When do they start skipping naps??

[jellybabe]

My ds will be 3 in July. I still make him nap 1hour a day, usually from 1 to 2. Any later, and its a pain at bedtime. But lately he takes aaaaages to fall asleep at bedtime. He keeps talking to himself and rolling around etc. He goes to bed at 8:30 so its not even that early. I am wondering if I should shoot and see if he if he stays up all day, and get him to bed earlier. I am just worried that he cant and ends up napping late and then I'll have a problem....What are the signs that they can handle staying awake? Anyone skipping naps,  how old were kids when they did it? Is 3 still too young? He sleeps ok at nite, wakes once or twice, but always wakes at 6/ 6:30am. I cant get him to sleep later. What if I get him to sleep later somehow, and then leave him without a nap? I cant decided lol

[Georgiesmum]

8:30pm sounds quite late for bedtime.  My understanding is that later bed times can lead to earlier mornings.  I know when my lo has a late night she wakes early in morning.  Can you bring bed time forward first before skipping the nap?

My 3.75yr old goes to bed at 7pm.  She only started skipping naps when she was 3.5yrs.  I keep to her having "rest time" sometimes she naps, sometimes not and just plays in her room. (I need this time).  When she doesn't nap, she goes to bed a bit earlier (6:30 - 7), when she naps later (7 - 8pm).

[Erin M]

My two both started skipping naps around 22 months, so just before they turned two.  I was shocked with dd1, but when dd2 started I was at least a little prepared.  Stacey is entirely right, those late afternoons can get pretty rough and you have to make sure you're not going somewhere where ds will fall asleep in the car -- both of mine would not nap for a day or two, then nap, then not nap for a day or two -- kind of a cycle where they'd catch up on sleep after a few days of not napping.  Bedtime would vary by about an hour depending on whether or not they'd napped.  Both of mine (now 4 and 2) usually still nap at daycare (well, dd1 not as much anymore), and on the nights when they do nap, they go to bed later.  You'll sort it out, it just takes some trial and error.

[jellybabe]

Thanx for replies. He wont settle before 8:30. I had try to take him to bed at 8pm but he'll be rolling and talking and peeping at me by the door. So he only ends up falling asleep late. I find that if he naps by 12, or earlier, but not happening alot, he'll go to bed ok by 8. But these last few days I will put him to nap at 1 and he'll be fiddling round till 1:30 and thats already too late coz he'll sleep till 2:30 and end up not being tired enough.

I think the issue is he is overtired. He goes to bed late, wakes once or twice a nite, gets up at 6am, naps in day, and ends up going to bed late again. Bad circle. So what i did today, which is not the best coz we just finished sleep training, when he got up at 6am, I put him with me to sleep a bit more (he wont sleep in his bed after 6am, he fusses and goes to the lounge) till 8am. Now I am hoping, this late lay in will help him stay wake today till at least 7pm. Then he'll get a proper nite sleep, hopefully without waking, and hopefully wake up later?? I know the trouble between 3 and 6pm coz he has sometimes skipped but rarely, and he gets hungry and cranky etc.

I figured what I'll do is bath him if he gets sleepy so that it can wake him a bit, then he can eat and go to bed, whichever comes first. Before he'd stay awake till 4 or 5pm and fall asleep. So back then i figured he's just not ready yet. He was just over 2 i think. so now he'll be 3 in july, i figured he might be able to do it now..

[Erin M]

Can you do something to sneak in a quick nap in the late morning - will he fall asleep in the car or the stroller?  I used to try to get 20 minutes or so into my dd1 when she was dropping her nap around 11 AM or so, just to keep some of the crankiness at bay - otherwise, the bath is a fantastic idea, or some outside time - that always worked well with us too.  Hang in there, the nap dropping is a looooong transition. 

[jellybabe]

So we managed to stay awake all day. I took him out at 1pm when its his naptime, and we had a walk outside, just a slow stroll and had lots of rests in between so I doesnt get tired out. He got a bit cranky around 4pm, but just short tempered bursts. Went to bed at 7:30 and he slept thru till 2:45, woke up, and then again at 5:45, and then slept till 7am. He cried both times he woke which is unusual coz he usually just gets up and comes to our room. So probably bad dreams. But it went ok.

I doubt I can get him to nap early morning. In the car he would, but I dont drive, only dh does. In the stroller he wont coz he's too excited about going out lol. I'll just go with what he can do for the day. If he can not stay awake, he can have a quick nap, and if he can, then its great. Its just all about keeping him occupied with low key things.