I don't want to remove the last nap ...

[Mum to cool dude]

but the bedtime battles are wearing me out 

DS (just turned 3) has never needed a lot of sleep. He's in the middle of dropping his nap. When he does nap (limited to 30 min), he's ready to party all evening. Bath is 7.30 pm, nights out is 8.30 pm and then battle commences until 9.15 pm when he finally conks out. That involves crying for Mummy to come in, then when mummy says it's time to sleep, crying for daddy, then getting out of the bedroom, and generally not having a peaceful time of it. You should think that bath, stories and cuddles in bed would help him unwind, but nope 

Then we have a brief NW every night and he has to be woken up at 7.30 am, which neither of us enjoys

RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I don't have the heart to deprive him of his nap, though, if he needs a rest, he needs a rest (yes, I know, I'm soft). Besides I am weary of getting him OT'd. I would not say that he is already OT'd in the evenings because there is no slowing down or signs of tiredness earlier in the evening

When he does skip the nap, he wakes up a couple of hours later in a vile mood, so not a satisfying option either.

I am not really hoping for advice, but just reassurance that this is normal phase that will pass would be appreciated. I could have banged my head against his bedroom door tonight (I did hit the door a couple of times with a magazine in frustration  ) TIA

[Layla]

{{{{HUGS}}}} Sophie

I am too having a crappy time with this nap/no-nap business. I hope this phase passes soon!!!


 

[Katet]

I am going through this with a 2.5yo & a 4yo (at the same time)... I have found a short nap in the car is the most workable some days, so now I plan to be in the car around 1pm & normally if the 4yo needs it he will fall asleep, the 2.5yo always does & then I do a bit of a drive, maybe have a stop & read my book & then we get through to bedtime.
Although at the moment dh is on Holidays from work (& summer here), so late bedtimes are very workable. 

As an aside, the fact you have to wake him at 7.30am sounds like his body clock has shifted late  & so he actually may have a better chance of being ok without a nap if he woke naturally (his nap may be the catch up for the last sleep cycle he wanted KWIM). Personally I'd try letting him not nap & give him a 6.30/7.30pm bedtime for a few days & see what happens.

[Lilah'sMommy]

My 3-year-old went through a period of not napping most days of the week (even though I was putting her down for them), and she too had Nwings and generally poor sleep those nights.  I kept on and she's napping again.

FWIW, My 3-year-old's bedtime is between 8:45 and 9 pm on the days she naps (I push it up and hour if she doesn't nap).  There's just no point in having her go to bed earlier because she will not go to sleep.  She usually wakes somewhere between 7:15 and 8:00 on her own, though occasionally I must wake her.  If you just made bedtime later and maybe changed up the routine (this I think helped us most with the bedtime battles-- they do tend to get bored with the same-old, same-old night after night and act up), maybe you'd have fewer battles?  Also, my DD1 really needs a longer wind-down now than she did at 2.  We now do bath, then books, then we tell stories in the dark in bed, then we turn on a CD of soothing music and if it looks like she needs it, I do a child-friendly massage game (tell her I'll turn her into a pizza, then need the dough, roll it out, spread the sauce, etc., all the while using gentle touch to calm her.)  After two songs have played, it's time for us to go and she knows that.  Lately the bedtime battles have stopped-- and they were TERRIBLE 4 or 5 months ago.

Anyway, just a few ideas.

[Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)]

Seriously dropping the nap is much harder than the 2 to 1 transition. Dont mean to scare you but dd dropped hers mid august and is still really tired and inclined to meltdown in the evening, usually during the bedtime routine. she will not do quiet time during the day. It's a tough one. Dh thinks she needs a nap, I cant force her and I dont want her up until 9 or 10 at night. Bedtime is now 7.45 pm and I will let her sleep to 8 or 8.15 if she does, she doesnt  We do still have the occasional night wakening or 2 but much less than a month ago ( fingers crossed now for tonight  )
So no help but lots of hugs,