Toddler day sleep - when to stop...

Hi. Molly is nearly 3 and a half and still has a sleep in the afternoon. It got to the point where she would sleep 3hrs + :eek: and then would go to sleep later and later at night. So i now wake her up after 1/1/2 hrs (it takes about 1/2hr to wake her up, she likes her sleep ;)) and she goes to sleep much better of a night. She always goes to bed between 7 and 7.30 but the longer her day sleep the later she actually goes to sleep.
On the days she goes to preschool she doesnt have a sleep, and she is mostly fine but goes to bed by 6.30 at the latest as she is totally zonked. I am wondering if other toddlers her age still have afternoon sleeps, and if there is a point at which i should try and keep her up during the day? She has always been a champion sleeper, and i do like my 'time out', but as she starts full days at preschool and then school she wont be able to nap as much...
Thanks
Kell

Honestly if she likes it don't stop it. Leave it up to her! Paris is nearly 5 and sometimes still has an afternoon nap, I still go by sleep cues and if she's acting tired I offer her a sleep and might even say I'm going to nap too so it sounds more appealing. I know her sleep cues pretty well because if we go for a drive when she's tired she'll fall asleep very easily. I was always like this as well as a kid so I think she takes after me. Still as an adult I find at around 2-3 I get a bit sleepy... Some people are born sleepers others are not.

I personally would play it by ear.

*hugs*
Cailin

I don't think many 3.5yos still have a nap. I have heard of kids that don't give it up until they start school, but George is 3 and while he still naps some days, the other children his age that we know don't. Sounds like Molly is at the point where she could give up the nap, but will continue if you decide to push it. You might like to stop the nap, make her bed time 6.30 and then move it to 7 or 7.30 when you feel she's getting through the day without becoming too tired. Or alternatively, if you enjoy having her up in the evenings, you could try to keep the nap and put her to bed at 7.30 or 8. Personally I feel I need the time out after lunch, so when George won't nap anymore I'm planning to introduce quiet room time so he will play by himself while Milly rests and I get a break.

As a child I had "quiet time" until I started school at 5......so even if Molly doesn't "need" the sleep, it gives you all a chance to refresh, IYKWIM?

I would watch her cues and see how you go.......

I have a champion sleeper in Olivia (who is 2 and a half) and I reckon she will be napping until she starts school.....hope so anyway.....when she naps, it is my golden time!!

my ds was exactly the same he used to go for a nap around 1pm and i would have to wake him at 4pm it was lovely, however he went to bed at 7.30pm every night but not actually go to sleep until around 11pm finally christmas eve that was it, after i did the santa thing i went into check on him and he was sitting up reading a book to his teddy, it was around midnight - he never came out but was always a bit tired in the morning, so it became a bit of a vicious cycle he was coming up to 4yrs of age and i stopped his naps, instead i just encouraged quiet time on the couch watching a video just after lunch - some days he slept and some days he didn't. even now at 6yrs of age he gets really tired after school and likes to "chill out" for a while, when he was at kinder quite often he would come home and fall asleep.

it is nice when they sleep like that and you get your golden time you wish sometimes it didn't have to end lol.

*cry*

Marisa stopped before she was 1. Elijah is probably sleeping 40% of the time during the day now and he's 19 months.

*cry some more*

My son isn't as old as your daughter, he is only 2yrs 8mths....but he loves his day sleep. He doesn't always need one but I find if he doesn't he is crazy and very clingy by the end of the day right around when I am cooking tea, which is a little tricky. Lots of people tell me that I should be thankful that he still likes to have a day sleep and I get some time out. I too know that he can't do it forever and I will probably end up having the same problem as you. I find that if it gets to about 3 and he hasn't had a sleep, I just need to try and keep him as busy as possible and just give him plenty of things to do. Sooo I guess I don't really have any advice, it seems to be a hard habit to break. Good luck with it all though, I'm sure I will know soon enough.

Right from the start my son hasnt been keen on sleeping during the day so I have to pat him off for nearly half an hour so he'll sleep for about an hour :eek: oh how much I envy those of you with children who love to sleep! thankfully he sleeps during the night for which I am very grateful, although I must admit that he sleeps with us every night *blushes*

My daughter had a day sleep right up until the day she started school (5 and 1/2 years). She needed it and loved it, and I loved it too!! She now sleeps approx 8pm-7am eaach night. xo

Thanks for all the replies, i guess i will let her go as long as she wants - i do enjoy the quiet time :D