How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

DS is 27 mos and very active. He will take a 3 hour nap if I let him. He takes his nap on the early side b/c of the length. Goes down around 12 and the problem is that we have to get ready to pick up my 5 yr old at 3pm so I end up having to wake him up. Feel bad about it but what can you do.

Also, he has moved into a twin bed with big sis b/c #3 needed the nursery so bedtime has turned into a total slumber party. He used to go to bed at 6:30pm and wake at 6:30am now he's falling asleep like 8:30 b/c they go to bed later like 7 and then fool around til 8:30. DH is thinking I should wake him from nap so he'll go down better at night.

What would you all do? Wake him? If so, at what point? One hour. Hour and a half. Two hours? Dd used to take a 2 hr nap every afternoon at that age. My cousin's daughter took a 3 hr nap every day so I didn't think it was a problem b/c he does go down at night. His sister and his new freedom is what's keeping him up at night not the nap, kwim?

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

Every kid is different.... my first would nap 2.5-3 hours. Never had a problem at bedtime

My second... usually about an hour. Sometimes a little longer. Still get a problem going to bed.

I would leave it as is. Maybe you can move up his nap gradually a half hour or so. He might wake up on his own that way before you need to wake him.

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

My son will nap anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours a day with an occasional 3.5 hour nap; most days it's right around 3 hours though. He goes down between 1pm & 2pm & his bedtime is anytime between 8pm & 8:30pm (we base it on how late he napped & how tired he looks). We only wake him if it seems like he's going to sleep later than 5pm since I think any later than that is too close to his bedtime. He usually sleeps about 10-11 hours at night since he hears us getting ready for work in the morning, but he sleeps 11-12 hours on the weekends.

I probably wouldn't change his night routine. Like you said, it's more about getting used to sharing his room w/his sister than his nap time & I don't think that 8:30 is an unreasonable bedtime for a 27m old. Hopefully the novelty of the new room will wear off soon & he'll fall asleep a bit earlier

Message edited 2/29/2012 10:07:33 AM.

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

22 month old naps 3 hours at home on weekends and 1.5 hours at daycare during the week

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

I'm sorry, I'm just laughing at the thought of trying to get my 2.5 year old to take a nap.

She hasn't taken a nap since she was 18 months old.


I'm very jealous of you ladies.

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

My 2.5 year old goes down around 1230 for 1.5-2.5 hrs. No need to wake him, he does it all alone. His naptime does not effect his bedtime. He's in bed no later then 8.

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

My DS is 26 months and goes down around noon for his nap. He naps anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hrs (2 being the average).

I don't usually need to wake him up but, occasionally I will if it looks like it will be 3+ hrs.

DS gets up around 6-6:30am and goes to sleep between 8:30-9pm.

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

My DS sleeps for 3 hours during the day, but usually from 2-5 or from 2:30-5:30.

It makes his bedtime later, which isn't that great.

I'm hoping that when the weather gets nice and he's outside more, that he'll get tired earlier and go down for his nap closer to 1:00.

We haven't woken him from his nap yet, because we technically don't need to be anywhere. He's with my mom, and I don't get to her house until 6pm anyway.

Re: How long is your 2 1/2 year old's nap (and do you wake them)

DS is 28 months. He's up for the day around 7:15-7:30AM. He goes down for a nap around 12:45 and falls asleep around 1. I don't let him go past 3:30PM (2.5 hrs). Were he to go down for a nap earlier I would let him nap longer but I don't go past 3:30 bc it interferes with bedtime. It already takes him about 40 minutes to fall asleep at night which means he's falling asleep at 8:30-8:45. Too late in my opinion but I know he needs to nap so for now I'm not changing anything.

But, I have been noticing that some days he is napping much less, 1hr 30 or 1 hr 45 so I don't have to wake him.

I think that it's fine to wake him after a 3 hour nap, that's pretty long.