Any other 2.5 year-olds not easily napping anymore

So we go to bed around 8:30 and wake around 7:30, and for a long time now 1:00 naps to about 3 have been the norm, but lately they talk til nearly 2 before they fall sleep, and sometimes they don't nap at all. They don't cry to get out of bed, but just jabber to themselves. They are in separate rooms and always have been. Anyone else???? What should I do?

 

I think it is very common at this age. My son does it sometimes for several days and then goes back to taking naps. If he is trying to take a nap and is quite for 45min to an 1 hour and does not sleep, I let him get out of bed. I will put him to bed a littler early on no nap days if he is getting overtired. One day he was sitting up and I said you can out now. He said, "I tried so hard, mommy" Sometimes they just can't fall asleep.

 

My girls turned 2 in Feb. They have challenges too. If we do too much in the AM, I sometimes miss the "window" and they are overtired. Sometimes, I don't do enough to tire them out. It's hit or miss. I still keep them in there for "quiet" time no matter what.

My girls went to 1 nap b4 their 1st bday (cuz of Syd). so I expect they'll be giving up naps earlier than the norm.

 

I'm sadly in the same boat. I guess I am grateful it has lasted this long, as ds stopped napping all together at two. I still lay the twins down at 2:30 every day. Sometimes they play for several hours. The other day I went in and they were completely naked! they are in separate cribs facing eachother. They sometimes laugh and scream or play and talk. Luckily today they are sleeping so I can get my work done. I work from home and do most of it (like phone interviews - I am a freelance writer/reporter) when they nap. DS usually plays on the computer or watches a video during nap time. I told dh I will still put them down every day whether they nap or not. It's so much calmer that way.

 

My girls stopped napping around 2 1/2 there was nothing I could do, I miss those time

 

I finally had to put them on the sofa, and turn on their favorite cartoons, very quietly, so they really have to listen for it. I do keep them on different parts of the sofa, so they don't fight or bother each other. I also make it as dark as possible, and tell them it's "quiet time." Sometimes, they fight me, but I just tell them they don't have to sleep, just be quiet. I can only count maybe 3 times where they haven't fallen asleep in the past year. I will sometimes lay down with them, and once they fall asleep, I get up, or not. This always works for us! I can even do dishes quietly while they are watching, and keep an eye on them. Every once in awhile, I do have to remind them that it is quiet time. I will say that once I turn off the cartoons, then I can't get them to lay down and rest. The TV is crucial for naps to work for us.

Good luck!

 

Mine are doing the same!! It's a crap shoot whether they take a nap. Mine get up at about 7:30 or 8:00 and go to bed at 8:00 pm. They used to go to sleep at 12:00, but now we don't put them down until 1:00. I'm thinking that we're going to have to push their nap to 2:00. We take them outside on pretty days and run their little legs off, and sometimes they still don't nap. They're in the same room, and we don't have any other options. They chat, and play, and jump in their cribs. We've tried leaving them alone, and going in and settling them down several times. Neither works, they just laugh and get right back up and jump when we leave the room. It's very frustrating and then they crash at around 7:00 if they don't nap.

 

Yep. they pretty much stopped napping a few months ago. Then if they do nap, they stay up till 9:00 or later. I always put them down for their nap and leave them in there from 1:00-3:00. They are rarely unhappy, they are just singing and playing. I still need the "break", and since they are happy and safe, it doesn't really bother me whether or not they sleep. If they don't sleep, bedtime is 7:00.

 

That was the beginning of the end for us! I finally decided it was easier to skip nap than to fight with them to get them to nap Now they get to watch a show while Elizabeth takes her afternoon nap and then they go to bed early.

 

We ended up pushing them back, not trying until about two. they would also lay down with a book. Not to nap but just to "take a break and rest" They would inevitably fall asleep. Not so much now. but when they do, there is a book, sometimes in the face.

 

We stopped trying to force naps last Thursday. In the last week, the girls spent the whole time screaming, pulling fuzz off of their blankets, throwing stuffed animals at each other, and getting naked and peeing in their cribs. Yikes! For some time before that, they didn't sleep either but just sang with each other-too cute-or played with their stuffed animals. We took the downturn in their behavior as a sign that naps were done. My mom reminded me that I stopped napping between 12-18 months and was completely done at 18 months with naps as was she as a child. We have instituted quiet time so DH still gets a break-he's at home with them 3-4 days a week while I teach elem. school. We moved bedtime an hour earlier and things are going better for us.