When do kids stop taking a nap?

[Dreamer_D]

I have no clue. All I know is my almost 3 year old has been fighting it a lot lately and today has skipped it entirely (yes I tried. For an hour. I gave up).

 

[swingirl]

Kids really vary. My DD loved her naps and in preschool (4-5 yrs) would keep napping right through play time. My DS on the other hand, didn't take or need naps. Occasionally he'd poop himself out and want to sleep, but it was nothing regular or required. In preschool he'd have to lay down like all the other kids but he'd stay awake and stare at the ceiling or hum to himself. It used to drive the staff nuts. He also stayed up until 9 pm (elementary school) or later. But once his head hit the pillow he was out within a minute. He slept very soundly including through earthquakes and a 3 alarm fire down the street. We never fought about naps because he seemed to know what he needed.

20 years later...my 24 year old DD still comes home from here classes and takes afternoon naps! And my son can come home at 1 am and get up in time for his morning classes.

 

[junebug17]

My daughter was a little over 4 years, and my son stopped at around 2 and a half. He was definitely under 3.

 

[TravelingGal]

DD, "typically" it's in the 3rd year according to my ped. My rule of thumb is that my kid has to skip the nap half the time for at least a couple of weeks straight . She's skipping more now, but she's also taking them too if she's really tired, so I haven't pulled the plug on naps quite yet.

But of course, I knew 4 year olds who napped and 2 year olds who didn't. If he is napping some of the time, I'd keep at it...that is, assuming you want the quiet time.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Too soon

My son is 3 and gave up naps a long time ago. I think he was around 2 or so. Definitely by 2.5 he had given up naps completely. Every now and then he'll conk (spelling?) out around dinner time and we'll let him sleep about 2 hours but those days are few and far between. He also stays up way too late - around 9pm -10pm and wakes on his own around 8am-9am.

Even my daughter is spotty with her naps. She is 10.5 months old and will usually take only one 2ish hour nap per day. I know my son took at least 2 naps per day at her age.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Depends on the kid. Mine stopped at 2.5 (when I went to Grad school and she started daycare). She was on the nap ban until a few months ago. She still will not nap at home but does fall asleep for an hour at school during their nap time. I think it is because I have to get her up earlier than she is used to or likes during the week. If she skips her nap she is SO crabby.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I guess I am wondering how long to persist in trying to get him to take a nap. Today was not a day for the "mommy hall of fame", I had a terrible time with both kids,no hubby, and Hunter refusing to nap. I persisted for an hour and then gave up. Some days he refuses but will go down after 20 minutes of up and down, others he falls asleep immediately.

 

[Puppmom]

Dreamer, is he crabby without the nap? DD napped until she was 6. When I would pick her up at the after school program, she would be asleep in the teacher's lounge! Oh man, I do not look forward to the nap dropping. That's when I get everything done!

 

[Lottie]

N really didn't want to take a nap from about 18 months onwards and was about two when she dropped them completely. Instead I used to sit down with her to watch a dvd or read books for an hour or so to give her (and me!) a rest and moved her bedtime forward by half an hour to 6pm.

H, I suspect will keep them until he goes to work! He is 16 months and when he is tired he gets his dummy, sits at the bottom of the stairs and points up whilst saying "there!" meaning bed.

 

[diamondringlover]

I think my boys were around 3-4, but every once in awhile when they got older they would go down for a nap, but that was rare...now I cant get them out of bed lol

 

[FrekeChild]

My mom cut me off at 2. Apparently she wanted me to go to sleep before 3am, and apparently taking away my nap was the only thing that worked!

I am still a night owl...when I can be.

 

[Pandora II]

Daisy stopped well before she was a year-old (and she had to be made to nap even then) and has never had one since unless she is ill. She doesn't get overtired or grouchy so it's not really a problem. Her bed-time is between 8 and 9pm and she gets up around 8am.

I did wonder if she would have one at nursery since they have little beds for all the children so they can have a nap after lunch. However there are 4 or 5 kids who don't like to nap who go and read stories instead. Daisy does the stories - she apparently tried the little bed out for size the first week, but hasn't gone near it since.

I didn't nap from about 3 months onwards according to my mother and neither did my husband from 6 months. Our siblings did till they were about 3 years old though.

I think it just depends on the child.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

I think she was around 3? I would put her down for naps and if she went to sleep, great, but if she didn't/wouldn't/couldn't she needed to have some 'quiet time' in her room reading books etc.

I remember working in kindy (the year kids turned 4) we would have nap time after lunch. Everyone would have to lay down on the mat for about 20 minutes regardless if they wanted to or not. Some kids would fall asleep, most would just lie there and pass the time but it was great for calming them all down after running around, if nothing else!