I was just curious, about what age to kids start giving up their nap all together? My 18 month old daughter is fighting taking her nap now, and she never used to do that. She gave up her morning nap at about 10 months and I'm really not ready for her to give up her afternoon nap? Has this ever happened to anyone this early? Do you continue to try and put her down anyway?
She may "want" to give it up but in my opinion she still needs it. When my twins went through the non-napping phase I got a lot of advice from other moms, and the best advice was if you still want her to nap, try to stick with it. I had to lay down with my son in order to get him to nap but now he takes a nap on his own again and I'm so glad I didn't give in.
Good Luck!!
One- to Two-year-olds
The one-year-old will begin to decrease his need for sleep. A total of twelve to thirteen hours of sleep out of every 24 hours is typical. This may involve one or two naps. Over time, naps will decrease in length. One-year-olds may respond best to a special toy or blanket as part of their sleep routine. If a one-year-old visits new surroundings or has his routine interrupted in other ways, his toy or blanket may become especially important for falling asleep.
Two- to Three-year-olds
Toddlers usually need only one nap but still need between nine and twelve hours of total sleep. Most two-year-olds take a 2- to 3-hour nap after lunch, but some children this age need much less. Unless a child shows signs of being overly tired or crabby due to a lack of sleep, it is not necessary that she take a nap at this age. As two-year-olds increase their independence, they often increase their fight against sleeping. It is impossible to make anyone sleep, but continuing with the bedtime routine and special toy can still be helpful. Allowing a child to make choices around bedtime, such as which pajamas to wear or which book to read, may also help satisfy that two-year-old need for control. When toddlers get overly stressed or tired, they may have a harder time falling asleep. They may revert back to previous sleep stages, or may need extra help falling asleep. Soothing music or an extra story while cuddling on a parent's lap can help. Many parents choose this age to transition their child from a crib to a child's bed. While the child is adjusting to the new bed, a removable guard rail will keep falls to a minimum.
my 3 3/4 yr old still naps and needs it
At this age they really realize that it is better to stay up and play then sleep. And they also know it means not being with you. So they will protest, but they still need it.
One way that you can figure out that its time for the afternoon nap is how is affects bedtime - are they in bed not asleep for a long time? And that doens't happen until around 3 and you have to use your judgement and trial and error because every child is different!
You just gotta love that coming into their own stage:) Your 18 month old need to have a nap unless she sleeps 12 or 13 hours at night! It is easier for you to let her skip her nap while you are at home with her, but when she start school, she will be required to take a nap or just lye down for quiet time while the others are napping. Children at this age often realize that they can refuse to do anything that they do not want to do! Good Luck Ms P.
I think she's probably just testing you to see if you will give into her, they somehow learn that early. Both my boys went through that too. I think when they start learning new things, they don't want to miss anything and are too interested to sleep. Just keep with the same routine and lay her down as usual, even if she doesn't sleep, you can still get some things done. Before you know it she'll be back to napping. My 3 year old and 5 1/2 year old still nap(and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible)! Good luck.
