We hear you. Dropping your toddler’s nap is something no parent particularly looks forward to!

You’ve had a consistent nap time for the last several years and it isn’t easy to say goodbye. In this post we’ve got some tips for you, and also a suggestion we think you’ll feel relieved by (hint: you can still get your afternoon break!). 

This post will go over:

• Signs your child is ready to begin transitioning to no nap

• Things to rule out before making changes or dropping the nap

• When to begin dropping the afternoon nap

• How to begin making the transition

• How to implement a rest time in place of the afternoon nap

Signs your child is ready to begin transitioning to no nap

• Your child begins having uncharacteristic night wakings 

• Your child begins experiencing an uncharacteristically short nap 

• Your child begins having consistent early morning wakings (between 4am-6am)

• Your child begins to consistently struggle to fall asleep at their normal bedtime

• Your toddler constantly stays awake through their entire nap time 

• Your toddler can skip their nap and still be happy and content by bedtime (i.e. they are still pleasant and obeying with a happy heart all through the evening). If your toddler acts uncharacteristically hyper or is bouncing off the walls - that is a sign of over-tiredness.

Things to rule out before making changes or dropping the nap:

• Are both their bedtime and morning wake-time appropriate for their age and their sleep needs? 

• Is their afternoon nap time appropriate for their age?

• Do they have a solid sleep routine?

• Is their sleep environment appropriate?

• Are they dependent on someone or something else to help them fall asleep?

• Could they be going through a growth spurt or developmental leap?

Note: many 2 year olds go through a period of fighting naps. This doesn’t mean they’re ready to drop their nap. We see many toddlers continue to need some amount of daytime sleep until age 4.

Before dropping their nap completely, we always recommend trying a shorter nap first to see if they simply need less total daytime sleep. 

When to begin dropping the afternoon nap:

The transition to no nap isn’t going to be something that happens overnight. It’s going to be a transition. Very rarely is a child ready to drop their nap cold turkey. Even when they stop sleeping, we recommend having them do a quiet time / rest time in place of their nap (we’ll explain this below). 

Toddlers between the ages of 3-5 years old need an average of 10-13 hours of sleep every 24 hours and typically we see them begin phasing out of their naps between 3-3.5 years old. 

Like we said above, dropping your toddler’s nap is going to be a time of transition that lasts for several months. Your toddler may need their nap on some days, but not others. 

Before you decide to drop your toddler’s nap, it might be helpful to keep a log of their sleep for a good two weeks (and if you’re considering dropping it before your toddler is 3 years old, we would recommend keeping a log for 4 weeks before dropping their nap). 

Note how long they nap during the day, their mood, and how they sleep at night (how long they take to fall asleep, if they have any night wakings, and what time they wake in the morning). 

Click HERE to get your child’s perfect daily schedule! 

How to begin transitioning out of the afternoon nap:

At the Goodnight House, we encourage families to implement a “rest time,” in place of their regularly scheduled nap time. 

We love the Time-Timer (a visual 60-minute timer) for older toddlers who are heading into rest time instead of nap time. 

Continue to have your child lay down in their bed (or choose a consistent place: a mat on the floor or the couch with their blanket and pillow) at a consistent time each day, for 30-60 minutes. Give them a few books to look at and tell them that if they feel sleepy, they should sleep. Explain to them that they can read quietly until the timer beeps. 

If your child struggles to stay on their bed or in their rest time space for the amount of time you’ve chosen (example: 30-60 minutes), you may need to help them work up to it. Start with 15-20 minutes and continue to build on that.

We encourage parents to talk to their toddlers and explain what the expectations around rest time are:

• Stay in bed (or on designated space) until mama or daddy comes to get you / until your timer beeps / light turns green etc.

• They may read or do something quietly 

• If they feel sleepy, encourage them to sleep

Watch the video below to see my 4 year old doing rest time:

If your child does fall asleep, you’ll want to wake them up at the end of the rest time (if they fell asleep towards the end you can give them a few extra minutes of sleep (roughly 30 minutes total), but you don’t want them to sleep so long it affects bedtime or night sleep). 

As your child gets older and consistently sleeps less and less, you can incorporate more things like music, audio books, a small basket of “quiet time” activities or toys (however we highly discourage the use of the TV, Tablet, or iPad during this time as those are especially stimulating when what you want is for your child to be resting). 

Why we love rest time + the benefits:

We love rest time for several reasons:

• Your toddler may have many days where they still need a little daytime sleep, and the rest time gives them that opportunity.

• Toddlers go through frequent growth spurts and often need extra sleep during those phases. Rest time allows for this to naturally happen.

• It gives them a chance to slow down and rest their minds and their bodies, even if they don’t actually sleep. If they don’t sleep, rest time encourages independent play, which has several benefits for children. See our post HERE all about independent playtime for any age.

• Rest time also means you as the parent still get a consistent time in the afternoon to have some quiet time to yourself or take care of whatever needs to be done around your home or with other children etc. 

Is your child struggling with sleep?

If your child struggles with sleep, please know there is help. Our mission at the Goodnight House is to equip parents with the tools necessary to help their babies get the sleep they need and experience more rest, peace, and joy in parenting. 

If you’re expecting or you have a newborn (0-12 weeks old), our online Newborn Class is the perfect way to introduce healthy sleep habits and help them get better sleep from day one.

If you have an older baby or toddler, we offer 1:1 Personalized Sleep Plans to help get your child (4+ months) sleeping independently for 11-12 hours per night.