When do toddlers stop napping?

Two 1/2-year-old no longer napping.

My 2.5-year-old has recently decided she doesn’t want to take naps, by this I mean, she just plays, pulls the sheets off her bed, sings, etc. for hrs when she’s put down for a nap. At first, I thought it was her last molars coming in, but those have pushed through, so now I’m at a loss on what to do. I’ve got a baby coming any day, and nap time for her will help transition to have a newborn also, any advice? Or when did your LO stop taking an afternoon nap? My child is still in her crib, we have started potty training which is going great, but we aren’t doing night/nap training just yet. She sleeps from about 8:30pm-7ish am every day, sometimes a little longer. I’m starting to lose hope she will nap after the baby comes. Also, she begins intentionally doing things she knows she isn’t supposed to when it gets close to her bedtime, and I know it’s because she’s overly tired from not napping!

6 Likes

My first quit taking naps the day she turned 2. It happens. My now 2.5 year old takes maybe an hour nap. If she’s sleeping that long at night she’s probably just not sleepy.

1 Like

Naps became few and far between once my boys turned 1

2 Likes

My kid is 4 1/2 and still naps

Try get a big girl bed for her and tell her this is where big girls take naps

1 Like

Mine is 2.5 and still naps.
What time are you trying to lay her down at? My daughter wakes up at 7 and then I give her a nap 6 hours after that so around 130 I’ll lay her down. Then she rests for 2 hours and wakes up til 8:30-9 pm.
In our morning I try to make lots of brain activity such as lots of flashcards, puzzles & dress up play.

1 Like

All kids are different. My son is 4 and JUST started to wean off naps. Sometimes he will, most the time he won’t. Your child just might be the one who quits earlier than you hope.

My kids don’t really nap after 2. Maybe a quick fall asleep in the car but no more glorious nap times

My 2.5 year old son stopped napping a few months ago! He’s only wearing diapers to bed the last 5 month’s! Yay! :partying_face:
Some kids nap and some don’t! All 4 of my boys stopped napping around 2!

1 Like

Naptime atarted tonslow down at 2 1/2 with my oldest. Some days he napped and other days he didn’t. I still put him in room fornquiet time though. My almost 3 yr old though, he loves his sleep and still takes a 2-3 hr nap.

1 Like

Kodi York let’s count our luck! Mine is 5 and definitely still afternoon naps when not at school… I can’t imagine!!!

1 Like

mine just turned 2 not too long ago and he rarely naps in the afternoon, but he does sleep from 8-9pm till 8-9am

Our girls both napped until they were 4, I wanted them to get use to sleeping at night to transition for kindergarten.

If she still needs the naps but having issues laying down you can try lavender lotion…in baby section :grinning:

Maybe if you have the time take her to the playground or somewhere she can play with other kids for an hour and then hopefully she will nap after that? My 2.5 yr old will fight to the death when going down for a nap but then he falls asleep for about 2-3 hours and still sleeps until about 6:30-7

My son stopped napping at 2, was in a toddler bed before he was 2. He’d get up and play in his room which was fine because I still got stuff done. We have a baby on the way as well and I dont mind that he doesn’t nap anymore.

1 Like

My little guy is only one year older and he hasn’t taken a nap in nearly 2 years but he liked to sleep late. Try walking her up earlier and maybe just lie down for quiet time if not a full nap but naps may just not be a thing for her anymore.

My first baby quit around 1.5. My second baby stopped at around 2 but if we do a lot or she plays outside or something she’ll either take a nap or go to bed really early

Just let her lay there and chill…if she dont nap she still resting and knows she has to lay there and you get to do what u gotta do. But I would still put her down.

1 Like

Man my oldest almost 3. Loves to sleep in her crib… but some days she refuses. But they still both get quiet time in the crib with a movie playing. 90% of the time a nap happens. Yesterday both decided no naps. Yeah just keep trying

Some kids just don’t nap. My daughter stopped napping before 2 no matter what I tried.

2 Likes

At 2 for my granddaughter

If she’s not hurting anything just put her in her crib for awhile and let her play. That way you still get a break.

