When is the best time for a baby to stop napping?

One of the questions that will go around your head as first-time parents is when the baby stops napping .

A nap and a good rest in babies and children is essential, since it helps in their development (both physical and cognitive). However, as it grows, the nap hours will decrease until, finally, it disappears.

At what point do children stop taking naps?

There really is no better time to stop napping. Everything will depend on the needs of each child to rest . Some children can stop napping when they are around two years old, while others can continue napping after age five.

After the age of five, the toddler should be able to get most of his sleep at night, without the need for daytime naps.

The process is gradual. At the beginning there will be more days of 3 naps than 2 and little by little this proportion will change, until one day it disappears and he no longer takes the third nap.

TAKE NOTE! As naps fade, you'll need to move your baby's bedtime up a bit earlier to make up for her sleeping until she gets used to her new schedules and doesn't make it to bedtime at night.

"Lark Experts"

If you don't know the best time or time to put your baby to bed, you can take a look at our post: "Do you know what time you should put your baby to bed?". We tell you everything you need to know.

How do I know that my child no longer needs to take a nap?

As we've already said, each baby has their own sleep needs, but generally, these are some of the signs that will tell you when it's time for nap time to disappear:

• Your baby is slow to fall asleep at night: He falls asleep easily during naps, but bedtime becomes a challenge. His body does not require him to sleep since his need has been satisfied with the daytime nap.
• Seems active at regular nap time: If your baby is calm, refuses to nap, and shows unwillingness to take it, it means he may skip this scheduled nap.
• Is irritable and irritable when you force him to nap: he cries or throws a tantrum before and during a nap. He even protests if you try to put him down at nap time, maybe it's time to say goodbye to this little sleepiness during the day.

According to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) , "naps are common up to 3-4 years of age. But after this age, some children continue to sleep in the middle of the afternoon without interfering with their night sleep."

Tips for a better transition

The transition out of napping usually occurs between 12 and 15 months , as his sleep window begins to lengthen and he may stay awake longer between naps and bedtime. This is usually related to a developmental milestone : babies start to walk . So it is very normal for it to be difficult to put the baby to bed for a nap. The key is to identify the ideal moment in which the baby indicates that he is ready to reduce his rest hours.

At Alondra we have the perfect little beds to help in this transition, our Montessori little beds at ground level ! With its cabin-shaped design, the little ones will find it the perfect place to play and sleep.

The normal thing is that the nap disappears between 3-4 years. It is around the age of four that most children break the nap habit and parents may stop considering it so necessary.

• It is as important to encourage him to sleep as it is to wake him up when he needs it. After seven months, it is better not to take long naps (more than two hours) because they make it difficult to sleep at night. But wake him up gently and lovingly. Nothing abrupt.
• Don't force it. Review his habits during the week: seeing what he does most days will help you make a decision.
• The important thing is that the day he doesn't nap, try to get him to do a relaxing activity .

If he only naps for two days, you can let him sleep any day he wants. Remember that if he does it, he may go to bed later at night. And if you don't, you may need to go to bed earlier.