When did your toddler stop taking a nap? My daughter is two and a half and no longer takes a nap. We used to put her down right after lunch but she would sit in there and play for an hour or so and then come out and tell us she was awake or sometimes she would finally fall asleep and I would have to waker her up (didn;t want her sleeping too late). Then when it came time for bedtime she would sit in there and play for an hour or so befoer going to sleep. We adjusted her nap time, bed time, still the end result was the same. Now that she is not taking a nap she goes to sleep right away at night and seems to sleep better. I am okay with her no longer taking a nap but I was just curious as to when your toddlers no longer took a nap, thanks Ladies!
Both of my children still take naps and they are almost 4 1/2 and almost 3. They do end up staying up later at night talking to eachother in bed but I get 1 1/2 to 2 hrs by myself and I watch 3 other children younger than my own and they all 5 nap at the same time. I decided I like the break in the middle of my day and can deal with them at night.
My daughter started to drop it around 2.5-2.75 years old (she dropped the second nap as a baby pretty young too, around 10 months).
We still do quiet time every day and sometimes she does sleep but usually no. It moved her bedtime up and caused better sleep at night.
We just trust her, if she doesn't nap, that's fine but early bed and probably some fussiness and if she needs to nap, fine, but I'll wake her so she doesn't sleep too long and ruin bedtime.
It's all about what's best for your child and what you see her needing/doing.
At 2 1/2. I do wish I kept the quiet time for an hour or so though!
My twins are 2 yrs 10 months and still take a 2 hour nap everyday. I think the napping issue is really child specific.
My son occassionally stopped napping starting 2 years old. But, he was so cranky at dinner time. I would say if your daughter seems happy even before bed time, it should be okay for her to skip nap. If she looks very tired and cranky at night, her body still needs a nap (at least quiet time). My son totally stopped napping around 3 1/2 years old.
Little girl next door was 6 when they stopped napping. She stopped because she was in school all day. My oldest was 2 1/2. My youngest just turned 3. She skips naps some days. About dinner time we look over and she has fallen asleep, again. She isn't out for the night and waking her is near impossible. We have had some really late nights with her lately. 6 PM naps aren't good!!!
Mine stopped almost the day she turned two, but would still nap between the ages of two and three if we went for a quiet drive in the car. I think it's totally normal for many kids to give up a nap between two and three. If she is able to do a "quiet time" in her room, and can amuse herself as you noted for a whole hour in her room without running out every five minutes -- you're doing great!
Hi L., I understand from Elizabeth Pantley's Book No Cry Sleep Solution that some toddlers do drop their naps at that age....Most do keep them until at least 3, but some do drop.
Best, Jilly
