You used to have an hour to get some chores done during the day. Now it is gone!
Now your 2-year-old is awake ALL DAY, demanding your attention, which is draining.
Don’t panic; it could be good news that your 2-year-old has stopped napping. In this post, I’ll explain why.
Between 14:00 and 15:00, every day was dad’s hour! After a full day of playing, eating, and arguing, my son was ready to take a nap.
It was the second best moment of the day, behind his actual bedtime.
Then something happened that ripped away my time and severely limited my Netflix binge-watching sessions (and sometimes MY afternoon nap!).
My 2-year-old Son stopped napping…
I was devastated!
This was my rest time; this was the time I spent building my energy stores back up again for afternoon playtime.
I’m too old to keep going all day!
So what do you do when your 2-year-old stops napping? Why have they stopped napping? What can you do about it? Should you do anything about it?
When it is time to stop a 2-year-old napping
It is time for a 2-year-old to stop napping when they decide that they do not need their afternoon nap anymore!
2-year-old children should be getting around 12-14 hours of sleep per day. That can be in one hit (at night), or it could be split between the nighttime and 1 or 2 daytime naps.
When your 2-year-old gets to the stage where they have stopped napping, there is not much that you can do about it.
This stage in their life also comes with a warning! When your 2-year-old stops taking their afternoon nap, you are just about to learn about the ‘Golden Hour.’
The Golden Hour
It is terrible news, I am afraid! The golden hour arrives 1 hour before your 2-year-olds usual bedtime and is hell on earth.
You know when it is ‘golden hour’ because:
- Your child is angry. More angry than usual.
- Clumsiness increases tenfold.
- There is always an argument.
- You find yourself searching for ways to make your kid sleep in the afternoon again!
2 year old not napping anymore? It may be good news!
Progression is key! As much as you might want to sleep, it would be a waste of a life if we spent most of it sleeping, right?
Your 2-year-old is growing up, and part of that involves less sleep. Less sleep means they get to learn and develop quicker.
When my son stopped napping in the afternoon, the main benefit that I felt was that his nighttime sleep improved dramatically! That was great news for one tired dad!
Kids need less sleep as they progress through life. If they are sleeping more during the day, there is a potential that they need less sleep during the night. Bad news!
Look upon this moment in your life as a positive one, because it *could* mean better sleep at night for you too.
Reasons why your 2-year-old does not want to nap anymore
I have covered the main reason here already. Yourkidd might not need a nap anymore because they do not need as much sleep, but there may be other reasons!
Have any life-changing events happened?
It is common for a sibling to appear around this time in a child’s life. For example, having a new baby in the house can disrupt your child’s usual routine, which is likely to cause some retaliation!
Has their bed been upgraded recently, have you moved home, changed baby sitter? A change in circumstances may also disrupt the nap routine.
They do not want to miss anything
My son once told me:
I don’t like sleeping, it is boring!
Although it is very accurate, sleeping is something that we all need, including ever-energized 2-year-olds.
Kids love life, let’s not forget that each day, a 2-year-old will see something they have never seen before, and it is exciting. Going to sleep means they might miss out on something significant and begin to fight back! They do not realize that all they will miss is you sitting on the sofa watching television!
They are tired
As your 2-year-old grows, they will need less sleep. It could be that they are not tired enough to take a nap.
Why a 2-year-old might still need to nap
A 2-year-old will need to nap for 2 main reasons:
Growing fast is tiring
The growth rate of a 2-year-old is huge! Your little (or maybe not so little now) one will be growing around 2-3 inches per year. That is a lot of growth.
It takes a lot of energy and vast amounts of food to sustain this growth rate.
They cannot keep still.
When my son was 2, he rarely stopped moving, even when he slept! Kids burn so much energy when they are in their 3rd year, mainly through growing and through play!
I’m desperate. How can I get my 2-year-old to nap again?
I went through this exact situation. Feeling like I had some of my afternoon taken away, I desperately wanted that time back again. All I wanted was 1 hour where I wasn’t trying to stop my son from falling over or stopping him climbing up to the knife drawer. So I needed some mid-afternoon dad time.
Spend some time relaxing your 2-year-old
2-year-olds are very energetic; they do not stop! It is challenging to expect your kid to stop playing and sleep at the drop of a hat. You need to build-up to the point where they will be lying down in bed.
It is time to relax and chill out! Switch on some relaxing music, or set up his favorite night light. A night light is an awesome tool to get your kids to sleep!
Nap on the sofa
If your little one usually goes to bed for nap time, try napping on the sofa. This is also an excellent opportunity to get a nap yourself! Why not? You have earned it, right?
Wear them out
The more energy they burn, the more tired they will be, simple.
Take them out for a long walk in the morning. When they come back, they will be both tired and hungry. After a big lunch, they might be more inclined to lay down and nap in the afternoon.
Be careful with what they eat and drink.
Particular food and drinks are stimulants, including diet soda!
You should limit your child’s soda intake, including diet variety. In addition, your child’s sleeping pattern will be affected by the stimulants included in soda.
Foods that contain a lot of sugar will also interfere with your child’s sleeping pattern, and when the crash hits a few hours later, they will also get angry!
Limit your child’s intake of food (and drink) high in sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a 2-year-old nap for?
There are no hard and fast rules about how long a 2-year-old should nap for. However, as long as they get the required sleep, it should not be a concern.
My son used to sleep for around 45 minutes to an hour each afternoon.
How much sleep should a 2-year-old get?
2-year-old children should be getting around 12-14 hours of sleep per day.
That can be spread over the entire day, with the vast majority of sleep at night (or so you hope!)
Is sleep regression normal for a 2-year-old?
You should expect a slight regression while your 2-year-old goes through the process of stopping their daytime nap.
Ultimately, they are growing out of napping during the day, but they might need one occasionally. It depends on how much you have worn them out in the morning!
When do kids stop napping?
The bad news is that it depends on your child. The good news is that most kids will drop their morning naps at around 12 months. Afternoon naps are a different story! These can continue until 4-5 years old. My son stopped his afternoon nap when he was 3 years old.
Conclusion
So there you have it, a full rundown of why your 2-year-old has stopped napping and what (if anything) you can do about it.
It would be best if you always remembered that they would need less sleep as a child grows. That is true until they hit the teenage years, and then suddenly, they will need 25 hours of sleep every day! So I can’t wait for that.
Ultimately, you should not force your child to sleep if they are not tired.
Forcing your child to sleep will only result in a loss for the parents. Not only will you spend a couple of hours every day arguing with them, but if you do manage to get them to sleep, they will get you back during the night or even in the early morning!
Good luck!
The young ones needs more hours of sleep. And it is really important.