I remember the days of 2-2.5 hour mid-day naps from my son. Oh how glorious they were…until they started impacting his bedtime. Bedtime is something that you don’t want to mess with. Nighttime sleep is the most restorative sleep for our bodies, so limiting daytime sleep is often recommend in order to preserve the night.
If you’re wondering what some of the signs are for needing to limit daytime sleep, I’ve compiled a list below.
Signs To Cap My Toddler’s Nap
They are not falling asleep quickly at bedtime.
When we put our babies or toddlers into their cribs, we want them to be in there no longer than 20 minutes before falling asleep. If they are tossing and turning for over 20 minutes, then it’s generally a sign that either their wake windows are off, or they are having too much daytime sleep.
They’ve started waking really early in the morning.
As humans, we all have an internal body clock - or a circadian rhythm. This body clock helps us determine how much sleep we actually need in a 24-hour period. If your child is taking a glorious 2-3 hour nap in the middle of the day, falling asleep easily at bedtime, but has now started waking abnormally early (before 6am), then it’s time to adjust that nap. We all have a range of hours that we need to sleep in a 24-hour period. As adults, our range is generally from 7-9 hours of sleep. For children who are in the 1 nap phase, their range is generally from 11-13 hours in a 24-hour period. If they are getting too many of their total sleep hours throughout the day, it is going to automatically impact their nighttime sleep. Cutting back the nap will help solve those early mornings.
They are taking a long time falling asleep at nap time.
When children are close to dropping their nap completely, they begin protesting their nap. This can look like: restlessness when put into the crib, exploration of the crib, or straight up protesting the nap. Lots of parents jump to the conclusion that maybe they are done napping completely, but what could solve this most of the time is pushing the nap back by 30-45 minutes, and shortening it.
There are other small signs to that you might notice when it comes to big transitions and changes in your toddler’s sleep, but generally, these are the 3 main signs to cap your toddler’s nap.
SO - what do we cap it to?
I like to recommend that when a child first transitions to a 1-nap schedule, that they sleep for a period of 2-2.5 hours. This will last for 1-2 months until their body adjusts to the 1 nap schedule.
Once they have fully adjusted to 1-nap a day, then I like to recommend scaling back the nap and ensuring that there is 5 hours of awake time on each end of the nap.
A schedule would look like this:
7am Wakeup
12-2pm Nap
7pm Bedtime
Once they hit the 24 month mark, I’d recommend waking your child after 1.5 hours of napping to ensure they get 5.5 hours of awake time before bed. As they are in the 24-36 month range, this is typically when children DROP their nap completely. Before dropping it outright - I would scale it back to the 1 hour mark. This is nap change would happen around age 2.5 and it would stay for as long as your child decides to nap.
I know it seems counterintuitive to wake a sleeping baby, but I promise you that once a child is a rockstar at self-soothing and linking their sleep cycles, it’ll become necessary for you to wake them.
Of course, if you’re struggling with your toddler’s sleep - don’t feel like you have to handle it on your own!
Bailey
FAQs
Once they hit the 24 month mark, I'd recommend waking your child after 1.5 hours of napping to ensure they get 5.5 hours of awake time before bed. As they are in the 24-36 month range, this is typically when children DROP their nap completely.
When should I start capping my toddler's naps? ›
It may be time to transition from nap to quiet time if your toddler or preschooler has been: Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at bedtime. Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at nap time. Refusing to nap (often talking or singing to themselves instead of sleeping).
When should I limit my toddler's naps? ›
Between the ages of 2 and 5 years old, most children gradually nap less and then stop napping entirely. However, individual children may stop napping on their own time due to a wide range of factors. If your child is restless or does not fall asleep during naptime, they may be ready to phase out naps.
Is a 3 hour nap too long for a 2 year old? ›
While there are no official guidelines on how long a 2-year-old should nap, most toddlers at this age can nap for around one to three hours per day. Children of this age get the majority of their sleep at night.
What's the latest to let a 2 year old nap? ›
Make sure your child's nap isn't so late in the afternoon that they aren't tired when it's bedtime. Experts recommend keeping at least three hours between the end of a nap and bedtime. So if your child's bedtime is between 7 and 8 p.m., don't put them down for a nap after 3 p.m. or so.
