When Do Toddlers Stop Napping?

44 Comments

  1. Michelle

    My 2 year old has been fighting us at nap time for a while now. If he doesn’t nap then he’s cranky and miserable by the time we start getting him ready for bed, making the process take longer.

    But he fights for so long that by the time he does fall asleep, then he’s napping too late in the day and we either have to wake him up early and he’s miserable or let him sleep and then he’s not tired at bedtime.

    He has no problem napping at daycare, or for my parents. It’s just my husband and I that have a hard time.

    My son will do anything and everything to keep himself awake, even if he’s exhausted just because he doesn’t want to nap.

    I’m not sure what else to do. We have tried everything we can think of but nothing works unless he decides he wants to nap.

    He enjoys rocking to sleep, and he has never napped in his crib because he prefers being close to us when napping. He sleeps perfectly fine in his crib at night though. But we do have a cot for him that we set up in the living room so he can feel comfortable since we are right there usually folding laundry or something.

    It’s so hard not to get frustrated when he’s starting to fall asleep and then suddenly will start kicking and moving around or laughing as he tries to get you to play with him so he doesn’t have to go to sleep. Or get off his cot to drink some water even though he just had a drink before laying down.

    I know he’s probably just excited on the one day all of us are home together and just wants to spend the time with us, which I love. But it makes our one day off that much more exhausting just trying to battle him for a nap.

    Please, if anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate anything. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Michelle,

      I’m so sorry to hear about your sleep struggles. From what I understand, your 2 year old is fighting naps, getting cranky, and not feeling tired at bedtime. He also likes getting rocked to sleep.

      It’s hard! I get it. And I’m so proud of you for trying your best and also reaching out to us!

      We actually have a program totally designated to big kids, because of how tricky sleep can be at this age! It’s called Big Kid Sleep Made Simple, parents have seen incredible results with this program. We would love to help you too, so your little guy will finally nap and fall asleep easily (without crankiness or help). It’s possible, I swear!

      Here is the link:
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/big-kid-sleep-training

      We’d love to have you. Let me know if you have any questions.
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  2. Hannah

    thank you for this! my two-and-a-half year old is is fighting his nap time and bedtime waking up in the night coming out of his room. we are currently putting him back in continuously.
    he was so exhausted he fell asleep at 5 p.m. and I couldn’t wake him last night but then he woke up at 2am and we put him back for hours and then gave up at 6am.
    he started climbing out of his cot last week so he’s now in his big boy bed… are we writing the technique we’re doing and do I sort night-time out before nap time? as I am tempted to taking for a trundle in the pram just to get him to sleep because otherwise you’ll be overtired for going to bed?
    so difficult to know what to do:) x

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Hannah,

      Wow – you’re going through a lot right now. A toddler who’s fighting naps, bedtime, climbs out of the crib and moving to a big boy bed. This is A LOT!

      Luckily, we cover every single topic (and more) in our brand new program – Big Kid Sleep Made Simple. This program will help you move your little one to a big kid bed, get him sleeping all night and for naps there!

      It’s not really about details such as the pram as you’re mentioning, we rather focus on the big picture and THEN go through each detail of your child’s sleep. I’m 100% sure we can help you reach your goals!

      Join here:
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/big-kid-sleep-training

      We’ll be waiting for you.
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  3. yasmin90

    Hi, my 22 month old has stopped day time napping the last week. he isn’t cranky and is full of energy so much so that I’m bringing him out to play football twice daily ontop of a walk. I got him to nap the other day but it was only for an hour then woke up then slept a bit longer but meant bedtime was much much later. not sure what to do?

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Yasmin,

      Ah, sorry to hear that bedtime is tricky to figure out. I understand! When we change our schedule, it can be hard to find a new one.

      I can’t tell you much here, because I don’t know enough about your lifestyle or your baby’s routine. I think the best thing you can do is book a consultation with our sleep coach Alyssa and give her all the details, so you can together figure out a new routine that works for you. How does that sound?

