When Do Toddlers Stop Napping?

Ah, naptime. Whether you cherish it as a chance to rest and recharge—or dread it for its house-arrest vibes—one thing is certain: It won’t last forever. Your kiddo might be ready to phase out naptime, but are you ready for the end of naps? If you’re constantly battling a nap-resisting kiddo, you might be. “After a couple of weeks of my 4-year-old twins’ naptime looking a lot like a WWE match, we knew it was time to drop the nap,” says Christine B., a mom in Brookline, New Hampshire.

So when do kids stop napping anyway? And how can you make the process smoother? To ease the transition, we’ve consulted toddler sleep experts and seasoned parents to answer all your nap-dropping questions.

When Do Kids Stop Napping?

While most kids drop naps altogether between the ages of 3 and 5, the process of trading daytime sleep for more nighttime sleep is slow and steady. Here’s how your kiddo’s sleep typically evolves, according to Elizabeth Benge, MD, a sleep medicine physician in Massachusetts.:

• Newborns: Brand-new babies sleep about 12 to 16 hours a day, including three to four naps.
• 4- to 6-month-olds: As sleep consolidation begins, some babies may drop from four naps to three.
• 7- to 9-month-olds: Most babies settle into three naps a day as their nighttime sleep stretches out. The third nap often gets shorter and starts to fade by 8 to 9 months.
• 10- to 12-month-olds: Many babies shift to two naps—one in the morning and another in the early afternoon—while nighttime sleep continues to improve.
• 12- to 18-month-olds: It’s around this time that many tots drop the second nap. Some alternate between one and two naps for a while before settling into a single midday snooze. Nighttime sleep might be temporarily disrupted as they adapt.
• 3- to 5-years-olds: While some kids stop napping around age 3, others keep daytime snoozing until kindergarten. As naps phase out, bedtime may shift slightly earlier to compensate.

What happens if you drop a nap too soon?

According to pediatrician Harvey Karp, MD, “Dropping naps too soon is one of the most common nap mistakes well-meaning parents make. Some rush the process, thinking, ‘Well, my kid skips naps half the time, so we’re done!’ But if your tot is cranky or overtired, they still need daytime rest.” While it might be tempting for some parents to speed things along, it’s important to remember that naps remain essential for toddlers. “They support brain development, memory, emotional regulation, overall health—and they help kids process these experiences,” explains Benge.

Your tot’s sleep patterns will naturally shift over time. “Dropping naps at their own pace allows their circadian rhythm to stabilize, making it easier to fall asleep at bedtime without disruptions,” says Benge. “This transition also aligns with their growing stamina and cognitive development, helping them stay alert and engaged throughout the day.”

Signs Toddlers Are Ready to Stop Napping

Some children cling to naptime like it’s their favorite lovey, while others are eager to ditch daytime sleep even when they’re not truly ready. (FOMO is real with the toddler and preschool set!) Here are some clear signs your child might be done with naptime:

Delayed naptime sleep

When it regularly takes a child 30 minutes or more to fall asleep at naptime, that often means they simply aren’t tired enough for sleep, according to Cleveland Clinic Waiting it out is often a bad idea, too. “Once kids start falling asleep later in the afternoon, it starts ‘stealing’ from their night sleep,” says Jessica Berk, a certified pediatric sleep consultant and founder of Awesome Little Sleepers.

Earlier morning wake-ups

If your child is consistently rise-and-shining, fully rested and ready to go an hour or two before their usual wake time, daytime napping may no longer be needed. “Dropping the nap totally cured our early-waking issue,” says mom-of-two Natalie N., in Brooklyn, New York. “We went from months of fighting over naps and bedtime on days I forced naps, to a much more peaceful and aligned 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. sleep schedule once we stopped naps.”

Energetic afternoons

If your kiddo is still content and happy to play when their naptime rolls around, they may be ready to drop their nap. “I knew we were done with naps when each kid was still full of energy instead of melting down after skipping a nap,” says Laurel S., a Dublin, California parent of three whose children all stopped napping at 3 years old.

Consistent nap resistance

Similarly, if your child is always resisting naps, they may not need them anymore, Karp says. Laurel S. was clued in when she found she was spending more energy trying to help her children get to sleep than she would’ve spent simply embracing the new awake window Similarly, Natalie N. recalls, “My son would stand in his crib every day at naptime and scream, ‘I’m not tired!’” Whether your child’s nap protests are vocal or not, “if their refusal persists for 14 days straight, it’s time to officially drop the nap,” advises Berk. “But if they still nap every few days, keep putting them down to give them a chance to get the sleep they need.”

