Almost 2 year old refusing nap

[Fluffypeach]

My DD is 23 months and has always gone down for her lunchtime nap with no issues whatsoever and slept quite happily for 1.5 - 2 hours.

She wakens around 7am and goes to bed around 11.45 but the last 2 weeks she has fought her nap completely, has gone to bed no problem but has played in her cot for 2 hours before I give in and lift her because by then its too late to sleep!

Her tantrums by 3pm are horrendous since the nap refusal has started - shes obviously tired! She does sleep great at night - normally 7-7 but since the naps have stopped its been 6pm-7am.

I had a 2nd baby 5 weeks ago and I'm wondering if it's just a delayed reaction to his arrival? How do I move forward from this?!

Any advice would be great!

I'm not sure about it in relation to your new baby, but I know my DD stopped having a nap of her own volition at around that age - it sucked but that's the way it was, she went to bed 6.30 - 7am and was on the go all day.

She's 13 now and has finally discovered naps.

@Fluffypeach Yeah, same as @RiderGirl - DS stopped his naps completely at about 21/22 months. Might just be ready to give them up 😊

Sounds like they've just given up on napping

My eldest stopped naps by then probably around the 18 month mark unless we were in the car

Mine stopped napping at 24m and 3 days, precisely. They started transitioning away from naps about 3-4 weeks before, so same age as yours. The exhaustion tantrums only lasted about 2 weeks to adjust to once naps stopped completely.

Can you build some quiet time into your day instead?

Mine did this at 22 months when he absolutely needed to nap. I took him for a buggy nap every day for two weeks, then he got over it and would nap in his cot again.

Two months later he decided he was ready to drop the nap 🙄 But it was a very different experience and behaviour from him. He now has one day a week where he doesn't nap, so it's definitely on the way out.

2 year sleep regression is a thing. Trust your instincts - it may just be a regression that passes, or she may really be ready to stop napping.

Could you try a bit later in the day? Seems quite early if they're awake at 7am. My son goes down 1pm till 3pm.

How long has she been refusing naps for? My DS is the same age and sometimes has 2-3 days of refusing naps and then begins to nap again.

Yikes sorry just saw you said 2 weeks. Maybe she is ready to drop her nap after all. Dreading the day DS drops his! I’d continue with the quiet time in her cot though because she might one day fall asleep if she’s needing a bit of extra rest that day!

My children stopped napping then. When they stop napping they still need the same amount of sleep as before so you need to move bedtime earlier by the length of the nap plus 30 mins.

Not unusual for 2 year old not to nap. Mine is 22 months and doesn't nap x

drop the expectation of a nap! It is amazing that she sleeps so much at night, and incredibel that she plays quietly in her cot that time during the day

It could be the baby or a sleep regression. I also think it could be a bit early for her nap. I'd see if she would nap later, say 12.30 or 1