4 signs your toddler is ready to stop napping
4 signs your toddler is ready to stop napping
Remember when your toddler used to nap 3 or 4 times a day? In those first 6 months with your baby it was hard to envision a life without naps! But all good things must come to an end…I’ll be honest I shed a tear the day each of my boys stopped napping.
On some days, no nap gives a new sense of freedom! For the first few years, you’ve been committed to napping at home for at least 1 nap and strategically planning your day.
On the other hand, dropping the nap can quickly lose its appeal as you lose “your time” to rest and catch up on things during the day. Dropping a nap too soon can also and lead to an overtired toddler who is incapable of controlling any and all emotions! Let’s look at 4 signs your toddler is ready to stop napping.
when will your toddler stop napping?
The average age is between 3-4 years, but some will hold onto a nap until kindergarten without overnight sleep being affected!
Just like any transition, sleep needs vary from high to low for each child. While you may see nap resistance earlier than 3 years old, this sign alone does not mean it is time to drop the nap. At the other end of the spectrum, children will need to drop the nap before they enter Kindergarten.
4 signs your toddler is ready to stop napping
Your toddler may show one or all of these signs when they are ready to stop napping. One day of these behaviors is not enough to say it’s time. As with any nap transition, I recommend looking for a consistent pattern occurring over 1-2 weeks. Here are 4 signs your toddler is ready to stop napping
Not tired at bedtime
Has onset protest increased at bedtime as well as the duration it takes for your child to fall asleep at night if they nap during the day? Has the routine become nearly impossible? You may hear things like “I’m not tired!” “I don’t want to sleep!” It is not uncommon for a toddler who needs their nap duration reduced or removed upwards of an hour or longer to fall asleep.
Around age 3, my younger son Brock started to take a LONG time to fall asleep at bedtime. He would sing and sing and sing until 9 or 10 PM! I was ready to turn out the lights and go to sleep and he would still be singing away. At first it was cute, but after a week of it I knew it was time to cut the nap!
Nap resistance
What used to feel like a seamless routine, has now turned into a challenging time for your little one to fall asleep almost to the point that when they do, it is time to turn around and wake them up to preserve bedtime.
Nap resistance is especially common in toddlers who have transitioned out of a crib and to a bed.
skipping naps
Your toddler starts to skip naps and has no problem making it to bedtime. If your toddler can make it through the day and not be cranky and exhausted in the early evening and still make it to a reasonable bedtime then it’s a good sign they are ready to stop napping.
New early morning wakes
Too much sleep during the day can impact your toddler’s sleep drive overnight. I like to think of sleep as a pie. Overnight sleep is the largest piece of the pie and naps are a much smaller piece. The nap piece of pie starts to get smaller as your baby becomes a toddler. If the nap piece of the pie is too big it will take away from the overnight sleep/piece of the pie.
Also, ensure new sleep associations have not snuck back in to respond to these challenges and firm and loving boundaries are well-established with this age-group.
How to be sure your toddler is ready to stop napping
Monitor for one or more of these signs to happen more than 50% of the time over 1-2 weeks. Be sure that these signs are not associated with a life change such as first time in school, new sibling, or moving to a new home that could also result in a change of sleep habits before dropping a nap.
how to help your toddler stop napping
Dropping a nap can be HARD! Some will do it without a blink of an eye and some may still need a nap every few days as their body adjusts.
try capping the nap
Dropping the nap too soon can result in a number of sleep issues. Before dropping the nap completely our first recommendation is to reduce your child’s nap even to 30-45 minutes. This may seem a lot like Goldilocks in finding the “just right” amount for your child to still fall asleep at a reasonable bedtime. If 30-45 minutes still impacts bedtime and their ability to fall asleep then you’re moving in the direction of no nap!
keep a consistent bedtime
Toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children still need an early bedtime.
If bedtime is pushing well past 8 pm with a nap it’s time to reduce or remove the nap. Young children still need 10-12 hours of sleep overnight. And they still wake up early in the morning!
I can tell you from personal experience that dealing with the aftermath of a toddler that went to bed too late is not fun!
When making the transition to no nap, remember you can also move bedtime up to 1 hour earlier as needed based on your child’s sleepy cues.
implement quiet time
We all need down time during the day to help us recharge midway through, especially our toddlers. Establish quiet time from the start!
Depending on your child’s age and level of independence, this may need to be taught. Establish boundaries that work for your family: in their room, no electronics, safe toys to play with that foster quiet play, child-proofed room. Use positive incentives if your child follows the expectations: reward them with special time to celebrate!
Quiet time is always a work in progress at our house. 15 minutes to start was a win! Independent play is one of the best gifts you can give your child and yourself!
sometimes they still need a nap
When you decide it is GO-time, it does not mean your child will never nap again.
If you find they get into an overtired cycle quickly (trust me you will know), it may look like offering a nap every other day or every 3rd day. You can strategically offer a nap on a more busy afternoon, day leading up to a holiday or later evening to help support them.
embracing the milestone when your toddler stops napping
This is a big milestone and one that will take your child time to build stamina and adjust to over-time. Stay consistent with the recommendations when making this transition the new norm. Be willing to commit to an earlier bedtime to benefit your little one’s growing sleep needs and take advantage of the new daytime flexibility.
Need more support
Facing bedtime resistance, nap struggles, toddler repeatedly getting out of their bed? We provide sleep coaching support to toddlers up to age 4. We offer support through coaching calls and 1:1 toddler plans!
