What age do toddlers not need to nap in the afternoon?

Question

My son will be 4 in November, he is currently at home with me during the day, and to have that hours break in the afternoon is a life saver. The problem i'm having is if he doesnt nap, by 5pm he is miserable, which makes me think that he still needs his nap?

He goes off to bed 8pm everynight and wakes up 4.30, sometimes 5.30 depending on how he sleeps, i just feel that he wakes up so early in the morning is because he sleeps too much! But to save myself and him i put him down for an hour so he's not a terror late afternoon.

Also during the night he will climb into my bed 3 to 4 times and everytime i have to get up and put him in his bed, he tells me he doesnt like his bed, so i tried putting his bed in my room next to me but still no luck, i have tried taking his fav toy away, and i really praise and make a big fuss when he does sleep in his bed through the night.

Please give me some advice, i am at a loss and dont know what to do.....

Answer 1

Well in kindergarten they require naps they lay all the kids out on a mat, and they sleep. So, when he reaches first grade that would be best since it isn't required. good luck :)

Answer 2

He needs to go to bed earlier in the evening. My son is also 4 and if he doesn't get his afternoon nap he goes to bed at least an hour sooner than usual. Occasionally he just isn't tired enough at nap time and no matter what I do he won't take a nap so I wait a couple more hours and try a nap later in the afternoon. Usually it works and he's waking up in time for dinner. If he's waking during the night and getting up early in the morning it sounds like he needs more sleep. Try a later naptime and an earlier bedtime and see if it works.

As far as getting up during the night goes, he just wants to be with you. Be consistant and put him back in his room every time. Make an effort to spend time with him before bed with bath and story time. If you stick to it he'll give up after a couple of days.

Answer 3

most kids stop taking naps on their on from 2-5 years old. but you can try having "quiet time" for a few hours. put him in his room and give him books, or let him watch a movie. but it is also a good time to get away from naps anyways if he is going to school soon.

as for him go in your bed, he is still dependent of you and needs your love. he is not ready to let go. let him fall asleep in your bed, and then put him in his bed when he is asleep. it may take months but it will work. give it time.

Answer 4

Well... he's not a toddler anymore, he's a preschooler.  At age 4 I would think he wouldn't be napping anymore, except on certain days where he needs it (usually he'll fall asleep watching TV or something)

Answer 5

there should be no naps so that he will go to bed at a decent hr .Then he should have no problem sleeping through the night. my daughter is 3 and doesnt have a nap any more ,i put her to bed at 7:30 and doesnt wake til 7:30. you wil have to put up with the crankiness . maybe if he went to bed early he wouldnt get up 3 times a nite..

Answer 6

My 5 year old is taking a nap right now. He is such a crab without one. He'll have nap time in his kindergarten class too.

Answer 7

very soon, be patient

Answer 8

i been raising my step sone since he was 3 an he will soon be 6 an going into first grade but he sleeps very good he to use to wake up an come sleep in our room but not any more we put a night light in his room an that helped also when he started preschool at 4 i told him he didnt have to nap no more just go in his room an lay down an relax thats all no gettin up or he would be in trouble bc like you i needed the break so now sometimes he still takes a nap if he is tired an he does it own his own so it all depends its hard to say when your child will grow out of waking early an napping!! hope all works out!!

Answer 9

I currently have a 2 3/4 year old boy. He doesn't NEED a nap to get him through the day, but I give him a 1 1/2 hour nap between 3 and 4pm. At night I put a baby gate up so he can't run all through the house. And he knows not to climb the gate. There are days when a nap doesn't fit into the schedule of the day, but it doesn't seem to bother him.

Teach him that he needs to sleep in his own bed. If you don't allow him sleeping in your bed, the first week or two might be rough, but he will eventually get the idea. Put a little nightlight or a tv with picture but no sound in his room might also help.

Answer 10

try to get him to sleep in his own bed and continue to praise him when he sleeps in his own bed. when he is 4, try to see how he is if he doesn't take a nap. if he is cranky, continue with the naps for a week or 2.

Answer 11

Well it doesn't sound like he is getting too much sleep, if anything he isn't getting enough sleep.  He is only getting 8 1/2 hours at night and maybe a 1 hour nap.  Plus you said he gets up 3 to 4 times a night, which means he is actually not even getting the 8 1/2 hours.  I would try rewards for him staying in his bed all night, have a daily treat like a sticker or jelly bean(or something small).  Then make a weekly chart, after so many days(your pick) of him staying in his bed, he gets something bigger, or you take him somewhere special like the ice cream shop, etc....

Good luck!