While your little toddler keeps growing, their need for daily naps will slowly start to decrease. Though Mom and Dad are certainly sad to see those naps go bye-bye, your child is most certainly not. Even though your toddler will fight the nap, that one or two hours of naptime helps your child recharge and gives a parent time to do so as well. As your child enters the toddler years, there are some changes to the entire nap routine and here is what you can expect:
Bye-Bye Morning Nap
As a baby, your little one was just fine with a morning and afternoon nap, but once they hit the 16-18 month group, that two naps a day seems a little far-fetched. A parent will know to axe the morning nap when their child is still hyped up during naptime in the morning or even becomes verbal about not taking a nap altogether. Though your child may be cranky the first few days or weeks after cutting that morning nap, it will eventually go away as they adjust.
When you are removing the morning nap, you will want to put more focus on the afternoon nap. If your tot is rubbing their eyes or severely cranky come 12 p.m., but you have not served up lunch yet, then you will probably want to consider adjusting lunchtime to something earlier. Omitting naps are all about having the ability to adjust to what your toddler needs in order to still make it through the day without having an “I’m tired meltdown” moment.
Eventually that day will come when your toddler drops all naps. This is certainly a sad time for parents who look for that afternoon nap as a time of solace for themselves. Though it is a sad day when your tot drops that afternoon nap, it is a good sign your little one is growing and maturing. Though your tot will be refusing a nap, it is important to know if they really can go without that afternoon nap before you axe it altogether.
Some children will nap up until they are five years old, while others will be ready to get rid of their afternoon nap by age two. Just remember that the transition from one nap to absolutely no naps will be a shaky process no matter how ready your tot is. Try doing a day with an afternoon nap and a day without it. That way your toddler is slowly getting used to not taking naps. On those days you axe the nap, you will want to consider moving the bedtime up to a more reasonable hour for your little one.
When you do take away the afternoon nap, you will want to make sure that your child is getting at least 11 hours of sleep each night. It is important to remember that not all children are the same. Though 11 hours is recommended, some children do just fine with 10 or less. Always revert to what it appears your child needs and remember that there is going to be some resistance no matter what plan you go with. Eventually you and your tot will get back onto a schedule that works for both of you, even if the naps are gone.
