19month old dropping lunchtime nap

[Lou]

My 19 month old, appears to want to drop her lunchtime nap. Since she was about 11months she has just had the one long nap around 1 ish, normally for 1 1/2 - 2hrs....but just recently when I put her down she spends about an hr and a half just chatting to herself. Which was fine, as I guess she is still kind of resting. But a few times now she has really resisted going into her cot. I am sure she is too young to drop this nap and am hoping if I persist with putting her down, she'll realised it's nap time!!

Has anyone else experienced this at this age? What age is it normal to drop daytime sleeps? Without meaning to sound selfish I am not ready for her to drop this nap!!

Any advice??

[savage]

Hi

What time are you putting her down, you could try making it later? I did this with my son and it worked. He finally dropped his nap just before he turned 3.

Kate

[Lou]

I normally put her down at 1. If I do it later, wondering if it'll affect her going to bed at 7....probably worth a try though! Thanks

[Pickle]

... or try doing more energetic things in the morning? I use this approach with my 2 and they have a lunchtime nap from around 12.30 - 2.30/3ish (my son will be 3 in January and he would happily sleep all afternoon if I let him!). I try to keep them on the go non stop from when they wake in the morning, a mixture of running round, groups, activities etc.

I'm all for keeping the nap going as long as possible, as it's what keeps me sane ;-)

[Smiler]

My 18 month old is doing the same thing (and apparently I did at that age and just stopped napping), argh! Only had an hour or hour and a half, but still a nice break.

A friend suggested giving an early lunch, e.g. 11.30, so that they run out of energy and have an early afternoon nap (with a later lunch they get an energy boost just as getting tired). Am also doing the "keep busy in the morning" thing. Mixed success so far. And she goes to bed at 8. Awful.

[crompo123]

hi Lou- just wondered what time she wakes up in the morning....my 21 month old gets up 6-6.15am-ish, and she's ready to have a lunch time nap around 12-12.30 for an hour and a half, then to bed by 7.30. I suppose i'd rather have more time in the evening and a lunch break rather than stay in bed in the morning...i guess its about making compromises as always.

[toast]

Big believer in no napping past 3.30 rule (anything more and they wake up that much earlier in the morning). Mine are always going through fazes of going off naps when life gets particularily interesting, never lasts. Knacker them out in the morning and keep up your end of the routine and hopfuly they will get back on track.

Like pickle i have to keep up the naps or life gets too tricky!

[craigy]

my little man is 2 yrs and 5 months and toying with the idea of giving up the nap (i am not ready mainly as i have a exam in 5 weeks and this time is my revision time) and goes through these stages every so often- we are currently in one of these phases... it may be something that passes with time..

i too run him ragged in a morning and if not awake will not let him sleep beyond 7.30 in the morning... also if he doesn't go to sleep i do not go to him until 3..

i know some children who dropped the nap early but it is doubtful that yours would be one if she normally enjoys a long 2 hour nap... how does she cope for the rest of the day without sleep and can she manage more than a couple of days without one??? that would be the clue as to whether she needs it or not...

[ludoscotts]

hi my little one has never napped for long but she is now 22 months old and her nap has gone for good. she started dropping it around 2 months ago and now it has def gone. the only good thing about it is that she is sleeping later in the morning now. we had a week or 2 of her being grumpy in the afternoons but no matter what we tried(moving lunch, going out in buggy, later to bed, earlier up in the morning etc) she just wouldnt sleep and then stopped going in to her cot just for a rest. but after an adjustment time she is now sleeping later in the mornings so im getting more rest before starting the day so dosent feel so bad now. hopefully if yours has dropped naps for good once they adjust they will make up the time at the start or end of the day too.