Weekend wakefulness

Just because your child sleeps at preschool or daycare doesn’t necessarily mean they need weekend naps at home. “If your child’s sleeping well through the night, it’s fine to stay in this nap-only-at-daycare cycle for a while,” says Berk. “Just know that your child likely needs an earlier bedtime on nap-free weekends.”

Smooth, no-nap bedtimes

“If bedtime is a dream and your child then sleeps for 10 to 12 hours overnight​ on no-nap days, it’s time to drop the nap,” says Karp.

Late evening sleepiness

“If your child is over 3.5 years old, sleeps well during the day and they have great sleep habits at bedtime—but aren’t able to fall asleep before 8pm—it’s time to reconsider naps,” says Berk, who notes that this is another case of naps eating into night sleep.

Before dropping naps entirely, consider a middle ground. “If your child is dozing off in the car—or cranky, clumsy and melting into a puddle of ‘no, no, no!’ before dinner, they should probably continue napping,” advises Karp. “Try to bring back short naps, even just 20 to 30 minutes, to see if that helps.”

Tips to Help Your Child Stop Napping

The transition from naps to no-naps is a big milestone—and sometimes a challenging one. While saying goodbye to midday rest might feel bittersweet for parents, having the right strategies in place can make this change smoother for everyone. Here’s how to navigate the sleep shift:

• Go slow. It’s not a lickety-split change. “Most kids take several weeks to fully transition,” says Karp. “Think of weaning naps, like you would weaning off a bottle—you want to do it gently and with lots of patience.”
• Start with one “no-nap day.” Emily Singer, MD, a sleep medicine specialist in Louisville, Kentucky, suggests choosing one day for your kiddo to skip their nap. “If you notice your child does well with that change, then try introducing no-nap days for more days of the week,” she suggests.
• Shorten naps. You can also try making naps shorter for a week or two, says Singer. Berk recommends taking a 90-minute nap down to an hour. Continue to shorten the nap until you feel your child can completely skip it.
• Institute quiet time. When toddlers do stop napping, you’re going to need a break. Enter: quiet time. “This is a great way to bridge those few weeks where kids may nap on some days and not others,” says Berk. “Quiet time allows them the opportunity to fall asleep if they need to or just play independently if they don’t.” The key to quiet-time success? Make it cozy and fun, using special books; favorite stuffies; soft music and engaging but quiet toys, like coloring books, puzzles, or magnetic tiles. “And never frame quiet time as punishment or kids will resist," emphasizes Karp. Christine B.’s children preferred snuggling on the sofa, reading or watching a movie together for an hour. Nicole R., a mom-of-four in Bowie, MD, took a different approach, encouraging her children to read or quietly play in their rooms for two hours each afternoon.
• Keep the day going. If quiet time doesn’t work for your family, that’s alright! There’s no need to force it. Brooklyn mom Natalie gave quiet time the old college try but found that simply continuing with the day without worrying about rest worked better for her family. “We had much more fun—and he’d go down at 7 p.m. without a fuss,” she says.
• Get outside! Research shows that outdoor time in the morning and afternoon helps kids fall asleep faster at bedtime, as natural light sets their body clocks. Plus, Britt R., a mom of two in Newport, Rhode Island, found that “extra outdoor play allowed her kids to regulate their energy and prevent late-day crankiness” after napping stopped.
• Rewind bedtime. “Start by moving bedtime 15 minutes earlier, but be sure to watch for whatever your child’s sleepy signs are and get them to bed earlier if necessary,” advises Berk. For some kids, that means shifting bedtime by a whole hour. “We went from a 7:30 p.m. bedtime to 6:15 to 6:30 for almost a month after the nap transition,” says mom Christine B., who’s also the founder of Bella Luna Family, a sleep consulting company. “This definitely helped prevent them from getting overtired and made the transition easier.”
• Shift your mindset. It’s true, when kids stop napping, your life will change a bit. Again. Like any parenting transition, accepting and even celebrating this change can make it easier for the whole family. “It’s almost like we had to mourn our old life, which included a little break and embrace the new no-nap life,” says Paige H., a mom of one in Tempe, Arizona. “When we finally got into the right headspace, it was glorious!”

To Sum It Up

So when do kids stop taking naps? While it’s usually between the ages of 3 and 5, that’s a range not a rule. “There isn’t a perfect age to drop a daytime nap—and it really depends on both the individual child and their family’s preferences,” Singer says. Stopping naps too soon can lead to overtired children, brimming with meltdowns. And keeping naps for too long can lead to later bedtimes and fragmented night sleep. “The key is balance,” says Karp. “Well-rested kids generally wake up happy, stay alert through the day and fall asleep smoothly at night. If naps are messing with that rhythm, it’s time for an adjustment.”

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.