Toddler Stopping His Nap Suddenly

Is he managing all right without his nap? Or is he getting really cranky a little later in the day? If he's managing all right, then he may have outgrown the nap. However, you can still insist on a quiet time in the afternoon when he is expected to rest in his bedroom, looking at books, listening to music, playing quietly.
If he gets cranky later on, then he may really need the nap. Again, insisting on quiet time may mean that he will take a nap if he needs it.
Good luck!

My son did the same thing around 1 1/2 years old. He just stopped taking naps no matter how long I let him cry in his room hoping he would fall asleep. He never did. He hasn't taken a nap since then. You might have to get used to this sudden change in behavior.

My son stopped napping when he was 11 months, and I called a sleep expert suggested by our pediatrician. Turns out I was overdoing the pre-nap routine (singing, reading, rocking), which was actually stimulating for him. She had me switch to a routine of turning off the light and pulling the shades, reading one book to my son and his favorite stuffie, putting him in his crib, giving him a kiss and telling him, "I love you, and I will be home the whole time you're resting," and that's it. Nothing else -- no rocking, no singing. She told me never to mention the word sleep (as in, you need to sleep or please sleep). It worked the first time I did it. At around 2 - 2.5 years, he started resisting napping a bit, and I told him that it was okay if he didn't feel he needed a nap (he was saying, "I don't need a nap!"), but I told him that he needed to lie quietly in bed because Monkey, his favorite stuffie, really needed to rest. He was usually asleep w/in 10 minutes. I stopped napping at 11 months, and my mom was not a happy camper. She tells me that she asked me to play quietly in my room and that I would do so for about an hour. Anyway, you might want to ask your pediatrician for the name of a sleep expert. What I was doing wrong was so obvious that the sleep expert refused to even charge me for her advice! (Nice but a bit embarrassing!) You might also want to check out "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby," a book written by the doc who runs/ran the sleep center at the the University of Chicago med center. I hope you find something that works!

Usually children need naps until they are around 4. Some will give them up earlier but usually it will not be until after they are 3. Once they are 2 though it can become more difficult to get them to nap because they can understand more and they want to stay active. The best thing is to continue to try putting him down for naps. With my son we have him in preschool during the week and he goes down fine for naps there (I think it helps that there are other kids doing the same thing). However, this can make nap time on the weekends difficult because he is not used to having to nap in his bed. So when he gives me difficulties I tend to make a deal with him (since he understands well). I hand him a book, lay him down in bed and tell him he doesn't have to go to sleep but he has to stay in bed and stay quiet. If he keeps getting out of bed then I will tell him that he has to lay down in bed for 10 minutes and I will come tell him when 10 minutes is up. If he gets up the 10 minutes starts over. Usually before 10 minutes is up he has fallen fast asleep.

Good luck. Stick to trying to get him to sleep, both of you nee it.

My 2 1/2 yr old son has also started giving up naps and when he does it is less then an hour. I found that if I tell him to lay on the couch and close his eyes he will sleep for about 1 1/2hrs. It's not the most ideal situation for me because I have a 8 month old as well. So I will just take my little one outside or into our bedroom to play until he wakes up.

I am not ready for my son to give up naps either...I totally value that time!!!

Good luck!

My son still naps (27 mth old) but I know several mom's who's kids stopped napping abruptly between 18 & 24 mths. And they never went back to napping. Same reaction, too :(

Hopefully, when that time comes for myself, I will try to implement a "quiet time" for him. I don't expect it to be easy, but I think it's worth a shot because no matter what stage of toddler-hood they're in, I think it's important to have 60 to 90 minutes of downtime of some sort or another.

Something you might try is setting up a little reading / quiet play corner in the house or (ideally) in his room. Within a week he might come to understand that, whatever time of you day you determine, that's downtime in the day - for everyone, including yourself. You go & read or lay down on the couch or whatever you need to do, & he has to stay on that blanket or in his room, quietly playing, doing puzzles, maybe find him 1 or 2 "new" things to play with only during that time of the day.

