When do kids stop napping?
Ever heard the expression ‘all good things must come to an end’? It proves true in many cases, doesn’t it? Good books, beach vacations, chocolate cake…sooner or later, good things end.
We can add something else to this list – naps. It’s true! The naps that were (or perhaps are) a regular part of your baby’s life will gradually decrease, and at some point in your little one’s young life, they will stop altogether.
But how do you know when your toddler is ready to drop the last nap and stop napping completely? We are answering that question in today’s article.
Today we’ll outline signs that your toddler is ready to stop napping, as well as share tips for how to handle this transition.
Nap Transitions: A Quick Glance
In the first 12 months of your baby’s life, nap transitions tend to happen fairly quickly. Your baby will transition from 5 or 6 naps each day to just 2 naps in their first year! Then, at some point between 15-18 months, your toddler will transition from 2 naps to just 1.
The age for kids to stop napping varies greatly. Some toddlers stop napping by age 2-3, while other kids will continue to need naps past age 5! However, the average age for kids to stop napping is sometime between age 3 and 4.
3 Signs Your Child is Ready to Stop Napping
Obviously, the window of time in which that transition from one nap to no naps can happen is a BIG window. So even though you know the averages, how can you be sure that your toddler is really ready to drop that last nap? What signs should you look for?
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Taking Too Long to Fall Asleep at Naptime
Your toddler takes a long time to fall asleep at naptime, and generally does not seem tired when naptime rolls around. This is a classic sign that your toddler may be starting to transition away from her afternoon nap. Remember, as your toddler grows, she can gradually handle more awake time during the day. For example, let’s say your toddler normally wakes up at 7 a.m. While it may be true that, just a few weeks ago, she was tired and ready for a nap by 12:30 or 1, as she grows, she will be able to stay awake longer.
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Taking Too Long to Fall Asleep at Bedtime
Your toddler takes a long time to fall asleep at bedtime, and generally does not seem tired when bedtime rolls around. This sign often goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. Let’s say that lately, your toddler has been resisting his afternoon nap, and instead of falling asleep when you lay him down at 1:30 p.m., he does not actually drift off to sleep until 2:30 p.m. This could mean that, instead of waking up at 3:00, he wakes up at 4:00 (or perhaps even later). The problem here is that this later wake-up time will almost surely translate into problems at bedtime.
Of course, even toddlers who nap at their normal times may go on to put up a fight at bedtime. Why? Again, now that your toddler is older, he can handle more awake time. So even his normal nap will eventually be too much afternoon sleep, and it will begin to impact bedtime.
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Skipping Naps
Your toddler skips the afternoon nap entirely, but does not show any negative side effects. If your toddler sometimes skips her nap altogether but seems fine (no crankiness, does not seem exhausted by early evening, can go to bed at a reasonable time, etc.), this is a good sign that she is ready to transition away from her afternoon nap.
Nicole’s Note:
“When my eldest was 2 1/2 years old, he would take his normal nap, which had grown to a glorious 2 1/2 hours, but then he began to need 7 hours of awake time before bed! You can imagine that a 10 pm bedtime was practically past my bedtime! It pained me to cut his nap down and then cut it out completely. His brother, on the other hand, took naps on some days and not others for over a year, yet never reached a 10 pm bedtime (he got pretty close with 9:30, though). Keep in mind, though, that skipping a nap one day here or there is one thing, but every day is quite another.”
Here is something to keep in mind: the signs listed above can seem like problems that we parents need to solve. While this can certainly be true (especially for toddlers who have a history of nap issues, or problems sleeping through the night), these ‘issues’ can also be a sign that it’s time to cut out the afternoon nap. Sometimes, all parents need to do is phase the afternoon nap out of the schedule, and their toddlers’ sleep problems resolve themselves.
How to Help Your Kids Stop Napping
Nap transitions can be tricky. How do you handle the transition from one nap to none?
Well, for starters, keep in mind that it will look different from toddler to toddler. Some toddlers may be able to stop napping from day one, and will almost never need another afternoon nap. Other toddlers may make the transition more gradually.
When Kids Sometimes Nap and Sometimes Don’t
For instance, your toddler might go 3 days without an afternoon nap, but on day 4, he may need that nap. Believe it or not, my middle son did this for over a year! It started out as an every other day thing when he was about 3; he’d nap one day but not the next. Then, over time, he had more and more no-nap days, until we were down to napping once a week, or once every 10 days. It wasn’t until he was about 4.5 years old that he was able to go weeks at a time without a nap.
