Is it Time to Drop the Nap? (Please say No!)

[theu.s.lees]

M is just over 3. He's always been a high sleep needs boy. We had been moving his nap and was doing well with it at 2pm. Lately he's been chatting in his crib until about 2:30, but he falls asleep. I wake him at 3:30 to save BT, but he's a monster fussy boy the rest of the day. He always says he's tired and wants to keep sleeping.  His day is

7:30 - WU (I usually wake him)
2-3:30 Nap (though he's not falling asleep until closer to 2:30)
7:45 - BT (He usually asleep around 8pm, we start routine around 7:40/7:45)

It seems like he's tired when I wake him in the morning and from his nap, but when we gave him longer naps he wouldn't settle at BT. I'm sad if naps must go, but I'm not sure what to do!

[lilisuze]

Can you try and wake at the sleep transition (45 mins after you realise he is asleep) rather than at an hour? It might mean because hr is on a lighter sleep that he is less fussy when he wakes.

[Buttonbobs]

You could keep the nap and just move BT a bit later. We have had DD napping quite late in the day with a later BT and for a while (a good couple of months) this worked. E is now 2yrs 7months nearly and we have some NNDs and some with naps but later BT.

Perhaps try that.

[ZacsMumme]

How are things now Hun?

[Hedgehog17]

I've put DS on a napping on alternate days schedule. He's hsn and was complaining about being tired after napping.

Now a nap day is:

Wu 7.30am
Nap 2 - 3.30pm
Bt 7pm

A no nap day is:

Wu 7.30am
Bt 6pm

He's happier, not getting ot and tacking on overnight on the nnd