap. At home, after preschool. He obviously still needs to nap. You said he is only there in the mornings. So after you pick him up... have a routine. A quiet time. Give him a snack, let him wind-down, then nap, in the afternoon. After lunch. That is what I did and do with my kids.

Kids this age still benefit and need naps. My kids both still nap. My daughter was still taking daily naps even in 1st Grade.
Being in school... is also a long day for them and they get tired.

All the best,
Susan