When Kids Aren’t Tired
As you work through this transition, use your toddler’s cues as a guide. If your toddler genuinely does not seem tired at naptime, then don’t try to force a nap. Instead, have ‘rest time’ – put your toddler in bed with some books and small toys, and have her play quietly for an hour. This is a win for everyone: it gives you a break, it allows your toddler to entertain herself and rest, and, if your little one is tired, she has the quiet and relaxed environment she needs to lie down and sleep.
Adjusting Bedtime for When Kids Stop Napping
Keep in mind, too, that in the early stages of this nap transition, you may need to adjust bedtime a bit. Remember, overall sleep amounts tend to stay consistent for babies and toddlers.
2-year-olds need 12-14 hours of sleep each day, while 3 years olds need more like 11-13 hours.
So, if your toddler is no longer napping, he may need to go to bed a bit earlier (and he may wake a bit later in the morning) in order to compensate for that missing daytime sleep. This is normal. Or, if your toddler is like my middle son, on the days when he does nap, you may have to wake him from sleep (to be sure he doesn’t sleep too late into the evening).
No Nap, Rest Time Toy Ideas
PRO TIP: Have several items that will live in a special “rest time only” box or closet. Before rest time, allow your toddler to choose one or two for that day. After rest time is over, have him or her put them back in place. These toys are only available for rest time, which will make rest time more appealing and fun and avoid your toddler from getting tired of them. Win, win!
Here are a few ideas for rest time toys:
Books – We spent SOOO many hours with this book! Looking at all the animals. The book is so colorful that it keeps toddlers busy for long periods of time. There are other books in the series with different types of animals, colors, trucks, things that go, and numbers. Choose any topic and your toddler can marvel in whatever they might be interested in.
Hot Wheels – These Hot Wheels cars kept my boys occupied for hours. Of course, toddlers want to play with cars throughout the day so consider having specific cars just for rest time. Or, you can consider having a Hot Wheels Garage or other accessory that’s just for rest time. Just make sure it’s not something they need help with since the goal is independent play.
Puzzles – Melissa & Doug make some wonderful products. These puzzles are so great to keep toddlers occupied and help them learn spacial recognition. There are many different themes for these puzzles so choose one that appeals to your toddler from dinosaurs, marine life, farms, and more. The big pieces make it a lot easier for toddlers to do on their own.
Latch Board – Puzzles not your toddler’s thing? Try this Latches Board instead! You open the latch and see something inside. This will help your toddler work on their fine motor skills without even knowing it!
Duplo Legos – These large legos are perfect for little hands! Let your toddler use their imagination during rest time and build to their heart’s content.
Little People – Many toddlers love to play with dolls and people so they can play make-believe. These Little People toys are great for all types of toddlers.
Nadia says
My daughter turned 3 a couple of months ago and simply stopped napping cold turkey. I would do quiet rest time in her room and she’d happily ‘read’ her books or do stickers till I come get her. The problem is however that she never falls asleep in her bed anymore and is visibly way over tired and cranky early evening. If we drive anywhere during or after her usual nap time she will pass out within minutes which makes it clear to me that she is not ready to drop it but how can you force a toddler to sleep? With the non napping I try to take her to bed 12-13 hours after waking up (she’s always been an early riser between 5&6) but her younger sister is not ready for bath and bed time that early yet which has now resulted in us bathing them separately which just feels silly! PS we have taken out one of your plans and will be sleep training our youngest in the next couple of weeks. Just need to build up the courage 😉
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi Nadia,
Thank you for writing to us, and thank you for your purchase! I found your purchase for your younger child, and please do reach out to your consultant for help at any time! She is standing by and ready to give encouragement as you need it! : )
I’m sorry to hear your family is having nap problems with your three year old too. We know how tough this can be, especially balancing both schedules! She may need some more opportunities for nap-times, and we would love to help! DId you know that we have options for adding a sibling to your current purchase? We have MUCH experience working with multiple children within one family, and we offer a couple of different “add-on” options for families who need help for more than one child. You are able to purchase a Basic Add-on, or our Deluxe Add-on. In either case, you get help for both children, and you are able to use your remaining 3 follow up email consultations for either child! This will be a great way to get a Plan for both, and a schedule that will work for both too!