What is the 90 minute crib rule? ›
Just like the 60-minute rule, if your child isn't falling asleep or wakes after a short nap, then apply your sleep training method of choice until they fall asleep or until it's been 90 minutes from the time that they were first placed down for the nap — whichever happens first.
When should I start limiting naps? ›
Up-to-Date
While all children are unique, many begin to outgrow regular naps around the age of 5. A child may be ready to stop napping if they consistently resist naps, sleep through the night, or struggle to fall asleep at their current bedtime. Parents should gradually reduce the frequency and duration of naps.
Do daytime naps affect night sleep for toddlers? ›
How daytime sleeping habits can affect night-time sleep. Your child's night-time sleeping habits may be disrupted by their daytime naps. For example, if they don't sleep during the afternoon, you may find they are too tired to eat their evening meal. As they are so tired, you put them to bed early.
How to know when to cut a toddler's nap? ›
That said, here's how to tell if your toddler should stop napping:
- Your Toddler Has Difficulty Falling Asleep For Naps. ...
- Your Toddler Won't Go To Sleep At Their Usual Bedtime. ...
- Your Toddler Is Very Irritable. ...
- If Your Child Is Around About 5 Years Old, They Can Probably Skip A Nap.
Tip #2 Limit long naps
For younger babies, we typically recommend limiting individual naps to 2 hours. Older children may need to limit their naps to 1 or 1.5 hours a piece, depending on their schedule.
Afternoon nap
Plan for another nap after a nourishing lunch. Preferably, schedule this resting period for the early afternoon, around 1:30 or 2 p.m. Ideally, the nap should last just under two hours since a too-late nap can interfere with your child's ability to sleep at night later on. Is Your Child Too Old to Nap?
How do you know when your toddler is ready to drop a nap? ›
Signs Your Toddler Is Ready to Stop Napping
- Difficulty falling asleep during naptime. If your child no longer needs the extra sleep during the day, they might have difficulty falling asleep when put down for a nap.
- Difficulty falling asleep at bedtime. ...
- Waking up early. ...
- Not falling asleep at all during naptime.
Consider the 2-3-4 Nap Schedule
| Sample 2-3-4 Baby Nap Schedule |
|---|
| Wake | 7:00 am |
| Nap 1 (2 hours after waking) | 9:00–10:30 am |
| Nap 2 (3 hours after morning nap) | 1:30–3:00 pm |
| Bedtime (4 hours after afternoon nap) | 7:00 pm |
Nov 19, 2023
Once they hit the 24 month mark, I'd recommend waking your child after 1.5 hours of napping to ensure they get 5.5 hours of awake time before bed. As they are in the 24-36 month range, this is typically when children DROP their nap completely. Before dropping it outright - I would scale it back to the 1 hour mark.
How do I know if my 2 year old doesn't need a nap? ›
Not falling asleep at all during naptime.
You may notice that during naptime your child continues to play or read without looking sleepy. This is a sure sign that the nap is no longer needed, especially if your child doesn't become grouchy or irritable later in the day.
What to do if a toddler takes a late nap? ›
Some sleep experts believe that waking up a baby from sweet sleep is actually good for them. So if baby takes a long nap before bedtime, remember that it's okay to wake her up after an hour or so, especially when it's her last nap of the day. What you don't want to happen is for baby to get overtired.
What age should I cap naps? ›
However, one or two daytime naps – short period of sleeping during the day – are often needed for a few years until your child grows out of them. It's common for this to happen around the age of 3 to 4 years old, although some children may keep on napping until they're older than this.
Is it okay if my 2 year old doesn't nap? ›
Yes! It's normal for your 2 year old or 2.5 year old to experience changes in sleep. At this age, toddlers are experiencing significant development. There may also be life changes happening around this time that can impact sleep (e.g. new sibling, starting school or daycare, potty training).
Does a 2.5 year old need a nap? ›
Most 2.5 year olds still need 1 nap per day that lasts 1 - 2 hours long. As they get closer to 3 years of age, they'll be able to stay awake for longer periods which means that it's easier for them to resist naps.
