Is My Child Ready to Give Up Naps?

Is my child ready to give up naps? (Please say no!)

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By Diane Bloomfield, MD, attending pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in Bronx, New York, Pediatrician

Updated March 2, 2017

There’s no magical age at which naptime disappears, and some kids seem to drop the nap much sooner than others. Most two-year-olds do still need an afternoon nap, and even a three-year-old may rely on one to get through the afternoon without a meltdown.

If your toddler regularly doesn’t sleep, even when you routinely put her in a quiet place, she may indeed be ready to skip naptime. Just remember that young children need lots and lots of sleep — up to 14 hours in most cases — to keep up their emotional and physical development. Even if she’s getting a full 8 p.m.-8 a.m. overnight snooze session, she may still need those extra two hours midday to be fully rested.

Plus, More from The Bump:

Bedtime Routine for a Toddler

Is Your Toddler Ready to Move to a Bed?

Biggest Toddler Problems… Solved!

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