My 2-and-1/2 year old son has recently given up his one and only nap. He definitely needs it, as he is very cranky by dinnertime. He goes to bed at about 8pm and wakes up at 7am. Normally he would nap from 2pm to 4 or 5pm but then suddenly stopped. I battled with him the first couple of days but then gave up. Now I just put him in his room at 2pm and he plays very noisily (not complaining or crying) for a couple of hours until I get him. I'd like him to start up the naps again because 1) the evening crankiness is driving us nuts; and 2) I want to take a nap myself but can't because he's so noisy (I'm pregnant again and exhausted.) Has anyone had their toddler give up the nap for a while and then start up again? Or is it gone forever? How do you keep your sanity with an extremely high-energy toddler with won't nap? Plus a newborn...?
Maybe try having him nap with you for a little bit? All 3 of mine gave their naps up for the most part at about 2 1/2. But even then we had "quiet rest" time. They didn't have to sleep but they did have to be in their rooms, on their beds doing something quiet.
When my daughter stopped napping around this age I started having her lay down with me in my bed. We would read a story or two and then I would say "mommy's going to sleep now." I would lay very still and quiet and she would usually fall asleep after about 5 minutes or so (and so would I!)
I also agree that an earlier bedtime is probably in order.
Good luck!
My daughter gave up her last nap around that age, though the average child still naps once a say for a couple more years. The first thing I would do is move his bedtime earlier. When my daughter stopped napping I moved her bedtime up to compensate. She is 3 1/2 yrs old and is ASLEEP by 6:30pm most nights and wakes between 6:15am and 7am. Make sure to keep the bedtime flexible, depending on morning wake up time, nap, and general attitude. You may find he will start napping again if you move bedtime at least 1 hour earlier and try putting him down for a nap around 1pm instead. I HIGHLY recommend getting Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth for age appropriate sleep needs and schedules.
Sincerely,
L.
My eldest gave up naps around 2, and she never started again. My youngest loved to nap until she was 5, so every child is different. Maybe try finding quiet activities he can do around nap time so you can at least rest a little, or look into getting a little help so you can have breaks. It's tough, but it will pass. Don't be afraid to ask for help from friends and loved ones.
My son also stopped napping shortly after age 2. Putting him to bed earlier solved the crankiness problem and gave me more time in the evening. He also stopped fighting bedtime and sleeping later into the morning. He has an hour of quiet time in the afternoon, but I don't have to be as concerned about timing as I did with nap time. It is so nice to have a bit of flexibility in planning my afternoon. It seemed hard at first but I found it to be an all around win in the end. Think of it this way, when your baby comes, you won't have to work nearly as hard as most moms do to get your toddler and newborn on the same schedule so you can get an afternoon break.
