my daughter is three in nov and she has cut her naps out. is this ok for her not to have one? i would like her to sleep if she needs it as she is a very active child or should i say hyper! she goes to bed at 7.30 pm and wakes at 8 in the morning.
2006-08-01 05:22:38 · 19 answers · asked by lovelygeorgeoussexy1986 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
unfortunately the best answer to your question is vague. It all depends on the individual. I have had kids (neighbors) that took naps until kindergarten and others still that gave them up all together at 18 months!
My own twins are 2 1/2 and they do still nap but it is not as long as it used to be. In fact one of the twins goes without a nap maybe 2 sometimes 3 times a week, the other naps like it is his job.
What I'm saying is that some kids just require more sleep than others.
You mention that your child is sleeping 12 1/2 hours which if very good. That is a long stretch at night and may be why he isn't sleepy for a nap.
With that said, I would recommend that you institute a quiet time ritual where the child spends some time alone with a book, or toy and quietly play (not tv time). He may choose to nap somedays but a little down time is always a good thing. In addition, quiet play like that encourages imagination and thought.
Best of luck
2006-08-01 06:44:19 · answer #1 · answered by artful dodger 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My daughter will be 3 in October. She sleeps from 9PM to 7 or 8 AM. Then she takes a 1.5 - 2 hour nap around 2 or 2:30PM.
Your daughter and my daughter are getting the same amount of sleep. Yours gets all of hers at night. Mine has to have a nap or she is really crabby in the afternoon. I think the total amount of sleep is what is important. I think at this age, they are supposed to have at least 12 hours. If she is behaving well without the naps, I think it is OK. If my daughter didn't take a nap, I don't know what I'd do. I also have a nine month old so the nap is a nice break for me : )
2006-08-01 07:01:54 · answer #2 · answered by Momof2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say as long her behavior hasn't changed since removing the naps it is probably OK. Most wait until closer to 4 or even 5 before removing the afternoon nap but every child has different needs. She is going to be at a good time and getting up relatively late for a young child so she should be getting enough sleep. Keep an eye for changes in behavior such as acting out or having more accidents than normal...these are red flags that she may need a short nap late in the afternoon.
2006-08-01 06:23:47 · answer #3 · answered by totspotathome 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to say all preschoolers must nap. Now, my 3 y/o only actually sleeps about half the time. He does get extra cranky without one, though. I at least make him have some down time where he just lies in bed looking at books or resting. When he does sleep, it is for about 1 hour. On the other hand, my 8 y/o would still take a 4 hour nap if she had the time. All are different. Once they are overtired, however, they tend to be more hyper. Bottom line - naps are still best - at least try.
2006-08-01 05:31:49 · answer #4 · answered by jsid 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is all up to your child, other children take naps up until 6 years, some quit earlier than that. As long as your child seems well rested and doesnt get cranky during the day, she'll be fine. My 3 year old will be 4 this month on the 13th, he quit taking naps shortly after he turned 2. I knew he didnt need them anymore because he stopped being cranky in the afternoon.
Take this adivce from someone who has 2 kids and one on the way. Its all up to your child and what she needs, even a doctor or nurse would tell you that.
2006-08-01 05:33:35 · answer #5 · answered by feel_n_learn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She's getting more than enough sleep during the night, so she doesn't need a nap.
If anything I wouldn't force a nap on her but instead do Quiet Time.
Tell her she can read a book or watch a movie. I find my son falls asleep faster that way then telling him he has to take a nap
2006-08-02 09:29:28 · answer #6 · answered by ktwister 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My oldest gave up his naps at around 2.5 years. After that he only really napped if he was sick, going through a growth spurt or fell asleep in the car.
My middle napped sometimes between the ages of 2 and 3, but not really reliably.
My youngest is 3.5 years old and still takes approximately a 2 hour nap (sometimes shorter/sometimes longer) most days. She skips maybe once or twice a week.
2006-08-01 05:29:47 · answer #7 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is getting cranky during the day she still needs to have a nap. I had a nanny job and the mom was not making her 4 year-old daughter nap and she would have severe temper tantrums in the afternoon and when I got her to start taking naps she was MUCH better. If she seems to do ok, and has no melt-downs no naps are fine.
2006-08-01 05:27:25 · answer #8 · answered by Ryan's mom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say to try and make her nap after lunch. My son will be three this month and he still naps. Sometimes when I put him in his bed after lunch he will just sit up there and play in his bed and not have a nap but he is relaxing. So I wuld try and have her either have a nap or put her in her bed with a couple of books and let her read by herself...They need some relaxing time, just like you do.
2006-08-01 07:02:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's perfectly normal. My 3 yr old goes to bed at 7 pm and wakes up at 7 sometimes 6:30. Just try to tire her out during the day such as Swimming, riding bikes, walking the dog, playing tag. Eventually she'll sleep some time during the day if she's tired enough
2006-08-01 05:28:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