      The link is here:
      https://programs.babysleepmadesimple.com/30-minutes-private-consultation-checkout/

      I hope you join the call and get a new routine that you love!
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  4. Lauren Reagan

    Hi there! Any tips to help an autistic child transition into their own sleep space? My pediatrician is at a complete loss aside from just continuing to bedshare (which we’ve done since she was 4 days old) she’s 1.5years old now and I would love for her to be in her toddler bed by age 2 (she can climb out of a crib and is also able to climb on and off our big bed already). If I roll out of bed even if she’s in a deep sleep she is hyper sensitive to touch and wakes up within 10-20 min and due to the autism is unable to regulate herself and won’t/can’t calm down and go back to sleep with me. She will not allow anyone other than me to put her to sleep which gets exhausting. She will just scream for hours if my husband for example tried to put her to sleep. Melatonin doesn’t work (used at direction of pediatrician because most autistic children do have sleep issues). She is on a waitlist for a developmental pediatrician that works with kids on the spectrum and brain scans getting done in reference to the sleep issues but it’s a 5-6 month waitlist. I’m just at a loss, the pediatrician is at a loss, and this momma is exhausted and ready for sleep. Any tips on getting autistic children to sleep a little more independently? Thank you

    Reply
    • Ingrid

      Hi Lauren! Thank you so much for your message. As of right now, our program doesn’t include specialized advice for families with autistic children. However, I will send you a link to a sleep consultant specializing in special needs kids, which I think could be very valuable to you! Please look for an email from Support@BabySleepMadeSimple.com Thank you so much! Ingrid, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  5. Claire

    Hello! I’m glad I found your article. I’m hoping for some advice! My son seems to fit in several categories in both the “needs a nap” and “doesn’t need a nap” paragraphs. He turned 2 on May 31, 2022 so he is 24 months old. For the past several months (I remember this starting right after daylight savings time, so mid-March when he was 21 months old) he has taken at least an hour to fall asleep. He is content in his crib, but talks to himself and rolls around for an hour+. Naptime is at 12:30, usually lasting 2-2.5 hours and bedtime is at 7:00. We have tried moving bedtime back to 7:15 and 7:30, neither of which seem to make a difference and he just ends up being awake an hour from the new bedtime. I wonder if nap needs to be cut shorter. Yesterday I woke him at 2:10 after an hour 40 minutes, no change in length of time to fall asleep. Sometimes he won’t fall asleep at all at nap time, then he is able to fall asleep quickly at 7:00 (but he is more sensitive and crabby late afternoon.) Any advice? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Claire,

      this seems like a unique circumstance indeed – well spotted!

      Since your little one sleeps in a crib and is the right age, we can gladly help you guys in our sleep program:
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant/

      This program will help you get your little one falling asleep peacefully at bedtime, and sleeping through the night. We can then help you work on naps, when night sleep is sorted.

      Looking forward to possibly working with you! If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  6. Elissa

    Hi! My daughter is 3 weeks shy of being 3. She is still napping in the daytime most of the time, and it seems like she needs it (she gets pretty cranky without one when she does skip). We’ve recently reduced her nap to 1 hour from 1.5. She naps from 1:30-2:30, that’s what is possible with daycare. But, she’s struggling to go to sleep at bedtime, which is totally new. She’s usually so good at going to bed (we did the 21 days to peace and quiet with her and she’s been amazing sleeper). So my question is, should we try dropping her nap now that she’s nearly 3, and have bedtime earlier (7 instead of 7:30). Or should we keep napping an hour because she seems to need it, and do bedtime later, say 8pm? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Elissa!

      Sorry your little one has been struggling to sleep at bedtime. We want children this age to sleep maximum 1 hour, so I would try to limit nap time to 45 minutes or later on 30 minutes, but keep bedtime the same. It’s okay to allow some extra time for her to settle to sleep.

