Two Year Old and Naps

My son stopped taking naps right after his first birthday. There really isnt much you could do, now I lay pillows and blankets down so he could atleast relax and watch a movie.

My now 6 year old boy girl twins were done napping at 26 months also. I just let them be up and they were in bed by 7:00p.m. Was nice to have my quiet time at night and some alone time with my husband. Some kids just don't need that extra sleep. My 18 yr old daughter now napped until she was 5.

I have 2 kids... a 3 year old and a 26 month old as well. Their nap time is my quiet and relaxation time. Each of my kids have gone through a phase of not wanting to nap, but both of them still need a nap and so eventually their naps return. With my oldest she started not taking a nap, but would get very cranky and eventually fall asleep (around 4 or 5) and wouldn't want to go to bed at her bed time. I started sitting on the floor in her room at nap time and reading a book/magazine. I would pay as little attention to her as possible. She didn't even try to get up or play while I was there and latly all I have to do is lay her down. The other thing is do you have a routine at nap time like bed time? I think that also helps. My kids play, eat lunch, my youngest gets his diaper changed and my oldest goes potty and then they lay down in bed.

D., both my 3 and 4 year old gave up naps earlier than 26 months. First, find a chart that tells how much sleep the average 26 month old needs per day. If he's getting that at night and he's happy all day and able to concentrate etc. then maybe he's getting enough sleep. In that case you can maintain a "rest" time in his crib for your sanity for as long as he'll tolerate it. My son did a "rest" time in his room longer than my daughter did. If he's crabbby during the day and you think he needs a nap then you'll have to trouble shoot that issue differently. Kids give up naps at all different ages so if he's ready, don't fight it.

My daughter was about 2 1/2 when she gave up naps totally. For the next year, we would spend every afternoon in quiet time to get the naps back, but they never did come back. You can try and see to give him that downtime just to see. Now my 3 1/2 year old son still naps but does have days where he doesn't want to go to sleep; I still do quiet time with him as well. Good luck.
T.

D.,
I could have written your post. I work from home and I get a majority of work done when my son naps - he's 2 1/2.

A few months ago, he did a 4-day boycott and then last week, he did a 2 day boycott. He spent the weekend at his grandparents house, slept both days and now that he is back at home today, he is currently in his room talking in his crib.

I think (HOPE!) this is just a phase. He's not ready to give up his nap. I keep putting him in there and in a few days, his naps will be back.

Keep trying and hopefully he will get tired enough and remember why he goes to his crib after lunch!

Best of Luck!
B.

My two-year-old daughter also went through a spell during which she refused to sleep for naptime. However, it is my opinion that children at that age do still need some "downtime" to keep themselves going through the rest of the day. So, I would simply put her in her bedroom and tell her she could play or read books as she pleased to pass the time. After a week of no naps, one day she simply fell asleep in her bed with her books on top of her. We have not had an afternoon with no nap since. I think that children just get to a point where they need to challenge the routine because they want to know what the limits are; it's all perfectly normal.

Nowadays, I put my daughter in her room each afternoon for "downtime." I do not even refer to it as naptime because I know there is the likelihood that she just will not feel the urge to sleep. And I am fine with that. As long as she takes some time to unwind, that is my only goal. Without that downtime, I know that she tends to be a bit more fussy in the evening hours, so it really is a benefit to her to give her that time.

Best of luck to you!

make the room as dark as possible. Here at my house (I do home daycare and have multiple kids napping every day) I use self adhesive velcro on the window frame then hang up a piece of black or dark blue felt that is 12 inches wider and longer then the window. This really makes it very dark.

Since he is 2 I would also remove light bulbs if he turns on lights. You can't sleep in the bright light, neither can he.

Then put music on continous play. Chose a soft music or even a white noise machine to play.

Finally remove ALL toys and things to do from his room.

Now that you have made the environment one that encourages sleep, he should sleep.

I know lots of people will tell you that it's ok to give up naps, that he is showing you he is ready to give them up and things like that. I have done much research on child sleep and their needs and I would NEVER allow a child under 4 1/2 to give up naps.

