Is It Time to Drop the Nap? How to Handle Nap Refusal and Start Quiet Time
You're not alone. Nap transitions can be confusing, especially when your child seems wide awake at nap time but overtired by dinner. Knowing what's typical and what's truly a transition can help you respond with less stress.
Most kids drop their final nap by around age five, though some continue to nap even longer. If your toddler is between 18 months and 3 years and suddenly resisting naps, chances are they're not ready to give it up for good.
At this age, toddlers may refuse naps because:
They're going through a developmental leap or language burst
They don't want to miss out on playing, reading, or being with family
They're becoming more aware of their autonomy and testing boundaries
In other words, it's not always about sleep, but about control, connection, and curiosity. That resistance can be frustrating, but it doesn't always mean the nap is no longer needed.
If your child is over three and consistently skipping naps for two weeks straight despite you still offering it daily, then they may be ready to drop it. But here's the key: even one or two naps during that time means it's worth continuing to offer.
Some kids this age nap only 2–3 times a week. That still counts. And those naps? They can make a big difference in mood, meltdowns, and even nighttime sleep.
If your child is resisting naps but not quite ready to drop them, a few small shifts can help:
Stick with the right timing. Toddlers who take one nap usually do best with a nap time between 12:30 and 2:00 p.m. Older kids may nap later, as long as bedtime doesn't slide past 9:00 pm.
Continue with a consistent nap routine. Toddlers thrive on predictability. Saying goodbye to toys, tucking in stuffed animals, and following familiar wind-down steps helps signal that it's time to rest. Keep the environment calm, make the room dark and cool, and offer a few books in the crib or sleep space. If your child says they don't want to sleep, you can calmly respond, 'That's okay. You don't have to sleep, but you can rest or read quietly.'
Offer small choices. Toddlers love feeling in control. Try, 'Do you want the blue blanket or the green one?' or 'Which book should we read before nap?'
Talk about the 'why.' Try: 'It's rest time. Why do we rest? So we can play and have fun during the day.' When they connect naps to playtime, they're more likely to buy in. Starting this at a young age and with consistency is so helpful.
If your child is consistently skipping naps for two weeks straight and they're over three, they may be ready to make the switch. You might also notice they're still napping, but bedtime becomes a battle. In that case, try:
Moving the nap earlier
Shortening the nap
Replacing it with quiet time
Don't be in a rush to drop the nap altogether. Many kids still benefit from the downtime, even if it's not true sleep. If you're seeing cranky afternoons or restless nights, that's your cue to adjust.
Dropping a nap doesn't mean you have to give up your midday break. Quiet time is a solid reset for your child and for you.
Like us parents, kids benefit from space to recharge. It helps them reset emotionally, play independently, and build their attention span. It's not 'wasted time,' it's rest in a new form.
Here's how to get started:
Choose a safe, cozy spot
Let your child help pick the books or toys for quiet time
Start with 10–15 minutes and gradually build up time
Use a visual timer or light cue to signal when quiet time ends
Remember, if quiet time is something you want to happen, be consistent and hold your boundaries. Repeat the boundary to your child: 'It's still quiet time. When the light turns green, you can come out.' Consistency helps it click over time.
And without a nap, an earlier bedtime can be your best friend. Many kids need to start winding down sooner to avoid that overtired crash later in the evening.
Nap transitions can be bumpy, but they're also a sign of growing independence. Whether your child is still napping occasionally or fully into quiet time, your calm consistency will anchor them through the change.
And if the nap truly is over? You're not losing rest. You're just evolving it. Quiet time can still offer a daily pause for everyone to regroup.
