The age toddlers give up napping
In 2020, a systematic review and meta-analysis combined studies of napping in children up to age 12. Here is what it estimated:
| Age | Children who had stopped napping |
|---|---|
| Before 2 years | Uncommon, under 2.5% |
| About 3 years | Roughly 33% |
| About 4 years | Roughly 57% |
| About 5 years | Roughly 80% |
| Over 5 years | Roughly 94% |
Results varied widely from study to study, so use these figures as a guide rather than a cutoff. Counting naps, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 11 to 14 hours of sleep per 24 hours for ages 1 to 2 and 10 to 13 hours for ages 3 to 5. Once the nap goes, that sleep has to happen at night.
How to tell the nap is truly on its way out
- Most nap times, your child lies awake, yet stays in good spirits into the evening.
- Whenever there’s a nap, bedtime drags on or gets pushed far later.
- The pattern has lasted a few weeks rather than a few days.
Under age 3, refusing naps is frequently a passing phase brought on by a new skill, a cold, a move or a schedule that has slipped. Since giving up naps before 2 is uncommon, a 2-year-old who skips them for a week typically still needs one. Read a 2 year old’s sleep schedule.
Moving from a nap to quiet time is a frequent moment for toddler sleep to come apart. Actually Sleeping supports families from the newborn stage through the toddler years and plans this transition around your child.
What quiet time actually is
Quiet time takes the nap’s place with a dependable rest period at the same point each day. Your child stays in their room or another calm space, doing low-key activities. Falling asleep is fine. If they stay awake, they’ve still rested, and you’ve had a pause. Screen time isn’t rest, and it makes returning to calm harder.
Since your child will be awake and on their own in the room, safety comes first: childproof the space, secure furniture to the wall, and put a gate across the doorway if your child is young.
Where the switch tends to go wrong
- The nap goes too soon. A toddler on nap strike gets treated as done with naps, and evenings collapse.
- Bedtime stays put. A child missing an hour or two of daytime sleep goes down at the old bedtime, already overtired.
- Late naps sneak back. A 4 p.m. snooze in the car shoves bedtime later.
- Quiet time turns into a fight. With no clear, consistent limit, it becomes an hour of repeated exits from the room.
Doing this well depends on your child’s age, true sleep need, nap history and how bedtime is currently going, none of which generic advice can see.
Our approach to nap transitions
Actually Sleeping supports families from the newborn stage through the toddler years, which for many families includes the beginning of the shift from nap to quiet time. Dr. Sam writes a plan that determines whether your toddler is genuinely ready, sets the nap or quiet time and bedtime for your child, and spells out the limits both parents hold. We coach you bootcamp-style before the first night and check in 1:1 every day as the new routine settles, and we keep coaching naps until they are solid. Toddler parents tell their stories in reviews from families of children 12 months and older. You may also want to read about daycare naps.
If the nap is disappearing and evenings are coming apart, book a free consultation with Actually Sleeping.
Ready to solve this for your own baby?
With Actually Sleeping you get 1:1 coaching: Dr. Sam writes a sleep plan for your specific baby, we coach you bootcamp-style before the first night, and we check in daily until it is working. We have coached 700+ families, collected 129 video reviews, and put our guarantee in writing: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.
Common questions
When do toddlers usually stop napping?
According to a 2020 review, fewer than 2.5% of children stop napping before age 2. Roughly a third had stopped by 3, around 57% by 4 and around 80% by 5, with a lot of variation from child to child.
How long should quiet time last?
Lots of families aim for 30 to 60 minutes, at the time the nap used to happen. The ideal length depends on your child’s age, total sleep and bedtime, and quiet time works best when it falls at the same time daily.
Should I insist my 2 year old naps when they refuse?
Sleep can’t be forced, but dropping naps before 2 is uncommon, so most 2-year-olds who refuse are on strike rather than done. How the nap gets offered, and what no-nap days look like, are part of an Actually Sleeping toddler plan.
References
- Staton S, et al. Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0-12 years. Sleep Med Rev. 2020;50:101247.
- Paruthi S, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016.