I haven't gone through it yet otherwise I'd love to share how or if it worked for me, but I'm sure if you did a little research online, you could find some good suggestions of how to implement something like this. That way you're not wasting energy or being frustrated IF he doesn't go back to some sort of nap schedule (sounds glorious - my son only naps 60 to 90 minutes tops!). I do agree with other posters, it is difficult when our little ones all of a sudden decide to change things up on us. But it's still important to make things work for BOTH of you & not just give in to his new schedule without some structure to it.

Best wishes,
V.

I'm not sure if this will help becuase all children are different but my daughter is 3 and she started lingering of of naps around 2 and 1/2 too. I was so bumbed cuz I needed that time so I would take her in her room for a nap and we would lay on her bed and read a book then I would tell her that she didnt have to fall asleep but she did need to relax and be in her room for a while. she could read or color or play with her toys quietly. if she fell asleep she could come out when she woke up but if not then she had to just stay for a while. it worked pretty good. some days I hear her playing and not even go to sleep and she will stay for 2 hours sometimes and then I would let her out and thank her for playing so good. alot of the time she falls asleep reading or playing. I hope this helps you and good luck.
C.

at least he waited this long...My daughter completely stopped napping at 18 months. we still had quiet time and she had to stay in her room for at least an hour. I decided that some things are jsut not worth the struggle, and that as long as she was not falling asleep during dinner, we were okay.

She is now almost 6 and is a great sleeper :)

I went through the same thing at about the same time. He just refused to nap and he'd be really cranky in the late afternoon. I always made him get into bed and at least stay in his room, that was non-negotiable. If he came out, he went right back in. I also either threatend him or bribed him (take his blankie away or let him watch his fav show if he napped). It lasted a few weeks. Then he would nap a little sporadically and now he's back (at just over 3) to napping for at least 1.5-2 hours. Just be consistent and eventually he'll get the picture. (My mother-in-law allowed him to stay up when she watched him and it took weeks for him to sleep when she watches him.)

Usually they fade out, but many will drop it suddenly and it is quite a shock. It sounds like he is done. Part of the practice in being present with all the changes we go through as parents. Both of my kids started preschool at 2, which was a huge help in going back to work part time. They both were VERY ready for some new entertainment and I was ready for a break. We found an AMAZING school Waldorf/Montessori blend...it has been my saving grace.

I also HIGHLY recommend an early bed time 7 or 7:30. It is what they need and will give you some time in the evening...though you may allready know this!

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting that break while they nap. It doesn't mean that you are being selfish or that you don't love him and cherish your time with him. My son is 3 and is slowly giving up naps and I miss that break as well where I could spend a little one on one time with my daughter. You will slowly adjust to it and find other ways to study. I like the comments suggesting quiet time and an early bedtime if possible too. I find that when my son doesn't nap I have to stay up after he goes to bed just to experience that time in the house where it is quiet and I can do a few things without being interrupted every 2 seconds. They are precious but they are demanding and we all need some time to think! Happy trails.

Hi you are lucky all mine stop napping when they hit 16/18 months old. I know what you mean you need that time to do things. I had to do it when they were in bed, I was lucky that they would all be in bed by 7/7.30 so had time to catch up.

It does sound like he is giving the nap time up. Maybe a friend could take him to the park to help out now and then or as time goes by he will be in in a different routine and be in bed early enough for you to study in the evening.

Good luck

My son went through that and it is a big adjustment for mom. He then went back to napping during the day, but some days he didn't want to. What I did was institute an hour of quite time at the time he would usually nap. My kids go in their cribs with a couple of books or toys they get to pick and we have quiet time for an hour. I tell them that if they can't sleep it's okay, but they have to stay in their cribs and rest. It works well for us. 75% of the time he falls asleep. My son is 2.5. I keep the schedule so that on days he does need a nap, he'll be in the routine. I can tell he still needs naps more often than not because when he doesn't nap he's a little monster by 6:00. Sometimes he'll go a couple of days with no nap and seems fine until bed time. Then the following day he'll nap for 3 hours to catch up. I hear they do outgrow naps, but many kids still nap at 3 years old. I suppose it depends on the kid, when they wake up, when they go to bed, and how active they are during the day. Good luck! Oh, and if you're looking to regain some free time, try in home daycare one or two mornings a week, or try out preschool. Many take two year olds. I work from home and my kids love going to the sitter two mornings a week. They cried last Friday when she was sick and couldn't take them! Hang in there.
N.

