Hello!

The little ones are 3 and just turned 4. Sometimes they are refusing to have an afternoon nap. I don’t mind this as we swap it for reading books time. The thing is that when they both get tired even refusing to sleep they don’t play well together. We confiscate anything they both fight over as they are normal kids and want the same thing which is not always possible. What do you think about naps?


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  • It all depends on the child and how earl you they are at getting up in the morning. My kids were around three when the naps stopped. My grandson is three and barely has a nap now, but if it seems he’s over tired, he will get put to bed for an hour or two


  • First of all, every child and every adult is different.
    My youngest is 4yrs old and turns 5 next week. She’s very active and still has a nap. I regard naptime as holy, because then I can have a nap too. Plenty of articles out there about the benefits of daytime napping, also for adults. A short nap is usually recommended (20-30 minutes) for short-term alertness. This type of nap provides significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep.


  • My daughter was two and a few months when she decided to stop having afternoon naps, some days are ok and others are hell! I think it depends on how well they sleep the night before and what they are doing that day (if they are just chilling at home then won’t need a nap but if they are out and playing or going to the park etc they will need one). I wish my daughter would nap I miss my quiet arvos!


  • I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule but as long as you start weaning off a nap before they start kindy


  • I find with my friends children, my niece and even my baby that if naps aren’t done before they get sleepy they will be like this. I find a set routine of napping times really does help.


  • My little girl is 5 year old and she stopped having nap when she was 2 year old. No one could make her sleep, but when she goes to bed at night she just sleep through the night.


  • This is a really hard stage, and it often hits because of preschool. To some extent, you just have to weather it.


  • We stopped naps when it started impacting on what time my daughter was going to sleep at night. If she napped in the day she wouldnt go to sleep until 9pm or later which was ridiculous! If they are falling asleep at a normal time while still having a nap then they might still need it.


  • Naps should be an individual thing. Some children need them all the time and others grow out of napping early. 2 of my children refused to have a nap by the time they were 3 but the others were still wanting an afternoon nap when they were school age. Each child id different so their needs are different.


  • I think that when your child feels that they no longer need an afternoon they will let you know.


  • Thankyou. One did not have a sleep today and the other one did. It was easier for the one that didnt nap


  • Both my boys gave up naps at about 2 (unless they were at daycare).


  • My kids are 6,5,2. my oldest had his naps till he was 3 and a half. My daughter gave them up when she was 18 months old. My youngest only occasionally has them, I dont force him to have a nap as that only upsets him. So sometimes i turn around and find he has gone into his bedroom and put himself to bed for a nap. I have found as long as they are happy and sleeping well at night thats the most important thing.


  • Some kids will nap and some kids will not nap. No ‘nappers’ here; so we made it quiet rest and book time. Sleeping through the night has always been more important in this household.


  • My daughter stopped napping at 1 year and 7 months. Till then she slept 10 hours in the night and then a couple of hours in the afternoon. Since she stopped napping, she slept 12 hours in a row.


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