The No-Nap Debate

Like it or not, we seem to be entering a time of change here in this new year.  My girls are growing up, a fact that is more and more evident every day.

The most dramatic change, according to Jeremy and me, is that A & M seem to be ready to begin dropping their nap most days.  (Cue the moans of horror...)  I don't really want to do this, and J is adamant that we can't give up our weekend naps, but as the weeks go by I am more convinced that's where we are heading. 

On school days, the girls still have nap time and will continue to do so next year, I believe.  But they're so much more active on school days, I think they need it more.  Plus, it's a limited time-frame (I'd say an hour and a half at the most) and it's earlier in the day.  Still, there have been a few days lately where their teachers reported one or both didn't sleep at all or for very long. 

Why am I thinking it's time to mostly drop the nap on weekends and the days they are at home all day?  Well, here's the thing:  When A & M don't have a nap (or they have a school day nap), they are easily in bed and asleep between 8:00 and 8:30, which I consider an ideal bedtime.  They still sleep until 7:00-7:30 (occasionally even later) the next morning, and all is well.  On the days when the girls have quality afternoon naps at home (Fridays and weekends, for the most part), it doesn't matter what time I put them in bed, they don't seem to fall asleep until late.  They aren't acting up, just sitting in bed reading, talking, singing, and playing pretend games between themselves.  While this generally isn't too big a deal, and at least A & M are being good while not sleeping, it does bother me that they can't seem to fall asleep until as late as 10:00 or after sometimes.  They will often sleep later the next morning--Addison has been known to sleep until 9:00 or later on occasion--but still, I'm thinking the steadier, consistent bed- and wake-times are probably better overall.

Also?  I like MY time at night, and if it begins at 8:30, I'm a happy mama.  (I know I'm not alone in this!)

I'm not declaring war on naps and I'm not ending them altogether.  Will there still be days when a nap is totally necessary?  Absolutely...whether it be necessary for A & M or for Jeremy and me.  We LOVE Sunday naps in particular, and those will be hard to part with, so we may just try shortening them a bit.  I'm also a fan of "rest time", during which I might let the girls watch a movie on the couch while I catch a few minutes of precious recovery time myself. 

I never, EVER, thought I'd see this day, where I am debating the merits of voluntarily reducing the quantity and length of the girls' naps. Sigh....

What is the status of naps in your house?  Do you notice a difference at bedtime if you have dropped them?   Were you sad to see them go?

(If I was a stay-at-home mom talking about ending naps, I would cry.  For real.)