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4 Signs It May Be Time To Give Up The Nap

Written by James Kicinski-McCoy

Photography by Photographed by Kisha Bari

For us moms, nap time is an essential part of the day, not only for us, but also our kids. It’s during this short sleep that our children develop, grow, and maintain a healthy schedule. And for mom, whether it’s getting some time to work, clean the house and catch up with laundry, or just getting a much needed break to relax and unwind, having these few extra hours each day can be both precious and sanity saving. At some point however, your child’s nap will become less frequent, and eventually discontinued altogether. So how do you decipher when the time has come? Although every child is different, we’ve provided a few signs that may indicate when it’s time to ditch the nap for good.

It Takes A Long Time To Fall Asleep: This is one of the most tried-and-true signs that your little one may be transitioning away from his afternoon nap. As your toddler grows, they’re able to handle more time being awake. Because of this, they’re sure to let you know when they’re feeling tired, both by their mood and appearance, and their difficulty falling asleep during nap time is an indicator that it may be okay to sit this one out. The same goes for bedtime. If your child is falling asleep later for his afternoon nap, chances are he’s falling asleep later for bedtime, too. If you notice that your kiddo is particularly fussy when bedtime rolls around, it may be another sign that it’s time to retire the afternoon nap for good, so he can get a good night’s rest later on.

The Nap Time Fight: Whether your toddler directly tells you that she dosen’t want to nap or she just won’t stay in bed, her reluctance towards naps in general is a telling sign that she may be ready to move on from snoozing during the day.

Energy Level: If you’ve already begun to skip a few naps here and there and your little one remains in high-spirits consistently throughout the day, she may no longer need it. Gauge your child’s mood and behavior to base your napping decisions.

Night Time Sleep Patterns: Even though it may seem contradictory, having your child give up his afternoon nap before he’s ready could lead to a restless sleep session, and not necessarily a better one. Once you start weening your child off of his daytime snooze, take a close look at how he’s sleeping throughout the night. Though sleep patterns and the amount of rest can range from child to child, pediatric experts suggest that your toddler should be getting close to 12 hours of sleep a night. If they’re getting near that or more, it’s probably time to say goodbye to nap time.

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