      Let me know how this goes and reach out if you need more help! We’re always here for you.
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  7. Julie

    Hi there, my son is refusing naps and bedtime sleep has been hard. He is currently 27 months, is this possibly related to a sleep regression? He standa up in his crib and looks very sleepy. We’ve been putting him down earlier since he’s skipping naps, should we just keep same bedtime? Any tips tip help my son’s sleep would be appreciated. He’s been a great sleeper up until this point.

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Hi Julie,

      The last sleep regression is around the 24 month mark, so what I think your son needs is just some re-training on sleeping well! This is good news, because we can make a permanent change in your little one’s sleep that will last long without being interrupted by regressions in the future.

      We would be happy to help you in our sleep program here:
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant

      Join us and let’s get your son falling asleep peacefully, sleeping all night, and later on fix naps as well!
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  8. Rachel Miller

    Hi! I have a girl who is one month shy of 2.5 years old. She is very advanced and intelligent for her age- so everyone tells me that has or has had kids that age. She speaks non stop, brain always processing things and telling stories and never forgets anything. She’s been an amazing sleeper since 2 months old. Transitioned to toddler bed at under 2 years old when baby brother came around. Smooth transition to toddler bed. Never sleeps with us, never had sleep issues. About 6-7 months ago bed time moved from 730-8 to 8-830. Now for the past 3-4 months, she often doesn’t fall asleep until 915-930 (we watch on the camera). She usually takes a 2-3 hour nap. Falls asleep for that anywhere from 10-30 min after putting her down. We try to skip naps some days and then bedtime is at 7:00 and falls asleep within 5 minutes. Usually wakes up around 645-720 every day regardless of nap or no nap. No nap days in a good mood until around 3-4pm then too many meltdowns. When going anywhere in the car after 3 those no nap days, struggles to stay awake. Few times just 20-30 min cat nap on a drive home and for a few minutes more inside as I sit with her, and then those nights end up being the same 830bed time, lying in there for a long time to fall asleep. The 7:00 bed time is certainly nice esp since my 7 month old is in bed by then, so hubby and I have lots of time to enjoy. But it’s like she can’t quite get through the evening without it being a miserable last 3-4 hours of the day.
    Am I getting close? Should I be trying every other day naps or something like that? **she is always so content laying in her bed happy with her animals and blankets even if it takes her an hour to fall asleep at night but we just feel bad.

    Reply
  9. Citla

    Forgot to mention she is 2.75 years old, 2.5 when this madness started.

    When she didn’t have a nap She falls asleep easier at night but would sleep 11-12 hrs but she is so tired, even in the mornings she is not the same. Whenever I’ve successfully made her take a nap she is again active and happy and meltdowns significantly reduced. Any advice would be highly appreciated

    Reply
    • Artemis

      Thanks for that, I replied in the previous comment. 💜
      Artemis, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  10. Citla

    Im at loss, our toddler has always been a nap striker, had two 6 weeks long nap strikes when her vocabulary expanded and when I lost my milk and was quickly weaned during my pregnancy. We stayed consistent and for last nap I gave up and drove for her to fall asleep and then transfer, was the only thing it worked to get her hooked in the nap again. This time is been 11 weeks, about a week after her sibling was born, when my husband had his paternity leave he started to let the nap slide , then grandma came to help and she did the same for 4 weeks. We kept exact same routine 2 books and same song. We’ve tried quiet time and she does well at it but is not helping her, she still pretty tired and cranky, falling and tripping over.

    Today is day 6 of forcing her to take a nap, I have to get mean, take her Teddie bears and she’ll get angry and fall asleep, today she walked 1.5 miles followed by 30 min at the park with other toddlers, talked about nap time to one of her Teddie bears and was almost falling asleep at lunch time and still wouldn’t take the nap. I’m at loss

    Reply
  11. Jen

    Is 26 months too early to drop a nap? For about a month now, he has only napped half of the time. If he naps (90 minutes) he will happily lay in bed for upwards of 90 minutes after we leave the room, and then only sleep 830-630. If he doesn’t nap, then hes playing in his crib hard for 90 minutes. We will go in and check for a poop after 30 minutes and then leave him in there for the remainder of what his nap should have been if he doesn’t fall asleep, or let him nap for 90 minutes if he does.