Want more toddler sleep tips and parenting support? Browse the free PedsDocTalk newsletter library for expert-backed, real-life guidance on parenting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
HHS carries out mass firings across health agencies after Supreme Court decision
Thousands of employees across US federal health agencies received an email Monday afternoon telling them they were out of a job as of the close of business. The firings were originally communicated April 1 for most of the included employees, but they'd been delayed as a legal battle played out. That culminated in a US Supreme Court decision July 8 that, the US Department of Health and Human Services said in the email, means the agency 'is now permitted to move forward with a portion of its [reduction in force].' 'You are hereby notified that you are officially separated from HHS at the close of business on July 14, 2025,' read Monday's notice to dismissed HHS employees, according to copies obtained by CNN. 'Thank you for your service to the American people.' 'HHS previously announced our plans to transform this department to Make America Healthy Again and we intend to do just that,' HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in an email to CNN after the Supreme Court's ruling last week. In a reorganization announced March 27, HHS eliminated 10,000 employees across agencies including the US Food and Drug Administration, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US National Institutes of Health; some have since gotten their jobs back, but the number losing employment Monday is in the thousands, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed. Some of those 10,000, though, are protected at least temporarily under a different court case, New York v. Kennedy, and are not being separated immediately, the spokesperson said. That includes employees at six units of the CDC — the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention; the National Center for Environmental Health; the Division of Reproductive Health; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; the Office on Smoking and Health; and the National Center for Birth Defects and Development Disabilities — the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA; the Office of Head Start; and the Division of Data and Technical Analysis under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. 'All employees previously notified on April 1 have been separated, except for those' to whom the temporary protection in New York v. Kennedy applies, the HHS spokesperson said. In that case, Judge Melissa DuBose of US District Court in Rhode Island granted a preliminary injunction request this month from a coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia to halt the March 27 reorganization plan. Last week, the administration asked DuBose to narrow her ruling to the divisions cited by the HHS spokesperson, but the judge has yet to rule on that request. The layoffs will probably be challenged in court given that many HHS workers are still protected by DuBose's order, but the agency could argue that the Supreme Court ruling allows it to reduce staff, said Michael Fallings, a managing partner at Tully Rinckey who specializes in federal employment law. Also Monday, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with mass layoffs at another agency – the Department of Education – for now. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a teachers union, school districts, states and education groups. Within two hours of that decision, the department sent notices to employees indicating that it's immediately resuming its plans and that the workers would be let go on August 1. 'They seem to be emboldened by the recent Supreme Court decisions that have been green-lighting the Trump administration's actions that other courts have stayed,' said Andrew Twinamatsiko, a director of the Center for Health Policy and the Law at the O'Neill Institute at Georgetown University, of HHS proceeding with the layoffs. In last week's Supreme Court ruling, the justices allowed federal agencies to proceed with their reduction-in-force, or RIF, plans, putting on hold a lower court order that had temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from taking those steps without approval from Congress. But the justices noted that 'we express no view on the legality of any Agency RIF and Reorganization Plan,' leaving open the possibility that it could rule against a specific agency's layoff plan in the future if the reductions appeared to make it impossible for the department to carry out its obligation under the law. Filed by a coalition of more than a dozen unions, nonprofits and local governments, that case stemmed from an executive order Trump signed in mid-February that kicked off the process of significantly reducing the size of federal agencies. CNN's John Fritze, Devan Cole and Sunlen Serfaty contributed to this report.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
30 years later: What went wrong in the deadly 1995 Chicago heat wave, and what has changed since
The 1995 Chicago heat wave, which took place 30 years ago this week, remains the Chicago area's deadliest weather disaster. Heat indices over 100 degrees kept a hold on the city for five straight days that July. In the days and months that followed, City Hall faced intense criticism for being slow to respond. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office saw staggering numbers of heat-related deaths rising each day. Hospital emergency rooms filled up. Gov. Jim Edgar declared Cook County a disaster area. "It was terrible," said Jeffrey Foy. "There was no air over here." Foy lived in the since-demolished Rockwell Gardens public housing development on the city's West Side. Nearly 150 families there suffered like the rest of Chicago. Foy used two words to describe his old third-floor apartment. "Microwave — the oven," he said. In mid-July 1995, temperatures topped 100 degrees for five consecutive days, then stayed in the high 90's for several more. "Everybody in the building had their windows all the way up, curtains, back so they could get some kind of air in there," Foy said. Foy said the fans in the building were not of much use. "You can have the window and a door open and fan going, and you don't feel it," he said. "It was just that miserable." The heat was uncomfortable for most, but deadly for many. "We're really facing a heat-related disaster here," Cook County Medical Examiner Edmund Donoghue said at the time. "I've never seen anything like this in the history of the Cook County Medical Examiner's office." On an average night back then, the morgue received 17 bodies. Just on Friday, July 14, it received 87. The Medical Examiner's office was so overwhelmed with bodies, it had to ask the State of Illinois for refrigerated trucks to store all the extra bodies. The death toll that week topped out at 739. Most of them were elderly and who died alone, behind locked doors and sealed windows, protecting their property while jeopardizing their lives. "You can't imagine a city doing a worse job in a crisis," said Eric Klinenberg. Klinenberg criticized city leaders in his 2002 book, "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago." "The City of Chicago had a heat emergency plan on the books that summer, and they didn't even use it," Klinenberg said. "They forgot that they had it." Seventy-three percent of the heat-related deaths were residents over the age of 65. More than half lived on the West and South sides of the city. "The mayor was on vacation. The Health Department commissioner was on vacation. The Fire Department commissioner, who manages paramedics — on vacation," Klinenberg said. "So the B team was running the City of Chicago." As the death count and the temperature continued to rise, Mayor Daley faced political heat as well. A week later, he formed a commission on extreme weather conditions — putting in place a new plan to better respond to emergencies. Thirty years later, the city says practices have changed. Kaila Lariviere is manager of emergency management services at the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications — an office that was formed just months after the 1995 heat wave, and continues to be front and center in every emergency. Lariviere said if there is an emergency like the one seen in 1995, "We at OEMC start activating plans left and right. "Whether I'm talking to the Fire Department to open up hydrants, whether I'm talking to the Health Department because I need to know what the census is at certain hospitals in the area," said Lariviere, "maybe I'm talking to Salvation Army, 'Hey, can you bring a canteen with extra water and food to help bring relief?'" That collaboration with city agencies was on full display in late June 2025, as the city faced another stretch of intense heat. "Because we now have these extreme thresholds with the National Weather Service, we can act even sooner, even quicker," said Lariviere. "Those thresholds currently stand at between 100 to 105-degree heat index for three consecutive days." Lariviere was asked what the city has done to ensure something like the 1995 heat wave never happens again. "I'd like to say it's because we're ahead of the curve now, and we're able to get that messaging out right away," she said. "We're better at coordinating. We're better at talking across the hallway, and making sure that we're working with the people we need to, to save our city and to the best of our ability."
