Toddler Sleep
Dropping the Final Nap
It’s a bitter-sweet time in every parent’s life. You realise that your toddler’s precious final nap is about to be history! Goodbye to that sweet couple of hours where you could relax and kick your feet up…or more realistically, tick off a few items from the ever-growing task list.
But is it really time to say goodbye?
It’s helpful to know how to tell when it’s really time to drop the final nap, when you can preserve it for a little longer, or when it’s too soon. Little ones typically will drop their nap between 2.5-3.5 years old. It’s not unheard of, however, for some bubs to drop it a little earlier and occasionally keep it up to the age of five! It’s always important to respond to cues from your little one. When the final drop does happen, it’s not always going to be a clear line in the sand - the transition can happen over a number of weeks, and it can mean they nap on some days but not on others. Their behaviour and mood can be a good indicator of the need to take a nap on a particular day. Never rush to drop naps and really important to note from 2.5 years or slightly earlier onwards its very normal for naps to only happen in car or pram for example, no longer in their sleep space. Don’t keep forcing naps in their cot or bed after that age if they are refusing.
There are two MOST IMPORTANT things to cover before we consider changing structure especially before considering dropping naps.
Sleep associations:
Is your little one waking because something has changed from when they fell asleep, are you now not sitting there, did you have to rock to sleep ,bottle to sleep etc. If that is the case then we cannot get a good gauge on structure and its time to address associations and self settling. Often bedtime refusal, lengthy bedtimes and night waking is from poor sleep habits, not sleep structure. We have incredible online and one on one programs for this!
Online Programs – The Gentle Sleep Specialist
Sleep Pressure
Next! Sleep pressure and I cannot stress how important this is. In the lead up to bedtime and naps ensure your little one isn’t losing their appetite for sleep, that they are wide awake and engaged on car trips, milk, books etc, or they will re boot and get a second wind. If they chill and wind down a lot before sleep they rest and re boot. Then refusing or making settles hard. Often people try to drop naps prematurely when the real problem is sleep pressure loss or sleep associations. Play, connection and outdoor time.
A guide to dropping your toddlers nap
Ask yourself these questions to determine if it really is time for that last nap to go!
Don't rush to drop the last nap for your toddler! Read our guide to find out if it's the right time.
Is your toddler taking too long to fall asleep for their nap?
Is your little one is fussing or playing for 30 minutes+ when you put them down? It could be a sign that they’re ready to drop their nap, but it is more likely they need a little more awake time before their nap. Try adding a little more time before their nap, 30 min for example. Keep in mind that you may have to cap the length of their nap so that it doesn’t push back bed time. Wake them no later than 2:00pm, for example.
Is your toddler taking too long to fall asleep at bedtime?
This is a similar concept to question 1. If your little one has and a nap during the day, it may not be leaving enough awake time before going to bed at night, so they’re just not sleepy yet! This can be a sign that you may either need to cap the nap (always cap before just dropping it). You might try capping it to 1 hour, 45 min or 30 min depending on how old they are and how long the nap currently is. If you are getting a 2 hour nap I would take 30 min off and trial then repeat. The main idea is that we don’t want bedtime falling much past 7:45pm, 8pm the latest.
As you prepare to totally drop a nap you will most likely alternate between nap and no nap days.
This is really important that typically the transition can take quite a while. There will be days a nap is needed and days it isn’t. We really want to make sure they have healthy sleep habits to ensure this transition is much easier on them.
Are you experiencing more overnight wakings or very early mornings?
This can indicate a few things, firstly I would see if your little one is too tired at bedtime just to cover that off. If that isn’t the cause then I would next consider sleep props, id your little one waking because something has changed from when they fell asleep, are you now not sitting there, did you have to rock to sleep, bottle to sleep etc. If that is the case then we cannot get a good gauge on structure and it's time to address associations and self settling.
From there you could see if capping their nap over 3 days starts to push their morning wake time out again or stops the night waking. Especially split nights.
Is your toddler still awake after afternoon car trips or pram rides?
Little ones will generally fall asleep with motion if they still require a nap. You’ll see this commonly during a car ride or an afternoon stroll in the pram. If your little one is still awake at the end of the journey however and still won't take their nap even on the go, it’s a pretty good sign that they’re ready to drop the nap. When your bub does finally drop it, a car or pram ride is a great way for them to get some chill out time in the afternoon, preventing them from getting exhausted before bed.
If your answer is ‘yes’ to these questions, it doesn’t have to mean no more naps right then and there.
Instead of dropping the nap straight away, try reducing the length of the nap.
Are they sleeping for longer than 90 minutes? Try cutting it down to 60 minutes.
Napping for 60 minutes? Cut it down to 30-45 minutes.
After reducing the length of the nap, after a few days you can then reassess if this has made an impact, and then reduce again if necessary. Give it a good 10 days+ before being convinced that the nap definitely needs to go or as mentioned use naps here and there!
Lastly and really importantly it will take your little one time to adjust to no nap and they will be TIRED come the end of the day. Offer down time at lunch time and as much outdoor time in the afternoon as possible the better. Even when little ones are ready for no nap it takes time for them to adjust. Don’t increase screen time or you will likely find it harder in their behaviour, offer lots of compassion and understanding as they are tired and having a hard time. The older your little one for this transition, the better but remember don’t put pressure on “sleep” you will add too much emotion and aversion. Just call it down time, rest time, resting our body, lying quietly etc.
Things can feel a little complicated for a while. Don’t be discouraged if there’s a period of trial and error before you work out your new normal! Note: If your little one is doing great with long naps and full nights please don’t feel the need to stick to timings or cap naps as suggested. Always follow SIDS SAFE guidelines and safety guidelines for naps on the go.
If you need help with this transition and want to chat please pop your details here so we can give you a call. If you also need help with transitioning from a cot to bed or getting sleep sorted in general we would love to help.
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