    He always looks tired. He is a bit extra cranky, a few more tantrums happen, but he is still a very happy and active boy. On no nap days, he falls asleep at 7 in minutes after we leave and will sleep until 630 or 7.

    We had a new baby a month ago. New words are exploding out of him every day. New skills too. We are so torn between ready to drop, jealousy/acting out, and a developmental progression. How do we know what to do?

    Thanks,
    Jen

    Reply
    • Micaela

      Hello Jen,
      26mo might be too early to drop all naps but you can give it a try for a few days and see how he responds to it.

      Since you can see he looks tired I would try to keep the nap up to his 3rd birthday. A new baby definitely needs some adjustment too. Do your best to spend some alone time with him. It doesn’t have to be much but if you are able to spend time with him alone he might adapt quicker. Make sure to have him outside before and after the nap time if you want to keep the nap for a while longer. No screen time and limit sugar intake.

      Micaela BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  12. Sabrina Allarie

    hi there, our little one will be 3 years old in 2.5 months, and has been waking up 5 minutes into her nap consecutively the last 4 days. The routine has been the same, all of her teeth are in, she falls asleep nursing for her nap as usual within minutes and then I leave the room, within 10 minutes she is awake and leaves the room saying no nap. She usually sleeps for one hour every day. Awake times are the same as usual. The last few days we have done bedtime at 6pm because there has been no nap, and she does not seem ready to drop her naps based on a few reasons. She has been waking at 5am everyday and is up for the day. She has always been an early riser, used to get up at 6am. I am just wondering what is best to do with the very brief (10 minute) naps if she is not ready to give them up yet. Thanks for your tips.

    Reply
    • Micaela

      Hello Sabrina,
      you can try to postpone the nap by 15-30min and see if it helps. As our toddlers get older they can manage longer awake times. I would definitely get a toddler clock. I use it for my 4yold. She still naps some days but nevertheless she knows she needs to stay in her room for some quiet time until the clock turns green. Micaela BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  13. Vanessa

    I hired a sleep coach to teach my 10 mo old how to sleep through the night by herself on her crib and it worked! Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to teach her how to take naps independently too, she’s now 12 mo old. Both her naps would only work when I rocked her and keep her in my arms during the whole 1 1/2 hrs. Now that I took a week of vacations from work I’m taking the time to apply the recommended method, made by my sleep coach when I hired her, to put her to sleep her naps. I make a small routine before putting in her crib, then I stay laying on the floor next to her crib and say only key words to make her sleep but only after a little while she start crying her eyes out. I try to comfort her a couple of times but as soon as I stop, because she calms, she starts crying again. I was recommended not to give in all the time so I eventually let her cry but the problem is that she falls sleep crying and I don’t want her to make that association! Even when she wakes up before time, she cries for a while and falls sleep. She’s not taking this process very well unlike when she learnt how to sleep the nights. I thought that now that she knows how to sleep by herself, on her crib, through the night, it would be a piece of cake for her to imitate that on her naps but no! It’s only been 3 days since we started but… should I be worried that she cries herself to sleep? What else can I do to make this process easier for her? Help!!
    Thanks! 😔

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hi Vanessa,

      First, be super proud of her progress at night! Amazing! Naps are often more difficult for training because there is more sleep drive at night. But, with your consistency and persistence, she can definitely learn the skill! For a 12 month old with 2 naps, I would recommend 2.5 hours of awake time before nap 1, 3 hours of awake time before nap 2, and 3.5 hours of awake time before bedtime. It is normal for babies to cry during sleep training for a little bit. They are frustrated and learning a new skill. The crying normally will just last during the training process. Both of my girls cried a little bit while sleep training that week but don’t cry anymore!! They won’t associate the crying with sleep training, so don’t worry about that! While nap training, limit any screen time, give your LO lots of outdoor time and physical activity and limit any sugars before naps (fruits and yogurt).