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
A 13-year-old had chest pains. A rare disease meant he was "close to sudden cardiac death."
When Dr. Brittany Clayborne's 13-year-old son Micah came home from school in December 2023, she asked him if he wanted to play football outside. It was one of his favorite hobbies. But Micah said he couldn't. "He said, 'My chest hurts,'" Clayborne recalled. "I was like, 'What do you mean your chest hurts?'" The words were terrifying to Clayborne, who had a long history of cardiac issues. She gave birth to Micah in 2010. He was born premature, at 34 weeks, and during the delivery, Clayborne had a heart attack. She spent weeks in the cardiac intensive care unit and was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare form of heart failure that happens at the end of pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. During Micah's childhood, her heart continued to weaken. She had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted to maintain her heart rhythm, and a mechanical LVAD pump to help her heart circulate blood. In 2018, she had a heart transplant. Because of Clayborne's history, Micah had seen a cardiologist regularly as a child. There were never any issues. But Clayborne knew the chest pains could be a warning sign, and she brought him to a cardiologist at 10:30 a.m. the next day. By 11:15 a.m., Micah had been admitted to the cardiac ICU at Children's Medical Center Dallas. Tests found Micah's heart was functioning at just 7% and that he was "very close to sudden cardiac death," Clayborne said. Just like his mom had, Micah needed a pacemaker and defibrillator. He would eventually need a transplant, too. "When they tell you that you are going to die, you're like, 'OK, I can fight this,' but when they tell you your child is going to die, that's a whole different set of emotions. Not only are you helpless, you are hopeless," Clayborne said. "And as a person who went through it, knowing what his future looks like, knowing the surgeries that are coming up and what the recovery from those is like, is incredibly difficult to try to explain to your child. It was devastating." An incredibly rare diagnosis Doctors tested Micah to figure out why a previously healthy teen would be having such severe heart problems. They found that he had Danon disease, a rare genetic condition that affects only about 300 families worldwide. Further testing found that Clayborne also had the condition. The Claybornes are the only documented African-American patients with the disease. Mutations in the LAMP2 gene cause Danon disease, said Dr. Rakesh Singh, the medical director of the pediatric heart failure and transplantation program at NYU Langone's Hassenfeld Children's Hospital. The gene creates a protein that gets rid of excess waste in the body's cells. The mutation interrupts that process. The inability to get rid of cellular waste causes the heart muscle to thicken, causing the organ to work less efficiently and creating a form of heart failure that "doesn't respond well to medications," Singh said. "It's not uncommon for these children to require heart transplantations in their 20s," Singh explained. Danon disease patients may also have neurological issues or eye problems. The disease is more common in male patients than female ones, Singh said. Male patients are more likely to have severe disease. A long-awaited transplant After Micah had the pacemaker and defibrillator implanted, he was put on the national waiting list for a heart transplant. In October 2024, Clayborne received the call they had been waiting for. Micah was playing video games when she gave him the news. "I was like 'Yes, this is it, I get a second chance,'" Micah said. The family headed back to the Children's Medical Center Dallas. As Micah underwent surgery, Clayborne waited nervously. She only became more panicked when she received an update from the transplant team: Micah's heart had been removed, but the new donor heart was still several minutes away. "I am in my brain freaking out. I got out of the waiting room, and I was like, 'I just have to go take a walk.' I wasn't going anywhere specific," Clayborne recalled. She stepped onto the nearest elevator, then held the doors for a man. She saw he was wheeling a container holding a donor heart. "I looked down and I said 'I think that's my son's heart,'" Clayborne said. "He just kind of smiled at me. Then the doors opened, and he went, fast as he could, straight into the OR. It was this incredibly surreal moment." Building a unique support system After the delivery hiccup, Micah's heart transplant went smoothly. About nine months after the surgery, Micah, now 14, is doing well. He's back in school and receiving regular follow-up care — and focusing on a new passion project. While Micah was awaiting transplant, he had realized how few resources there were for teenagers in his circumstances. There were support groups for parents. There were playgroups for younger kids. Clayborne even asked hospital staff if there were virtual meetings he could join. "I felt really bad going back in and saying 'Micah, there is no support for you,'" Clayborne said. "And his response was 'I guess we gotta make one.'" In January 2025, Micah and Clayborne launched Transplant Teenz, a virtual community aimed at connecting teenagers nationwide while they wait for organ transplants. The non-profit group hosts group meetings and online events and shares educational materials. Dozens have already joined. Micah said he hopes to have 100 participants by the end of the year. "Being a teenager is when you're starting to become an adult, and things become more stressful," Micah said. "Transplant just makes everything more stressful without a support group around you. My hope is to give teens a group they can go to that I had never had."
