Naps for your 2- or 3-year-old

By the time your child turns 2, taking one afternoon nap per day will probably be a regular occurrence for them – and about 60 percent of 4-year-olds will still nap.

That sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? Yes, but not so fast: While most 2-year-olds will ideally get about 11 hours of sleep at night plus a two-hour nap during the day, it's not a formula that fits all kids. Most 3-year-olds will still nap, but some lose interest in that daily snooze, taking a shorter nap or giving it up entirely. 

While naps can vary at this age, it's still important to ensure your child gets enough sleep. Two- and 3-year-olds need between 10 and 14 hours of sleep per day to maintain a healthy level of physical and mental development. 

Research shows that naps are essential for their emotional, physical, and mental development, so it's in your child's best interest to keep napping as long as possible. Plus, a daytime nap can even improve your child's nighttime sleep.

Here's what to know about naps for 2- and 3-year-olds, from how long they should be to how you can help them stay on schedule. 

How long should 2-year-olds nap?

Most 2-year-olds need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep, split between nighttime sleep and naps. Typically, 2-year-olds are just taking one nap a day in the middle of the afternoon lasting about two hours, and leaving roughly nine to 12 hours for nighttime sleep.

Some toddlers may need two naps a day, but daytime sleep is usually consolidated into one nap by around 18 months old. If your toddler is fighting their morning nap, that's a good sign they don't need it anymore and can get by with just the afternoon nap.

If your child struggles with nighttime sleep, however, they may still need a morning and afternoon nap to meet their overall sleep needs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you're working to address any ongoing sleep issues, like nighttime fears, anxiety or stress, teething or other developmental changes, and overtiredness.

How long should 3-year-olds nap?

Most 3-year-olds will need a little less sleep than 2-year-olds, though not by much: more like 10 to 13 hours instead of 11 to 14. Whether or not anything changes with naps when your 2-year-old becomes a 3-year-old, however, depends a lot on your child. 

At 3, naps can stay the same or start becoming less frequent. Your child may continue taking a one- to two-hour nap every afternoon, or they may start losing interest in stopping what they're doing to sleep – napping is pretty boring for an active 3-year-old. 

If your child sleeps well at night (for example, getting a solid 11 or 12 hours), it's okay if they gradually start dropping their daily nap after they turn 3. In fact, for kids in preschool or daycare programs, it may be hard for them to always take an afternoon nap. 

That said, it's also okay if your 3-year-old takes a nice, long nap every day until they're 4 or even 5. Napping more than once per day at this age, though, is a bit unusual. Most 3-year-olds won't need multiple naps unless their overall sleep needs aren't being met. If you think your child sleeps excessively or seems unusually tired all the time, talk to their doctor. 

Nap schedules for 2- and 3-year-olds

Make sure your child's nap isn't so late in the afternoon that they aren't tired when it's bedtime. Experts recommend keeping at least three hours between the end of a nap and bedtime. So if your child's bedtime is between 7 and 8 p.m., don't put them down for a nap after 3 p.m. or so.

Here's a sample nap schedule for a 2-year-old:

• 6:30 a.m.: Wake up.
• 7 a.m.: Breakfast.
• 10:30 a.m.: Morning snack.
• 12 p.m.: Lunch.
• 1:30 p.m.: Afternoon nap.
• 3:30 p.m.: Wake; afternoon snack.
• 6 p.m.: Dinner.
• 7 p.m.: Bedtime routine and bed.

And here's one for a 3-year-old:

• 6:30 a.m.: Wake up.
• 7 a.m.: Breakfast.
• 10:30 a.m.: Morning snack.
• 12:30 p.m.: Lunch.
• 2 p.m.: Afternoon nap.
• 3:30 p.m.: Wake; afternoon snack.
• 6 p.m.: Dinner.
• 7:30 p.m.: Bedtime routine and bed.