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support team

      Reply
  14. Emily

    My son will be turning 3 if a few months and I’m wondering how much daytime sleep he should be getting. Some days he goes right down for his afternoon nap and sleeps for 1.5-2hours then sleeps about 11 hours at night. Other days he takes a while to fall asleep for nap but does eventually sleeps for at least 1-1.5 hours. Thanks for any suggestions!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Emily,

      At 2 years old, we recommend capping the nap to 2 hours. At 2.5 years old, we recommend capping the nap to 1.5 hours. At 3 years old, we recommend capping the nap to 1 hour. This helps preserve night sleep 🙂

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  15. Sabrina Allarie

    what is the optimal amount of overnight sleep for a 3-4 year old, 12 hours? What if it is consistently 10 or 11 hours overnight even with no nap, is this not enough sleep at this age?

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello,

      Several sleep foundations encourage 10-13 hours of total sleep for 3-5 year olds. Your LO is still in this range. I would try to encourage 11/12 hours of overnight sleep if you can since your LO isn’t napping. Try and do some quiet time during the day in place of a nap 🙂

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  16. Pamela

    My baby is two at end of the month. We need help with the best way to transition her to her own bed.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello!

      Is your LO trying to climb out of the crib? We recommend trying to keep your LO in the crib until closer to age 3 as long as she isn’t climbing out!

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  17. Jessica

    Hi,

    My 2.5 year old has started refusing naps. I think she still needs one because she is very cranky and has more tantrums now that she isn’t napping, although she does sleep about 12 hours at night. We have a newborn and took her out of daycare so there have been a lot of changes to her daily routine. Any tips to get her to start napping again or at least not have a complete meltdown when we put her in her room? We’ve let her go almost 3 weeks now with no nap and I’m afraid we won’t be able to get her back into a routine.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Jessica!

      It sounds like your LO is just a little off because of the changes in her routine. Most 2.5 year olds need a nap so I would continue to have her take one. 60-90 minutes would really help! The best thing you can do is continue to put her in her crib and give her the space to sleep around 5/5.5 hours after she has woken up. Put your white noise on and make sure she is in a blacked out room. Try not to overly stress if she is sleeping. Even if she is having quiet rest time, this will help! Try keeping her in her room for at least 60 minutes and do this for a week and be super consistent to see an improvement!

      Check out this resource for more helpful tips!
      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/how-to-get-toddler-to-nap

      Best,
      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  18. Lindsey

    I am desperate for help. My very strong willed son is almost 4 and still is unable to fall asleep on his own. He would put himself to sleep when he was younger in his crib but as soon as he was moved to a big boy bed for safety reasons he refuses to stay put. His bedtime routine starts around 630 and I hope to have him sleeping by 730. He will never stay in his bed either. There are times where I tuck him in and he immediately gets up and runs down the hall so I have to turn around and put him back in bed over and over. There have been times where this happens for hours. I was so exhausted and angry all the time that I gave in to him and started laying with him to fall asleep. It’s not like that helps any because he’s usually awake again at 930 pm, ultimately waking for the day before 6 am, most of the time ending up in our bed. Not because I want him there but because he gets up and leaves his room throughout the night and I eventually fall asleep hard enough after all the back and forth that I don’t notice him come in. Some days he naps but on those days bedtime takes 3 hours or more. I’d prefer him to nap because his behavior shows he needs it, it’s just another power struggle between us. I am so tired and so desperate. I feel like I am just functioning to survive through the day and night.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Lindsey,

      Thanks for your post! It can be exhausting to move over to the toddler bed. We are currently working on a toddler program. In the meantime, check out this resource. It will provide you with helpful tips to get your LO sleeping better in the toddler bed! Hang in there Mama!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/how-to-transition-toddler-from-crib-to-bed