To read check out our sibling options, please login to your Helpdesk account, click on “Purchase Services” at the top, then click on the “Siblings” tab to choose a sibling add-on option that best fits your family’s needs.
Hang in there Nadia, and please let us know if you need any assistance at any time!
Bonnie says
Hello, my 45 month old wil be 4 years old soon and the past few weeks she is skipping naps at home or taking a long time to fall asleep. She used to nap130pm to 330pm but not she falls asleep 2:15pm to 330pm. Some days she refuses to nap but she will still nap at daycare when she is there. If she naps, she has a hard time falling asleep at bedtime. She’s usually in bed by 8pm and asleep by 830pm but now she doesn’t fall asleep until 9pm or slightly later and she wakes up in the middle of the night or around 630am (her usual wake up time so she doesn’t sleep in). Does this mean I should remove her nap and just do quiet time insyead or keep her nap even though bed time is pushed later? If I removed map time, she does fall asleep by 730/8pm. Thanks!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Bonnie, thanks for writing! I was in the same boat with you a few months ago, my son just turned 4 last week. I think all kids are different, but my findings were the same as yours. I transitioned him to a rest time, but he would fall asleep sometimes, and I just make sure to wake him by 3:30 or else (like you said) he would take forever to fall asleep at night. I think he’s finally done with naps, he hasn’t taken one in about a month and is happy as can be, however I have noticed how essential the rest is for him! He just needs the time to unwind and I let him play quietly in his room (and if I’m being honest, I need the time myself!!). It was took months before he totally stopped napping so I just set up the opportunity for it to happen and didn’t sweat it if he didn’t sleep. I hope that helps!
Bonnie says
Thanks Janelle! I appreciate your reply. If your son did take a nap, you were ok with him going to bed later? Just wondering if I should try to remove the nap and keep her up so she doesn’t fall asleep and end up with a late bedtime?
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Bonnie – Thank you for writing back. Janelle is out of the office, but we wanted to get you a timely reply! Since you mention your daughter having a tough time without the nap, we would likely recommend continuing to offer that nap or quiet time! She does not sound quite ready to drop it completely, and perhaps she will nap occasionally if you continue to offer it! Bedtime can be a bit earlier if she does not nap too. : )
Good luck!
Carolina says
Hi, my little one just turned 2 a few weeks ago, and now refuses to nap. he use to nap for at least 2 hours everyday. but Ive tried everything to get him to go to sleep, rocking and finally cry it out, and he would just cry the whole hour. When he doesn’t nap he doesn’t seem tired, or in a bad mood and behaves rather well, and by 730 he’s exhausted. He seems fine not napping, but I feel like he’s too little not to. Help!
Danielle says
Hi Carolina,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! I’m sorry to hear you’ve bumped into nap troubles with your toddler. It sounds like his sleep needs may have changed recently, which can happen right around this age. We have an article with some suggestions I think will help here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/5-things-about-2-year-old-toddler-sleep-2/
Please let us know how it goes – good luck!
Janet says
I’m a bit at a loss lately. Our child is 28 months old at the time and up until a few weeks ago he napped perfectly, even though of course we’ve had some ups and downs along the road and also stretches of no napping. He usually sleeps about 1 1/2 hours but recently had a phase of sleeping 2-3 hours. He’s back to 1 1/2 h now.
Anyway, he used to go down for his nap between 12 and 1, and even though he sometimes woke up a little cranky, he was fine and rested a few minutes after.
But lately he doesn’t want to nap, for a start. It takes quite a bit of convincing and I can spend over 1 hour to talk him into it (which is annoying), sometimes he doesn’t agree to the nap until 2 pm. But once he’s in his bed, he falls asleep very quickly. So far, so good.
The problem is that when he wakes up, all hell breaks loose. Nothing’s right for him, he just cries and screams and gets mad about pretty much everything. We try to cuddle him, offer him food, play, nothing really works. We’ve had days of him crying for over one hour and it takes several hours for him to be back to his normal happy self.
So I can’t help but wonder if it might be time to try and skip the naps if they just make him miserable afterwards (when they’re supposed to make him feel better) or if it’s just a phase and we sit it out.
