Community› The Bump Message Boards› Toddlers: 24 Months+
Toddlers: 24 Months+
New Discussion

27 month old nap dilemma

chicsahmchicsahm member
in Toddlers: 24 Months+
I have noticed recently that if we keep DS up from his nap he might get a little cranky around 4pm but for the most part does ok and goes to bed easily and quickly between 6:30 and 7 (and will sleep until 7am) however if  DS naps anywhere between 11 and 12 even just for an hour, he takes FOREVER to fall asleep for bed… he is quiet but just hangs out, kicking his feet, sitting up etc in bed….. (today slept from 12:45-2…. I woke him) … put him down at 7:30 and he finally fell asleep a little before 9! On the days he naps he falls asleep pretty easy, some days I just get him back up if he is not going down or fights it. Is it better to keep him up from his nap at this point? Is this the end of afternoon naps? It just still seems a little early for the afternoon nap to vanish.
Report Reply to Post

Re: 27 month old nap dilemma

  • JENandJEHJENandJEH member
    You say he's not being loud, just hanging out in his bed before falling asleep at night, right?  On the days he naps and then takes awhile to fall asleep, is he cranky the next morning?  If not, I wouldn't worry that he's taking awhile to fall asleep.  As they get older, they won't need as many hours of sleep as they did when they were younger.  If he's sleeping from 9pm-7am then I would shoot for a 2 hour nap and that would equal 12 total hours of sleep for the 24 hour period.  

    My oldest consistently napped until he was 3 but around 2.5 he started to take a little longer to fall asleep.  He never fussed, just talked to himself and played in his crib.  I looked at it as him having time to decompress at the end of the day as long as he was happy.  I kept nap because I thought he needed the break during the day and just let him talk himself to sleep at night.  I think that's around the time that we pushed bedtime back from 7pm to 8pm.  

    If it were my child, I would keep the nap but push bedtime back a little and then just let him talk/play until he falls asleep.  I know some kids give naps up early but I do think 27 months is early to drop it altogether.  If you do drop it, consider having quiet time in his bed with some books or quiet toys each day to give yourself a bit of a break.  Over Christmas/Spring break and summer vacation, I still have DS1 have an hour of quiet time while DS2 is napping.  It gives everyone a chance to calm down and recharge a bit.  
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • ashiscuteashiscute member
    I'd rather have the nap and the extra hour of awake time like PP said.  Personally I do not stop my kids taking naps and I don't wake them up unless they are still asleep at 4pm.  Maybe let him take his nap and put him to bed a little later.  If he is happy up there then I'd let him be.  
    Report Reply
  • janinekrausejaninekrause member

    My little one sometimes is in her crib from 8:15-9 awake and talking. She isn't unhappy. She just talks to herself. Doesn't faze me. If she doesn't nap, she is witchy by 7.

    Report Reply
  • sunnyday016sunnyday016 member
    We've had major problems getting DS to bed, but it's been SO MUCH better once we started waking him from naps. We don't let him sleep longer than 1.5h and we start bedtime routine at 7pm. He is usually asleep by 8 and will sleep until almost 8am. I didn't think I'd be ready to let go of the longer break during the day (because he would easily nap 3 hours), but knowing that he will be asleep by 8pm with less fuss is so much better than having the mid-day break.

    My DD is 5 and still naps 2 hours, but we need to start phasing out her nap anyway before she starts Kinder in the fall. 
    S- March 09 E- Feb 12 L- May 15


    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"