Napping too late

[louhomer]

My son Freddie is now 22 months old and his daytime nap is becoming later and later.  He is usually not tired until two to three in the afternoon and then is not tired at bedtime if he naps.  He goes to bed at 7.30 and is asleep by 8 at the latest, he wakes at 7.30 in the morning. I have tried just letting him have a ten minute power nap but then when I wake him up he is a right grump!  It is also hard if we go out as he nods off in the car and no amount of my singing will keep him awake!  Somedays I take him for a drive to force him to sleep at one when he is not really tired.  Do you think I should just drop all naps?

[Layla]

Have you tried putting him at around 1pm or do you watch his cues? I think he's too young to be dropping the nap .

[louhomer]

He just does not seem to be tired, he had a 20 minute nap today on a car journey, I woke him up at twenty to three.  Have just done the return half hour journey, left his nanny's at 7.20 but he did not fall asleep on the way home, even with the heating on full blast!  His late nap has pushed back his bedtime again!!  my problem is in the day if I take him to bed he just messes about so have to force him with a drive in the car but this sometimes takes half an hour of going up and down dual carrage ways!

[Layla]

I would try to offer him a nap around 1pm... everyday & leave him in there for an hour to fall asleep. If he's playing around, etc... after an hour then pick him up & do an earlier bedtime. I would probably not let him nap that late into the afternoon cause that can mess about with his schedule & or you can let him nap late & accept the later bedtime. Persoally I wouldn't get into a habit of driving him around to sleep... try to tire him out in the morning.. lots of physical stimulation etc & then do a long windown around 12.30ish so that he is nice & tired at nap time. Some children don't show tired signs too well.

Is he teething at all do you think? THat always messes things up for us!!!