This is just an idea of how your toddler's daily schedule may look; your family may have different routines, or your child may naturally take longer naps and sleep a little less at night. 

How to help your 2- or 3-year-old nap

Just like at bedtime, your child will benefit from a consistent nap routine that encourages them to wind down for sleep. But naptime can be a bit tougher than bedtime, since it's light outside and right in the middle of all your child's favorite activities. 

Here are some things to try if your child has difficulty settling down for a nap.

• Go through a shortened version of their bedtime routine. You don't have to wrestle your child into the bath, but doing most of the other things you do before bedtime in preparation for a nap can help send the same message that it's time for sleep. Keep it simple: a book, some cuddles, and a song or two.
• Create a sleep-friendly environment. Even some adults have trouble sleeping during the day when the sun is shining, so it's understandable if your child has a harder time napping than sleeping at night. Give them a dark, quiet room to sleep in by hanging light-blocking curtains and turning on a white noise machine. At this age, your child might also appreciate taking a special lovey to bed with them for naptime.
• Reduce distractions. While it's tempting to put some books or quiet toys in your child's crib or bed with them at naptime to help them settle down, chances are they'll just stay awake to read and play rather than sleep. Keep their sleep environment sparse so they're not too distracted. 
• Be active in the morning. Make sure your toddler gets plenty of active playtime in the morning so they've burned off some energy and are more likely to need a recharge. If your little one gets all riled up by playing right before their nap, though, it may be hard to get them to calm down enough to sleep.
• Adjust your timing. Like when your child was a baby, tinkering with their naptime – even by only 20 or 30 minutes – can make a huge difference. It's possible that your child isn't quite ready for a nap at the usual time, so they fight sleep and then can't settle down. It's also possible that you're missing their sleep window and trying to put an overtired, cranky toddler down for a nap. Moving naptime forward or back by a short amount could hit the sleepy sweet spot.

Common 2- and 3-year-old nap questions

Why is my toddler refusing to nap?

There are a few reasons your child might refuse to nap, from their newfound independence to a change in routine. If your child is used to napping at daycare five days a week, for example, they might fight naptime on the weekends since the schedule and location are different. 

They may also not be tired at naptime, either because it's happening too early or too late in the day – try shifting their naptime earlier or later to see if that helps. And if your child sleeps 12 hours or more at night, they may not need a nap during the day (more on that below).

Often, nap refusal comes down to your toddler's strong sense of self: They're busy playing and learning new things, and they don't want to slow down to take a nap. 

For more advice and tips, check out our article on what to do if your toddler refuses to nap. 

Why does my toddler seem not to need a nap?

There are two possible reasons: Either they genuinely don't need one because their nighttime sleep is sufficient, or they're testing boundaries.

Kids who don't want to stop their activities from taking a nap will usually resist sleep, fighting the urge to lie down and rest in the hope that you'll give up trying and let them stay awake all day. That doesn't necessarily mean your toddler wouldn't benefit from some daytime sleep, just that their playtime drive is higher than their sleep drive. 

If your child is cranky and irritable after skipping a nap (or can barely make it until bedtime), then they probably still need one – and you'll have to keep encouraging them to rest.

But some toddlers, especially after they turn 3, get all the sleep they need at night. If your 3-year-old is a champion nighttime sleeper who clocks at least 12 hours per night, it's reasonable to expect that they might not need that afternoon nap, especially if it doesn't seem to negatively affect their mood or behavior.

Read more about what to do if your toddler doesn't seem to need a nap.

When will my toddler stop napping entirely?

It depends on the child, but about 70 percent of kids give up napping at around 5 years old. Yours might be one of the 3 in 10 who keeps on napping after their fifth birthday, but in all likelihood, your child will stop napping sometime between the ages of 3 and 5. 

Stopping the afternoon nap can be a sudden or gradual process; your child might just decide one day they've had enough, or they might spend six months fading out the habit, taking fewer and shorter naps until they're no longer needed at all.