Thinking Your Toddler Is Ready To Stop Naps? Read This First!
Knowing the end of nap times is near can be a scary thought for a parent. Having one solid chunk during the day while your little one sleeps is SO nice, and most parents are very hesitant to give up that alone time. Me included! I am dreading the day when my children stop naps!
Thinking that it may be time to make the switch, but not so sure? Are you trying to figure out if your baby is ready to stop naps? Read these tips below to ensure it really is time for the nap to go!
When Does The Transition Happen?
Typically somewhere between age 3 and 5 children drop their daytime nap, but will still require a solid 12 hours of sleep overnight. You can really tell that naps should be capped or ended when it starts to effect bedtime. Between ages 3 and 5 is a huge range, so really ensure that your child is ready to make that switch before completely pulling it, or else it could result in long cranky afternoons and some pop-up overnight wakings from being overtired.
How Do I Know If They Are Ready?
Try everything else before pulling the nap fully. Maybe if your child is taking a little longer to fall asleep at bedtime, then try capping their nap, or moving it a bit earlier so there is more time between waking and bedtime. Start with capping the nap to 1.5 hours, then 1 hour, then 45 minutes before pulling it all together.
You also want to make sure that it isn't just a few pop-up days of having trouble with naps before you make the decision. Once your child is having trouble falling asleep at naptime or falling asleep late at bedtime for 2 weeks or longer means that you should think of making the switch.
What Do We Do Instead Of Naps?
Keep that time for your child to rest! Even if they are not actually sleeping, it is still important for them to get time to themselves to relax and recharge before the afternoon comes. This is especially important for children that have older siblings as they seem to stop napping younger and doing a lot more activity during the day to keep up with them. Having at least an hour of quiet time in their bed or room is important for them to rest and be able to make it through the afternoon and not be overtired by the time bedtime comes.
During naptime you can have your child:
read books
do puzzles
non-messy art ( water wow, crayons, colored pencils)'
Legos / blocks / magnatiles
sticker books / re-useable sticker books
Lacing cards / lacing beads
Taken all these steps and still struggling with naps? Book a free Sleep Solutions call with me!