When do little ones stop taking a nap?

Question

my daughter is 2 yrs old and she is refusing to take a nap

Answer 1

It depends, usually by age five most children no longer need naps, but sometimes it's earlier.  If she is only refusing this one time to take a nap, I wouldn't pay any attention.  If it's more often, you may want to change her schedule.  Try having her either just lay down in a quiet room or have quiet time for awhile.  You can also move her bedtime up a half-hour or so.

Answer 2

She may not need to sleep during the day anymore.  My daughter who turns 3 this week stopped napping months ago.  She sleeps from 8:30 at night until 7 in the morning, and that's enough for her.  My older two stopped napping around 4.  2 is on the early side to stop napping, but she may not need the sleep.

However, you are the mother.  If you feel she needs a quiet rest time, she can learn to play quietly on her bed or look at books for 1/2 hour or 1 hr every day.  Some moms of little ones do this if their preschoolers no longer need to sleep.  I haven't done this because my children play reasonably well and can keep themselves occupied, so I don't feel the need to have them rest if they don't need to sleep.  If I need to nap (I'm pregnant with #5), I'll go take one, even if they're not.  Whatever works for you.

Answer 3

I am 31 and I need a good nap.

Don't mistake refusal for unnecessity.  My son refuses to take a bath sometimes, but that doesn't make it unnessecary.   I would say that by the time they are 5, naps should be all but a memory.  I remember having naptime in kindergarten though, and I was 5....so....yeah I guess that's the last regularly scheduled nap I can remember.

Answer 4

at around 3 to 4 it would be healthy to sleep in the night only but starting as early as 2 would not be a bad thing

Answer 5

If it makes you feel any better, my 1yr old only takes an hour nap in the middle of the day if im lucky. But she sleeps at least 12 hours a night. I've tried to get her on a "normal" baby schedule, but I just do what works for her.

Answer 6

my daughter will be 3 in sept and she still sleeps1 1/2 hrs every day after lunch, she would have longer if i let her!.

in my experience as a nursery nurse, anywhere from 2-4 yrs is normal for dropping naps. try encouraging a bit longer but if she can cope (and you) without a nap, thats fine.

Answer 7

My kids are 5,3,2 and 2 months... and I insist they continue to take naps for MOMMY'S Sanity! :)

Answer 8

Then she's done with naps.  It happens.  If she's ok during the day without the nap then let it be.  Otherwise, you make an hour or so quiet time and put in a movie for her to watch on the couch. (if she's the type to sit still for that)

Answer 9

they are clinnically proven to stop at approx at the age of 5 or6

Answer 10

Around age 4.  

No 2 year old has the authority to refuse to do anything set out for them by thier parents.  You make the rules.  If you say it's nap-time, it's nap time.

Answer 11

i would say about 4 yrs old

Answer 12

Does she still need a nap?

We recently discovered that my 3 year old daughter didn't need her nap anymore.  She kept calling at bedtime for various reasons, and we decided she just wasn't tired.  We quit her afternoon nap, and now she goes to bed like a sleeping beauty.

You could try to cut out her nap, and see how she acts the next day.  Also, you could try naps every other day.

It was a dissappointment for me, because I LOVE her naptime, but it's best for her I guess.

Answer 13

If she does not fall asleep, insist you have 2-3 hours of quiet time where she is in her room resting.

In regards to your question, around age 5.  But I think we all generally had "quiet time" for quite a while with the 5 of us kids in the house.

Answer 14

My son is 4 and I still have him nap. For about 1-2 hours around 1pm.

Answer 15

they still takes naps in kinder so i would say 6 yrs old.

Answer 16

h**l, I'm 17 and I still take a nap from time to time :D

I stopped taking an afternoon nap when I was 3 1/2. I just didn't need one anymore.

Answer 17

Then make her stay in her bed for an hour for quiet time.  Give her a book to keep her occupied, but INSIST she stay in the bed.  You both need a break at this age.

This might just be  a short live phase.  My two year old did that for two weeks in Februaruy and I insisted she still go to bed for an hour with her books.  Now at two and a half, she has resumed her 2.5 hour nap in the afternoon.

Answer 18

Keep sticking her in the bed

Answer 19

Refuses....? Who is the mother?  You make her.....Just do it consistently ,same time every day. Then it will become a habit. Kindergartner's still have nap time.