Dear J.,
My son (3 next month) started to do that around the same time yours did. I thought it was just because he moved to a big boy bed but I really don't know the reason.
I tried a lot of things, putting him in early, laying with him, talking with him but none seemed to consistantly work. I resolved that some things are just out of my hands. So I worked on trying to transition him from nap time to rest time. I introduced soothing music to him and reinforced the rules "stay lying down, stay in your bed" and it seems to be working. But it was a rough road getting here (Let's just say he did some crazy things because he was so tired).
Now I don't stress about it so much, I had to let go, he gets about 10 hours of sleep at night (more if it is a no nap day) and is now napping every other day. But everyday is the same. He goes to his bed at about 1:30 gets a story and then music. I check on him every once in a while but expect him to be in there resting for about 1.5 hours.
Some days he looks at books, has adventures with his stuffed animals or sings but as long as he stays in his bed I am fine because he is having some down time. And I can get some stuff done.
Hope this helps!

when children don't behave th way we NEED them to it is just tough. We have to be there for them and fit with their needs when they are small not the other way round. i understand that chores and studying and other things exist but none of them are as important as another small human being who is just not a robot and can't behave like one so we can do what we want. when you have children you have to do what is needed not what is wanted sometimes.
If you make your kids feel that it is inconvenient (that THEY) are inconvenient because you want to do something else, how do you think that makes them feel?
Maybe they would sleep if they felt it was for their benefit not for yours.
i realise that this may be an unpopular response, but that's just how it is. You choose to bring a child into the world, and yours changes. they won't be small for long then you will have all the time you need to do what you want. in the meantime, your job is them.
By the way , my daughter gave up naps entirely when she was 18 mths. so i am sympathetic at least. but look at all the replies that have said the same thing. maybe it just happens that way sometimes and we have to find a way to make the best of it not the worst.
Your time with him while he is little is precious. you will blink and he will be at school and then again and he will be a teenager and he will be gone.
Please don't see the loss of naptime as a bad thing, but as a way to spend more happy time with him while you have the chance.
i do like the idea of letting them learn how to have quiet time and be alone and amuse themselves for a time, but for their growth, not our convenience

I have a 2.5 year old who also has suddenly become nearly impossible to get down for a nap. It wouldn't be so bad, except that he really needs the rest and is not fun to be around if he doesn't nap.
What still sometimes works for us is to make sure he gets a bunch of exercise (or that he is sick! :) ), and then get him to lie in bed to listen to stories. If the timing is right so that he is either not overtired or if it is late enough in the afternoon that he really is tired, he will sometimes fall asleep while being read to.
I have an 8 month old too, which means there is often a baby clambering around and fussing in my 2.5 year old's room when I am trying to get him to nap and it limits the time I can spend on it.

If I really need a break and he won't nap, I tell my son that it is quiet time, shut him in his room, and do what I need to do. This may sound harsh, but we have a lock on his door, so if we put him in there, he stays. (We used to have a baby gate up, but he can open them now.)

Other than that, I have just done some mental adjustment. Rather than feeling doom and desperation descend on me when he won't nap, I'm trying to regard any naps as a bonus and not counting on them. And if my overtired kid won't stop having tantrums, bopping his brother on the head, etc., I'm not above putting him in front of the TV for a little while.

I also have my kid in a small home preschool three mornings a week. It gives him a lot of good stimulation and social interaction, and gives me a break (although sometimes having just one baby to deal with doesn't feel like a complete enough break!). I don't think the "preschool" aspect is important at this age, but it was an easy way to get quality part time daycare.

