When Did Your Toddler Stop Napping?

The best way I found to get my toddlers through this typical stage was to spend a little more time helping them get settled at naptime. We established a routine, 2 stories, 2 songs, and then I would lay down with them until they fell asleep. After about a week, I could just do the stories and songs, and they would go to sleep on their own.

My son gave up naps about this time too, I had moved his bedtime up then by 45 minutes. It may have seemed early but he needed it and I couldn't deal with the meltdowns from 4:00 to 7:00 so his bedtime without naps was 6:30.
He slept all night long and so I know he needed it.
Now he is four doesn't nap still and is in bed by 7:15 to 7:30.

My daughter didn't give up naps until I forced it, hee hee.
She was four and in school and I had to get rid of them. Again her bedtime was earlier after naps were gone and slowly have moved up now she is seven.

I think if she is really cranky, then up her bedtime by half hour, don't keep it the same. If she just won't sleep then there isn't much you can do. I know it is a blessing to have them nap after going and going all day but what else can you do? I would tell her if she isn't going to lay down anymore then early bedtime. Lay her down at 6:30 and see what happens.

With the time change it is easier too for earlier bedtimes since it is dark out. It is great she naps at daycare and maybe you need black out shades and a rule she is NOT to get out of bed at home!!!!! Be firm and consistent that if she cannot sleep that is fine but she is not to leave her bed when you put her in it!! I had that rule and it stuck with both kids.
Good luck!

She may just be on a nap strike. Keep putting her down each day and hopefully she'll return to napping. 2 1/2 seems awfully young to give up naps. We were 3 1/2 before and honestly for a few months it was hard in the late afternoon.. If she doesn't sleep for naps and does quiet time, move up bedime to an hour earlier or so and just try to get through the rough time.. do dinner etc.

Good luck

My 3 year old is doing the same thing lately and I have finally, (after regular battles!) accepted that he might take only one nap in a week. Since I need a break from his activity, we are working on 30 minutes of quiet time ON his bed where he can look at books or play with stuffed animals, (I set a timer.) Then after 30 minutes, I set the timer again and he plays in his room by himself for another 30 minutes. Before starting this, he too would destroy him room! She might be a bit young to do the hour quiet time so maybe you could do 15-20 minutes each thing.

My oldest, who will be 3 in December, gave up her naps at around the same time. With her naps she was going to bed around 8-8:30. Now that she doesn't take naps she is in the bed between 7-7:30. The days that she is totally "off the way" I will force a nap (this period usually coincides with a growth spurt). Other than that, she hasn't been on a nap schedule since she was 2 1/2.

Hope this helps.

-M.

Amelia was having the same problem on weekends. I asked daycare what the nap schedule was and how they got them to go down for their nap. I started the same schedule at home and she is back to taking naps on the weekend. Good luck I hate those 5pm melt downs.

My daughter gave up naps at 2 1/2 as well. I tried everything - reading, driving, laying down with her - it became a huge battle and I gave up. She is 6 and has napped maybe 5 times since then. It was easier to surrender and find other things for her to do than to try to make her sleep - no one can be made to sleep. But I also would need some time for me and I would tell her - mommy needs a nap to be a good mommy and I want you to play quietly until....
THis continues to work well. Good luck

My daughter started this at the same age too. She will nap sometimes if she is really tired...after playing at the park etc. What we started doing is having "rest time" at the same time everyday...we read or watch a movie. Also, when she starts to get crabby I give her a special task or a snack.(sometimes they are just hungry) Anything that will distract her from being a crab apple! On the no nap days(which is most of he time)we start our bedtime routine earlier by 45 minutes. All this has helped, but she is still a toddler and you can never predict what will happen...just have to learn to go with the flow! Good Luck.

My daughter who will be 3 in february is still taking naps out of necessity for her and my sanity. But we went through a stage when she moved to a big girl's bed and her brother was moved into her room in the crib in which it was difficult and took a long time. Lucky for me at the time it was my husband who was at home with the kids, and he was determined and would just keep putting her back to bed and not giving in. Sometimes checking on her regularly to make sure she wasn't out of bed, and often times taking away privelages, like okay we can't go to the park after until you take a nap. Ect. If she is having breakdowns at 5 she still needs a nap. A lot of people give up because it is such a battle, but it is so worth it if you battle it out. Now I am home with her and she gives me almost no trouble at all, and usually sleeps for at least 2 hours sometimes more. If you want it, you can get it. Good-luck though. I am so glad it was my husband who took the brunt of it.

If she is sleeping 12 hours a night, she's getting plenty of sleep. My thoughts on making quiet time quiet is to give her a special box with quiet toys in it. Books, crayons, dolls and clothes(although, play with dolls can become quite loud) Tell her these things are just for quiet time. Tell her she has to stay in bed or she will have a time out. Get her a small radio or CD player with music just for her. She'll learn after a while that quiet time really is for quiet. Just be consistant.

Actually, if day care makes her stay in her bed, it shouldn't be too hard to make her learn that it is the same at home as it is at daycare.

My kids have always had quiet time. They spend the hour before bed reading and listening to music, quiet TV, sometimes my oldest one draws his best pictures in his room. Good Luck!!! Be consistant.

All of mine had stopped at 2, some on thier own some because I got tired of being up half the night! I have also not had much luck with quite time, I can sometimes pop a movie in and they will sit and watch it but never in thier room. I deal with the few hours of crankiness and enjoy the rest of my evening, which is where I prefer to have my quite time.

Good luck! No real suggestions.

Try reading a couple of books with her and her favorite stuffed animal.

Hi J.,

Wish I had some suggestions on how to get them to nap, our daughter stopped napping around 2 years of age. She is now three and once in a blue moon she might decide to actually take a nap. I do try to get her some quiet time every afternoon, however. She LOVES to read, so we do that for our quiet time. She has quite an extensive "library" of her own, and she really loves going to our local library to pick out books. Other quiet time activites we do is coloring or paint with water (just because I can get her to sit in one spot!). I have tried making her lay down either on the couch with her favorite toy or in her room, but for us that just doesn't work, so I have settled on at least getting her to "rest" in whatever way I can in the afternoons for a little while. Good luck!