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How do you know when they're ready to drop the nap ?

Lambchop80Lambchop80
in Toddler
Charlotte is 21 months.



The last couple of weeks she has been sleeping later in the morning, more like 8am-8.30am rather than an hour earlier (not that i'm complaining image ).



She still has lunch at 12pm but I moved her naptime to 1pm instead of 12.30pm, she'll go up quite happily but it can take her half hour to 40 mins to fall asleep and she'll play in her bed. She'll still easily sleep for 2 hours, although I try to get her up by 4pm at the latest preferably 3.30pm.



She is then in bed by 7pm-7.15pm but again it can take her half hour to 40 mins to drop off.



She used to go to bed and sleep almost instantly, she'll still nap at nursery aswell. Should I try dropping the nap, or waking her up after just an hour ? She's such a grump when woken up though if less than 1.5 hours of kip.



Hubby says I should only let her have an hour then maybe her bedtime will be a bit better and she'll be asleep before 8pm, and likewise she'll wake a bit earlier but i'm not sure.



The selfish (and pregnant) part of me likes my 2 hour break in the day and my sort of lie in image



I dont know what to do for the best. My Mum said she'll probably drop her nap anyway by the time she's 2.

Replies

  • kel4kel4
    i am in a similair situation, carson is all over place at mo, can not amke through day without nap ,but going to bed and crying or playing and going to bed late!
  • claire-abelleclaire-abelle
    hi there, I know exactly what you mean when you say the selfish part of you likes the 2hours peace!! I was exactly the same!!! Shea was a little over 2 when he went exactly like this and I persevered with his naps but in the end I had to bite the bullet and drop his nap.



    He was grumpy late in the afternoon for a few days but then after that he was fine and started going to bed at 7pm and going to sleep straight away and sleeping until 6.30 - 7am which was quite late for him!!



    He's not had a nap for a year now and I still miss the two hours peace occasionally but the older they get the more time you have to get on with things and I can also do things like sit and read a book for an hour as he'll happily entertain himself for a while!!
  • xkelxxkelx
    Riley wakes anytime between 7am and 9am. He goes down for a nap anytime between 1pm and 3pm and will sleep for a good 2-3hrs, but like you I don't really like him sleeping after 4pm although I do tend to let him now as he's so grumpy if I wake him. I try to get him in bed for 7.30pm but if he wakes from his nap later then I'll put him to bed later, unless he's asking to go.

    There are days when he just won't have a nap so I'll just put him to bed a little earlier. But I don't really want to drop his nap just yet as like you say it's nice to have that 2hour break! x
  • kel4kel4
    my prob is if carson sleeps after 3 he wont go to sleep till 10pm, even if i take him up at 8 ish , he cries or plays!
  • Lambchop80Lambchop80
    Well she was up at 8.45am today, then went to bed at 1pm and was asleep by 1.15pm. I went up at just after 3.30pm and she was just waking up and of course if FULL of beans now.



    Still aiming to head upstairs for about 7pm but she needs a bath tonight so bedtime will be closer to 7.30-7.45pm so i'm betting she wont sleep till gone 8pm.



    I just wonder as if she is still sleeping 2 hours, does that mean she still NEEDS the nap, surely if she didnt NEED it she wouldnt sleep ?? Or am I missing something ?



    I would like her to continue to nap, will certainly make things easier when peanut comes along. But I dont want to be giving her one if she doesnt need it anymore. But how will I know ?? Will she just stop falling asleep at nap time ? I ask her if she wants to go to bed and she says "yes" and walks to the door ?
  • kel4kel4
    my son does this, and i realised he isnt agrreing to going bed, its the bottle he wants. he sleeps 2 hr in day too, but if he has bad night its longer then i no he needs it, but he is making up for lost sleep then its a catch 22
  • xkelxxkelx
    Yer I think when they stop needing the bap they'll just not go to sleep. Riley does have days where this happens but most days he will give in and go to sleep, especially when he's in the car! Also, on some days when he hasn't had a nap he's been known to fall asleep in his highchair at tea!

    Maybe they get to a point where they don't need as much sleep in the day, but at the minute I'd rather let him sleep as long as he wants and just go to bed later than have a mardy toddler whilst I'm trying to make tea! x
  • kel4kel4
    how late is late? thats what i always wonder
  • xkelxxkelx
    Well his usual bedtime is 7.30pm so if he wakes at 4pm or anytime before I will put him to bed at 7.30pm. If he wakes half hour later then I'll put him to bed 8pm and if he wakes an hour later I'll put him to bed at 8.30pm. He does go through phases where he just doesn't want to go to bed and would stay up all night if we let him but he doesn't mind going to bed at the minute! x
  • mrsjbournemrsjbourne
    i've been wondering this too...when JJ is at nursery he often doesn't have a nap but then falls asleep on the way home or is just a little bugger until we get him into bed...he can sleep for 2 hours in the afternoon at home and then doesn't go to sleep at bedtime til like 10pm!! we've started limiting his sleep to 30/40 mins now with the potential of dropping it completely in a few weeks/months and having an early bedtime...the main issue is that i leave for work at 8am when he is usually still asleep and get home at 6.20pm and see him for a short time so if we give him an earlier bedtime i'll be getting home from work to say goodnight to him!! x
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