My son tried that this summer at just about the same age! I too really needed that time. After talking to some moms of older kids and even my own mom I decided that whether he is tired enough to sleep in the afternoon or not, I needed him to take a "nap." So, what I did was this: took him to his room at nap time and told him that he needed to take a nap, but if he couldn't sleep he needed to just be quiet for a couple of hours. Sometimes he sleeps, sometimes I can hear him singing, reading, or talkign to his stuffed animals for the full 3 hours.
Either way we are both happier and ready for more fun afterward.

HTH,
T.

I don't have any advice for you since my 2.4 yr old just started doing the same thing 3 weeks ago, I just wanted to say I can relate. We have tried everything, including putting her to bed super early, like 6:30pm or even a little earlier, like it says to do in Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. According to the book, stopping naps is from being overtired. So putting them to bed earlier is supposed to help them sleep better and longer to make up for the deficit, but for our daughter, she just started waking up at 5:30 instead of 7:30, so it didn't work for us. Her older brother is 4 and he still takes a quiet time everyday, so I have been enforcing this for the 2yr old too, but she screams pretty much the whole time, so it isn't so quiet during quiet time anymore. I'll be watching the responses to your post to see if there is anything else we can try. I am out of ideas and my patience has been worn thin since I was using her naptime to get my chores done, now I am having a hard time getting anything done. Good luck to you.

It sounds like we are all in the same boat, my 2 1/2 year old has done the same thing for a few months. Some days she will nap and others she won't. I have 3 kids a 8, 2 1/2 and 16 month old. I really need that quiet time so her room is very child proofed and I insist that she stays in her bed for the entire naptime. Most days she will eventually fall asleep but it drives me nuts when 20 minutes before we have to leave for after noon school pick up she goes to sleep.

Try adjusting your sleep schedule a little bit, maybe wake him up a little earlier in the morning.

It was very sad when my 3 year old gave up his nap. I instituted quiet rest time in his room for an hour and a half every day. He has books and some toys. Most days I find him sleeping on the chair in his room.

This happened to my best friend. Her daughter stopped napping around 18 months. If it was a phase it was long, it lasted about 6 months. But now she's consistently napping again for about two hours. No guarantees, but there's hope.

This happened when my son turned three. I also freaked out, and it took me a couple weeks before I realized he really wouldn't nap anymore. But during that time, I also realized I could get him to bed really early, because he was so tired by evening. He went to bed at 6:30, and when he was napping he used to go at 8:30 or nine. So, I got my two hours there. The trick for you now is arranging your life so that the stuff you have to do while he's napping can be done in the eary evening. It may affect several things, like when you have dinner, etc. But it worked for me, and my husband and I ended up having more time together. The only hard things as I recall were making phone calls during business hours and occasionally going over peoples' houses or out in the evenings - my son would be so tired and cranky. I wish you luck in this transition! G.

Hi J.,
This just happened to me too! My son turned two in August and about 3 weeks ago, he started saying "NO NAP" when I would put him down for his nap (which also was a consistent 2-3 hours). For three days in a row, he just sat in his crib and kept calling for me. I was persistent and just kept going in there and telling him that it was nap time. I finally told him that he didn't have to take a nap, he just had to have "Quiet Time" and he could read books or play with quiet toys in his crib and that seemed to make him happy. After three days of calling it "quiet time" and giving him books and things to play with, he went back to taking a pretty consistent nap. He still fights me a bit every day on this, but he seems to be going through a "no" phase with everything, so I just power through it! I think in my son's case, it wasn't so much that his body was ready to give up the nap, it was more a case of a toddler experimenting with trying to exert his independence. Once he felt like he got his way (a little bit) and didn't have to take a nap, he relaxed a little and stopped fighting me so much.
My advice is to just be consistent and maybe call the nap something else so he thinks he's getting his way a little bit. I also had the advantage of my son still being in his crib. I'm not sure how easy this approach would be if you've already moved him to a bed, but it's worth a try. Good luck and stay strong to hold on to that nap as long as possible! I think our kids still need it and so do we!
-E.