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  19. Gareth Herbert

    Hi, my LO turned 3 a few months ago and stopped napping around that time. He falls between many of the criteria above in that if he naps it takes him forever to get to sleep and he has a terrible night. If he doesn’t nap he will only sleep 11 hours a night. He always been early to bed and before giving up the nap has slept well consistently throughout his life, usually from 18:30-06:00 but since giving up the nap has been waking at 5am every day. He often ends up in bed by 6am now because he is so tired ?

    Reply
    • Alyssa Taft

      Hello Gareth,

      Thanks so much for your message! 11 hours of overnight sleep is great. Do your best to keep your LO in his own crib instead of pulling into your bed because this could very easily become a habit and your LO will wake earlier and earlier. Check out the guide below that can provide you with some helpful tips with early morning wakings. I would also try to give your LO “quiet time” when the nap was supposed to be!

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/toddler-keeps-waking-up-at-5-am

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Alyssa, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  20. Nicole

    My daughter is 5 and easily takes an 1 and a half nap daily. She will be in kindergarten this year where they do not nap. I’m wondering if you have ideas of how to gently ween her off naps? She’s seems to only handle about 7 hours of awake time before napping or bedtime.

    Reply
    • Leena

      Hi! I’d make sure she gets 12 hours night sleep each night. That can ensure she can go all day without needing a nap. Try trimming her nap and waking her at the 1 hour mark. This can help her sleep longer at night. It will be hard the first few days, but being at school will help distract her. She can have a TINY 20 min nap on the car ride home from school if needed. Good luck starting kindergarten! My daughter is also 5 and loves school. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Tiphaine Alston

    Hi, I need help with a way to get my daughter to go to sleep on her own. She has just turned 2 and I only just weaned her from the breast. Up until now, she has been breastfed to sleep with me lying next to her in bed. Now I want to teach her to get to sleep on her own. I tried sitting in a chair next to her bed but after 7 days she was still screaming hysterically for an hour before she finally passed out. Do you have any gentle, minimal crying solutions??!

    Reply
    • Leena

      Hi Tiphaine! So sorry to hear about your LO’s sleep struggle! It may seem impossible right now, but there’s always hope to get your LO settling easily and sleeping well.

      I would definitely recommend joining our program, 21 Days to Peace&Quiet for you. The program has 4 step-by-step methods that walk you through teaching your baby how to settle to sleep on their own, which will show them how to resettle during night wakings too. It also covers reducing and
      fully weaning off night feeds.

      With 3 of the methods you stay with your baby as you teach them to sleep better. You don’t have to leave
      the room if you don’t want to. And you can choose a slower, more gradual method to reduce your baby’s
      resistance, fussing and crying. We can’t promise “no tears” but you can work to minimize baby’s resistance.
      We also accommodate for your baby’s temperament too. Each lesson has tips on tweaking the steps to suit
      your baby’s energy levels, sensitivity and adaptability.

      I’m confident we can get you and your baby sleeping great!

      Here are all the details:

      https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program

      Happy to answer any other questions you have about the program. / Leena, BSMS Support Team

      Reply
  22. Alex

    Hi, Great advice which has helped me and my wife out however out of curiousity why are these ALWAYS written in the context of a daughter, “She this and her that, etc” why not use neutral words such as “they, their, etc”. I am by NO means buying into the whole gender neutral crap but I feel it is a bit sexist when these posts are always in context of a daughter, I have two sons.

    Kind Regards

    Reply
    • Leena

      Hi Alex and thank you for your feedback! I’ve noticed the same thing, in the English language, it is a bit more personal if used he/she instead of they and their and we try to rotate them as often as possible.

      We always appreciate any feedback for us to improve our communication, we will take this to heart.

      For any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us again!

      / Leena, BSMS Support Team

      Reply

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