Think of your child as a car. You know that your car needs oil changes every 3000 miles. You can push it and go 5000 miles in a pinch, but if you keep skipping that oil change you are going to end up with a car that breaks down. Maybe not right away, but it will break down. The same is true for kids. That nap is like their oil change. It recharges their body, helps them digest what they have learned for the day, helps their body grow properly and helps their brain make the neural connnections that create intelligence. You can skip the naps (oil changes) but you will pay for it down the road. Maybe not today, this week or even this month, but in a few years you will be able to tell which kids gave up naps early and which didn't. You can see in their school behavior, in their health and in their intelligence.

Uh-oh, that ugly lille three headed monster is making an appearance...independance.
In our home nap time was not negotiable 90 minutes..period... he had to be in his bed...what he chose to do there...was his choice. We removed as much stimuli from the area as possible and closed the blinds and curtains.
Sometimes they just don't need to sleep, no growing at that point, too curious...whatever it may be just like eating thier bodies know what they need. Just make sure to stay on schedule and don't give in, resting and/or quiet time can be just as beneficial for a toddler as a nap.

My 2 year old did the same shortly after he turned 2. He boycotted nap for almost 2 weeks. I just kept putting him in his crib - I'd leave him in there for up to 2 hours. He wouldn't cry or call out for me. He just played and sang and talked to his stuffed animals. But then one day, he fell asleep and he's still taking naps four months later. He sleeps almost 12 hours a night, but still takes a 2 hour nap each day and I think he needs it - so before you give up on naps, give him that "downtime" and see if naps return.

My oldest gave up naps at about 26 months. The second child gave up naps not long after that....on occasion will nap in the car or fall asleep while resting in the afternoon, but typically does not nap. The little girl I watch is only 2 1/2 and she doesn't nap anymore either.

My son is 11 months old and he's down to one nap in the morning.

It all depends on how much sleep they get at night. I think at that age it is between 11 and 14 hours of total sleep time. My kids go to bed at about 7:30 to 8pm and they are up on their own between 7am and 8am. So they fit into the general requirements. They aren't crabby during the day and wake up fairly happy campers.

So you need to determine how he behaves when he wakes up and how he behaves during the day. Does he have meltdowns, rub his eyes, whine later in the day.... That will help you figure out what he needs. And if he plays in his crib for awhile to give you a break in the afternoon, then go with it. Don't fret.

My daughter did the same thing at almost exactly the same time. It became very difficult to get her to take a nap and if she did take a nap she would be up very late. It turned out that naps were not for her! She is, beleive or not better off with out a nap. She wakes up a @7:00 am, takes a rest about 12:30 (lays down and will watch a show) then is in bed sleeping by 7:00 pm. On the rare occasion we have something to do in the evening, I will try to get her to take a nap. I say she is better off with out a nap because the naps kept her up until at least 9:30. It does not matter what time she goes to bed she is awake by 7:00am. So even though she goes with out a nap it is nice that her and my seven month old are both down by 7:00 every night.
On the other hand I do miss my free time in the afternoon. So I would continue to try the nap a little longer but if he is still not napping he may be ready to give them up. Hopefully he does start napping again for you,Good luck!

Hi D.,

My pediatrician warned me at my 2 yr check up that between the ages of 2-3 three some children tend to give up naps. That he'd start only sleeping a few days a week and dwindle down to none. So, perhaps your child is letting you know he doesn't need naps anymore (even if you need him to ;) My older son stopped napping altogether by 2 yr 4 mo.....At first he was a little crankier before bed time but soon enough his body adjusted and he was fine. As I said, it could be your son is ready for no more naps....

My first daughter stopped napping when she was 2. He may just not require a nap anymore. Some kids take naps until they are 4 or 5. My brothers children stopped napping when they were a year and a half.

My twins did the same thing last year at that age. Then they jumped out of their cribs so they went into toddler beds. Once they were in toddler beds the naps returned but they wake up much earlier in the morning. I also had to lay on the floor until they went to sleep for their naps but not at bedtime.Good luck !