What do you think? Could this be a sign that we should try to drop it? We’ve had days without naps very few times, but when we did, he was mostly fine in the evening.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Janet, thank you for writing to us. I’m sorry you’ve been struggling with your 2 year old’s naps recently. This can be a challenging age for sure, I remember it well with my oldest and am getting nervous because my second one is getting close to that age as well. 😉 Most toddler’s drop the nap between 3 and 4 years of age, so I would recommend holding onto it, especially since he is still taking one every day. It is a tough age with still lots of development and the nap certainly helps, even though he is waking up cranky. Hopefully that phase will pass or maybe he just has some more alone time after the nap is over to change his attitude a bit. Here is a link to a free guide that has tips for toddler sleep that may help provide some more ideas on how to manage the cranky months you’re in (as well as his debate with you about napping and when to start it): https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddler-sleep-tips
If you need more help, please let us know! We have a ton of different resources that can help provide more information for your situation. Hang in there!
catbee says
When our youngest daughter was 15 months old, she boldly announced, “NO naps!”. I was like, “No naps? What do you mean ‘no naps’!? I thought maybe she was simply testing boundaries but it wasn’t just testing:( She NEVER took a nap again, no matter how hard I tried to get her to. I was beyond exhausted as she was a high energy, always-testing type child and I was worn to a thread.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Catbee, wow! I am sorry you experienced this, but hopefully you found something you can make work for her new schedule that works for the whole family so you are not constantly feeling worn. If you need any help, let us know!
Amanda says
Sleep post… some advice please, though not controlled crying/sleep training as I can’t do that.
So baby number 2 is due in just over 5 weeks. My son is a NIGHTMARE at bedtime. He takes up to 1hr45 mins to get to sleep at night. He just seems to take so long to wind down. If I leave the room to go to the toilet or get a drink he literally screams so much that he makes himself sweat, is almost sick and then takes a good 15/20 mins to calm back down again.
He goes down for a nap some time between 12:30-1 and I always wake him up by 2. He won’t nap in his cot anymore (and whilst heavily pregnant I’m not in the mood to argue) so he goes in his pram in the hallway with white noise. I can leave him out there and he falls asleep on his own happily after some playing in his pram. He will also drop off in the car around this time if we are heading out somewhere and will fall asleep very quickly. He goes down for his nap easily at nursery too.
We have had a couple of days when he hasn’t napped but he’s then been an overtired nightmare at bedtime and bedtime is just as bad.
On Saturday we went out with friends for the day and whilst he usually sleeps in his pram after lunch he was too excited to sleep as he was having too much fun playing with my friends older daughter. So we left at 2:30 I sat in the back of the car so he wouldn’t fall asleep as was an hour journey and when we got home we did tea / bath / bed all an hour earlier than usual… he then went to sleep in half an hour. He still only slept 11 hours (when he naps he sleeps 10 hours at night) but he was asleep by 6:55.
Right… if you’ve got this far, well done.
So what’s happening? Is he trying to drop his nap? Do I need to start doing everything an hour earlier, get him used to falling asleep and not having the nap then pushing it slowly back?
Only thing is a 4:30 tea isn’t workable 2 days a week whilst he’s at nursery…. well not before I go on mat leave. So do I let him have his nap on a Tues/Weds whilst he’s at nursery then not the rest of the week?
OR does he still need the nap and 2years 1 month is too early to drop it?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Amanda and thank you for sharing you story with us. I am so sorry to hear you’ve been struggling with your toddler’s sleep – this is so stressful to deal with while NOT pregnant, so I am sure this has been extra difficult for you. This is a tough age for toddler’s and it is super common for a nap protest to occur around this age. The typical age to drop a nap is between 3-4, so it is likely this is a 2 year regression and hopefully with consistency and sticking to his schedule things will balance back out again. Here is a link to a free guide with tips on how to deal with toddler sleep issues that you can download here as it is quite different than when they were babies: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddler-sleep-tips
If you need more help I think working one-on-one with a sleep consultant would be a great option as they will be able to talk through your specific situation and create a plan of action for you to get through this, and if you find you need help with your new baby they can definitely help with that transition from 1 to 2 as well. If you’re interested you can read more information about our personalized consultations here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
I hope this helps! Hang in there and let us know if you have any other questions!