1 Like

It’s normal they go through stages

Try laying down with her or putting on a movie that’s very boring and rocking with her believe me I have a 542 and a 2 month old my oldest is 13 and the only way that I can sometimes get naps in is either a long car ride right around the time everybody starts getting fussy or even a movie or laying down with them

My 2 year old sleeps from 830-9 pm to 8am every night and then naps from 1245-330pm ish everyday. All kids are different

Girrrlllll, alot of 2 year olds do that. My oldest daughter stopped napping at 3, My son stopped napping at 2…

on their own they wanted to around 2… thats when i decided to start getting them more exercise and wearing them out… then come nap time they were knocked out for an hour or so… that lasted till about 4

Keely Rae Draper lol that’s how I know my daughter is ready for bedtime

1 Like

My son stopped about 2 and is 2.5 now he will still occasionally take one but hardly ever

She’s probably done with naps. I’ve never been blessed with nappers, all my girls stopped at around one and a half :sob:

All 3 of mine stopped napping around age 3. Sometimes, very rarely, my youngest (almost 4) Will catch a nap. But its been few and far between. She gets up around 630/7am and is in bed by 8pm. That’s just been her days recently.

You can’t make a child sleep but you can discipline rest time. Nothing wrong with being the boss and having that break time for yourself and baby’s need it too. :heart:

Yeah just designate it to be quiet activity/reading/lay down time. I would put on a nature program for my daughter during her cranky afternoon time between ages 2-4, and 90% of the time she’d fall asleep with me instead of in her room or bed. I’ll take it!

1 Like

Take her to the park or something similar that she can expend her energy on, so she will be tired enough for a nap.

My niece never took naps! She refused. My granddaughter quit taking them around that ago but now shes in day care and they have “quiet time” and she falls asleep.
Ohhh yeah they will think of every excuse not to nap or go to sleep at night!!

My daughters stop taking naps at 2 because they fought it and I skipped naps unless they wanted to take one

My 3.5 year old stopped taking naps after she turned 2

Some kids like them, some kids don’t. My kids pretty much have nap time up at about 18 months.

Mine rarely takes a siesta & she’s almost 3.

My daughter stopped napping at 2.5yo as well. Her dr said it’s a normal age for some to stop taking naps. Especially if they are sleeping long hours through the night.

My son stopped taking naps at 2

All of mine thus far have stopped taking regular naps by that age

My 2 year old naps sometimes but of the time she just plays

Just have her to have a rest period and be still and she will fall asleep.

Wow. My kids are almost 4&5 and sometimes takes a nap

My daughter is almost 5 and she naps everyday after lunch

My daughter was 2n 9mths when she stopped just in time for the new baby to arrive

My oldest stopped napping at 1 he just wouldn’t nap anymore so I stopped making him and my second is now 18 months and still loves his naps it depends on the kid when my little one got here he napped wherever we were and we never had quiet time so now he can sleep threw anything. It depends on the kid

My kids never napped… They stopped around this time too.

My first son stopped napping at about 1 1/2. I still use to put him in his cot with some toys and he would play quite happily for about an hr just so I could have some me time

I have my daughter lay down for her nap and I manually close her eyes until she falls asleep :joy:

No eating or drinking after 730 potty train shower pjs read a book in bed lights tv off by 815 give or take 15 minutes

Mine stopped napping at 2 unless at nursery and that only stopped there last week due to room change. It will work out I am sure. Been dry in day last few weeks newly 3 and 7 weeks premature so ex 33 weeker on my birthday!! Having said this she did nap the other day as cranky and needed it. I didn’t force it but signs there and she drifted off using usual night time tricks when realised needed. Talk to your little, ask how feeling etc. It will come together. I have chronic pain (old profile picture) so have a open relationship with her about feelings.

It’s true about adjusting. I dropped my naps with my daughter and now pull all dayers unless a nursery day or weekend. Getting better but depends on my health

1 Like

Both of my boys napped for 2.5 to 3 hours a day until they started school. (I know I’m lucky). However, I have friends who’s children would nap for 20 minutes or not at all. It really depends on the child. Both of my children had trouble with getting up to go to the bathroom. I can tell you that withholding fluids did not help, neither did any of the other ‘tricks’ recommended. Naps were not a problem, only overnight. It seemed like one day they just started getting up to go at night. It wasn’t a transition, or training, they just did it. It amazed me, the number of children that wet the bed, once I started speaking to other parents about it. Nearly 50% of those I talked to had the same issue. Don’t stress about it. It’s not an issue unless they don’t stop by around 12/13.