How old was your child when they gave up the daily nap? When the nap became obsolete how many hours were they sleeping at night? From what time to what time?
My daughter is almost 3.5 and she sleeps from about 9:30p till 6:30a, if she happens to nap and that nap is usually from 2:30-4:30p, which I just HATE. I want her in bed by 8:30p so my husband and I can unwind. If she doesn't nap, we will put her down at 8p and sometimes she is still laying awake at 9p and may sleep till 7a.
It just seems to me that she needs more sleep, but I can't force it, can't punish or take things away for not need/wanting to sleep. I'm not sure what to do...but I need her napping.
Let me also add, she has always napped everyday at the same time, till about 2 months ago. She started pushing the time later and later. Her normal nap was 1pm-3pm and now its closer to 2:30 or 3 when she tuckers out. Our issue is the later she sleeps the tougher it is to get her down at night and down by 8:30/9p which is our preference.
My kids stopped napping at age 2. They would fall asleep if we happened to be in the car, but otherwise they were done. I think they went to bed around 8 - 8:30 and up at 7.
We dropped the nap a few months after my son turned three. It wasn't an especially easy transition, to be honest :).He would be cranky some days, usually around supper time, then he'd get a second wind and last until bedtime most days. But if we let him nap, it was either a huge struggle (him complaining that he couldn't sleep and me getting frustrated) or he would nap later and later in the afternoon and his bedtime would get pushed back. So, during this transitional period from nap to no-nap, we tried to incorporate a "quiet time" into the day, usually right after lunch, when he would "rest" (do a quiet activity) but not necessarily sleep. We'd also push his bedtime up on days he was especially cranky, sometimes all the way up to 7! Our bedtime "goal" was 8:30 and we rarely went past that time during this period. He slept til 7 or 7:30 in the mornings. I can't say how long the transition lasted, but not terribly long. He is 4.5 years old now and sleeps from 8:30pm to 8am most days. Every now and then, he'll nap on the couch or in the car during errands, on days he's especially active and busy, but most days the routine works for us. Oh, also, now that he's getting a little older, sometimes I let him have a book and a lamp on in his room for a little past the time I put him to bed, so that if he truly is NOT tired, he can have something good and fun to do, but is still getting "rest." :) I don't let him do this if we need to be up and around very early in the morning, or if he has soccer in the morning, because he can be grumpy then. :)
My daughter will be 4 in July and I gave up trying to push naps when she was coming up on 3.5 years. You shouldn't try to push it. It is just a battle that really isn't worth it. Especially when she would finally go down around 4 or 5 and then not want to go down at her regular 8pm bedtime. Her behavior was crazy for a month or so as her body was adjusting. It definitely wasn't pleasant! I did start "quiet time" where she could lay down and watch a movie or play quietly in her room. Mostly because I had a newborn and wanted to make sure he was able to nap. Now coming up on 4 she puts herself down for a nap at least 2-3 times a week. She's older and can sense when she needs extra rest.
If she won't take a nap, you should start "quiet time". She can stay in her bed and read or do puzzles for a certain amount of time. I think kids need some down time each day.
My son, who is now 4, started to show signs around 3 1/2 that he was outgrowing his nap. The great thing about not napping during the day is he is exhausted and ready for bed at 7:00. He sleeps from 7pm-7am every night. I remember the first week or so without the nap being difficult, because he was really tired by about 5:00 (so his behavior was less than desirable), but eventually his body adjusted. So try allowing your daughter to skip her nap and see if she'll go to bed really early. Then, you and your husband will have some quality time in the evening.
My daughter will be 3 in July. She stopped napping at about 22 months. She goes to bed no later than 6:30pm and sleeps until 6am. It works for us because she is completely ready and willing for bed by then and my husband and I have lots of down time.
I do have her go to her room for about an hour a day for "quiet time". She will pick 4 books and lay on her bed and read for an hour. She loves it and it gves her a rest (she is a very active little monkey).
If she does give up her nap, maybe an earlier bed time would help? Good Luck
Here is a link:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-chil...
My son is 3.5 years old.
He still naps everyday.
He needs it.
He naps fine... at about the time your child naps.
He naps for 2 hours or more.
He goes to bed at 8:30.
He goes to bed fine.
He sleeps until about 7:00am the next day.
And yes, you can't punish for not sleeping/napping.
You need to have a regular nap routine everyday... at the same time everyday. A time in which she naturally is tired. That is what I do with my son. Some days he's tired earlier, some days later. But he always naps, everyday.
all the best,
Susan
My son is almost three and naps every day around 12:30. Pushing his nap time to an earlier time (he used to nap anywhere from 1:00 - 2:00) really helped with bedtime and nap. I found that if I waited too long to put him down for his nap, he became too tired and didn't want to nap. Putting him down at 12:30, before he knows he is tired, usually gets me a 1.5 hour nap. This seems to work out great, because I still have plenty of time to wear him out before I put him down at 7:30. I completely understand your frustration about a late bed time--you need that time to unwind. I'm not sure I would take away her nap completely, I would try to put her down earlier so she isn't napping so late in the day. If your daughter is getting up by 7:00 am every morning, there is no reason why she can't sleep by 12:30. Good luck! I hope it all works out for you!
I don't know that I can offer any advice, but I'm in the exact same situation!! I've come to terms (sort of and reluctantly) with the fact that my daughter never has been or probably will be a champion sleeper. Since the day she was born, she took less naps and slept less at night than her peers. I read countless books, tried dozens of "methods" and schedules etc. to no avail. I don't know your daughter's history though.... My mommy intuition tells me this is just the hand I was dealt:) I try to remind myself that, on the plus side, I get to spend more precious time with her in these very fleeting years!
As to your current problem, mine is also 3.5 years old and goes to bed at 9-9:30 and gets up about 6:30. She naps at preschool EVERY DAY, but (and this drives me bananas) rarely naps at home on the weekends and if she does, it's always a long fight. She regularly took naps until about 6 months ago. When she doesn't nap, she will go to sleep at 8:30, but never earlier. My best guess is that they are starting to outgrow naps--they still need middle of the day sleep, but it's too much sleep overall. I'm hoping and praying that once naps totally disappear (sad!), they will sleep longer at night. This probably isn't all that helpful, but at least you know there is someone else out there who would give anything for more kid-free time!!! Best wishes.