Cammie says
Hi- my daughter is 3.5 and has been recently waking at 5:45 am consistently (she goes down at 7:45 but doesn’t fall asleep until 8 pm.) She then of course is exhausted come nap time and gladly accepts the nap, though I wake her after an hour to try to get her to sleep as many of these hours at night as possible. I’m thinking of eliminating the nap in hopes she will take the extra hour at night and wake later…will she? Is it time? Thank you!
Danielle says
Hi Cammie,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! We do see a rise in early waking especially in the summer. If you’re ready to drop the nap, many 3.5 year-olds can do that just fine. It may take her a few weeks to adjust to the new schedule and be less tired in the afternoon. If you’re not ready to drop the nap, you can try offering a bedtime snack to rule out whether she’s waking from hunger or not – sometimes, they need a few more calories to make it to 7AM 🙂 I hope this helps – good luck!
Marietta says
My son just turned two and I’m wondering if he’s ready to stop napping. He does seem very sleepy by around 1:30 or 2 o’clock, however, if I let him nap for an hour to an hour and a half, he doesn’t go to sleep until 9:30 to 10 o’clock at night. In the past few days, I didn’t let him take a nap in the afternoon, and this way he goes to sleep at a decent time – between 8:30 and 8:45 and wakes up around 7:30 in the morning. He also wakes up in the middle of the night and tries to climb in bed with us, but I take him back to his room and he goes back to sleep. I’m glad he goes to sleep at a good time when he doesn’t nap, but he’s very tired at some points in the afternoon and I’m not sure how to handle it.
Danielle says
Hi Marietta,
Thanks for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! It can be tough to know when it’s time to drop the nap! Some 2 year-olds can drop it fine, as long as bedtime is early enough. It can take a good couple of weeks for a baby to adjust to the new schedule, so if you just started dropping, give it some time. Or, doing a nap every couple of days can be a good way to help him “catch up” while he adjusts. You just want to make sure he seems happy and not overtired during the day. Hope this helps!
Brandy says
My son will be 3 in 2months and I’ve been reaing up on transitioning from nap time to rest time because about a month ago he stopped taking naps on the weekends (his weekday naps are at daycare). He hasn’t shown any negatives signs from not napping. But this last week he has stop napping at daycare which is a problem for them. He is keeping all the other kids up who are trying to nap. They’ve talked about suspending him because of that and not listening to his teachers, yes suspending a not yet 3yr. old. They send him to the infant room, which knocks their ratio off of staff to children. Any suggestions I can give his teacher at daycare?
Danielle says
Hi Brandy,
Thank for your comment and for reading The Baby Sleep Site! Wow, I have never heard of a daycare that would insist on a 3 year-old sleeping and threaten suspension for skipping a nap – I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that! Although many kids keep the nap until age 3-4, it is equally common for some children to stop napping at 2 years-old. It’s hard to believe they’ve never dealt with this issue before. My only suggestion is to talk to the daycare director to develop a plan for quiet time activities for your son to be engaged in while others are napping, or to find an alternative childcare situation with teachers who will work with kids who naturally drop their naps around this time. I really hope you can work something out. Good luck!
Leigh says
My toddler just turned 3 years and will not nap at the usual time. I have tried moving the nap to earlier and later to see if this helps, but she won’t sleep. I’m not sure if she is just switching to no naps, but by 5pm she seems over tired. I tend to put her to bed around 6pm and she falls asleep soon after, but can wake anytime from around 5am to 6am. Is this fairly normal or should she still be napping. She spends more time awake, but has taken a rare nap now and again. She tells me she doesn’t want to nap. I put her in her room for quiet time, as her baby sister sleeps downstairs in our room and the noise can keep her baby sister awake or wake her up. I can’t move her baby sister upstairs, as she has medical needs. If she is ready to give up naps, I’m just wondering if I should just cut them out altogether.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Leigh, thank you for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource for sleep help! I have been where you are! When my son turned 3 it was like something happened and he suddenly fought me on naps. It is normal to transition to no naps between 3-4 years old, but we do suggest transitioning to a rest time to give them (and you!!!) some time alone to reset a bit. For several months my son would switch from having a day where he just played quietly in his room and other days he fell asleep so you may decide to not give up on the rest time idea quite yet. If you need help with this or her wakings get earlier, our sleep consulting team would love to help! You can view our options to work with them here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
I hope this helps!