All good things must come to an end. That includes your child’s naps! Here are a few signs that is is time to drop that last nap:
1. Your child is four years old.
I always recommend offering a daily nap until a child turns four. Most children are still napping when they turn three and no longer napping by the time they turn four. I still like for three-year-olds to be put down for a nap, even if they just rest. I sometimes find that children who continue to nap after they turn four are simply just not getting enough quality sleep during the night. If they continue to nap after they turn four, it can cause problems at bedtime and/or during the night.
There is often a period of increased nap resistance and protests around age two. I call this a nap strike. This nap strike can last up to a month. Many parents assume their child is ready to drop their nap at this point. However, if you stay consistent with offering the nap, most children will go back to napping. The benefits of napping at this age make it worth it to fight through the nap strike. Naps have a positive impact on mood, coping skills, and learning.
2. Your child is not sleepy during the day.
If your child is truly not tired during the day, they will not be tired both before AND after nap. The most common sign that your child is ready to stop napping is that they have a hard time going down for their nap. They may stall a lot or just take a long time to fall asleep. Make sure to always give them a full hour to rest in their bed, even if they don’t fall asleep. If your child is able to skip their nap without being fussy, they may be ready to stop napping.
Sometimes when children start to phase naps out, they will want to take a nap really late in the afternoon. I do not recommend this. I like to see children awake by 3:00 pm at the latest when they are getting ready to transition out of naps. Try to distract your child, if needed. You can go outside or find something fun to play. That way they won’t be tempted to fall asleep on the couch at 5:00 pm.
This process does not happen in a day.
Most children will nap on some days and not on other days at first. (Make sure to adjust bedtime earlier on those no-nap days.) Also, an important thing to keep in mind is that some children resist naps for other reasons besides being truly ready to drop a nap. As an example, if your child goes to daycare and naps there, but will not nap at home, this means that your child is most likely not ready to stop napping and there is likely another issue. Missed naps in children who need them lead to more frustration, increased tantrums, negative moods, more anxiety and decreased ability to cope. If you notice any of these signs on a regular basis, your child either isn’t ready to stop napping and/or isn’t getting enough sleep during the night.
3. Your child is having a hard time falling asleep at bedtime.
If your child takes a long time to fall asleep at bedtime, and generally does not seem tired when bedtime rolls around, a nap could be the issue. If they are still napping, they either don’t need the nap at all or the nap is too long and/or too late in the day.
Sleep is controlled by two processes: our circadian rhythm (our internal 24-hour body clock) and our sleep pressure. The drive to sleep starts out low in the morning and builds throughout the day so that by the time we get to the evening, our sleep pressure is higher so we can fall asleep easier. Naps for children who don’t need them will affect their sleep pressure at bedtime.
Before assuming that your child is ready to stop napping altogether, I suggest slowly reducing the amount of time they are napping.
If you shorten the nap and you are still having trouble falling asleep at bedtime, then you can more safely assume your child is ready to go without the nap.
If you are struggling with naps or nighttime sleep, I’d really like to help you! Check out what happens in a consultation with me HERE.