16 Month Old Not Napping

I have 2 children and found they both stopped napping around that age. The oldest is 24 and the youngest is 6. My 6 year old picked up napping again in her child care center at age 4. She still naps most days after school. My mother tells me that I stopped napping around 15 months. So I think it just depends on the child. Each is a special individual and different from another.

Hi M.,

My daughter is almost 16 months and has been doing the same thing since she turned 15 months. Until a few weeks ago she was taking two 2 hour naps a day...no problems. Then, all of a sudden, the nap strike began. I am currently trying to move her to one nap a day. She gets really cranky in the morning but I try to push her to noon in the hopes that she will take a 2 hour nap. We have moved her bedtime down because by 5:30...she's a mess.

One thing that has worked for us during previous nap strikes is to just set the naptime schedule and put her in the crib for a predetermined amount of time. If you want him to take an 1 1/2 nap....then keep him in there that long -- regardless if he's crying, playing. Of course, if she does cry, I'll go in once just to make sure things are okay. This has worked for us in the past.

It is frustrating when they do this. But I do think it is very important for them to get good naps at this age. The more rested she is, the happier she is. And me too for that matter.

Good luck and if you find something that works...let me know!!

Mine naps but its a pain to get him too. Sometimes he doesn't but when he does anp its a long process getting himtoo. He is about 20 months now. Good Luck!

N. B.
Mom Advice Central- http://www.mymommycentral.com

I know it can be a pain for you sometimes but when my girl started that I just laid down with her to put her to sleep. Soometimes it took awhile and a little bit of her fighting it but being able to snuggle me relaxed her that eventually she was like "hmm, i think ill go to sleep now." I still go in with her but now what seemed to take forever to put her down takes minutes if that. I know some moms dont like laying down with their kids but to me its better than them being grouchy from not sleeping. That and I like the extra time just for us. Pretty soon I will be lucky if I get a hug so I will enjoy it while I can! Good luck!

According to the "What to expect the Toddler Years" Book, it's not unheard of and it's normal. However, it says you should still encourage rest periods in place of the napping.

I feel for you! The 2hrs my 18month old sleeps is the only time I get to myself! I wasn't ready when she started skipping her second daily nap!

Good luck!

Has he been taking 2 naps a day or one? If he's used to 2 naps, then it's normal to drop one by now. He should still need at least an hour nap until he's 3 or 4. My son is also 16 months and he dropped the morning nap right at 15 months, and has recently pushed his afternoon nap an hour or so later. He was napping noon -2 and now naps 1-3. Just keep up with the routine of putting him in his room to rest. You might even keep him in there for 2 hours. He may play for an hour then sleep.

My dd was like that around that age and for us it was just a phase. It seems to me that 16 months is pretty early to be giving up naps completely. There are probably some that do and can get through the day fine without one. But I would think that to be less common.

My advice would be to keep putting him down for a nap even though he's not sleeping and I would bet that he'll start back with the routine of napping everyday at least for a little while longer. That's what my daughter did. It took a couple weeks of consistently putting her down like we always did but she went back to it. I will say that she did stop napping completely around 2.5 years old. I even put her in her room for quiet time every day and she still doesn't sleep. But she does get some rest and that helps her get through the rest of her day.

Good luck.

I had the same problem with my oldest. She suddenly decided that she didn't want (or need) to take naps anymore. I had her in daycare two full days a week and they were having the same problems with her. Together we tried everything!! laying down with her, reading her a story, sitting across the room, giving her stuffed animals to hold, warm bottles, cold bottles, singing to her, waking her up earlier, keeping her up later, and I even started going to her school at nap time to keep up with the "consistancy" and nothing worked. The one thing that I didn't try is changing her nap time to a later time, say 3pm? That actually worked for a friend of mine who was dealing with the same thing. I envy those moms who get a break during the day with their kids. My child is almost four and this started around 16 months too.

My son turned 15 months almost 2 wks ago and he was doing really well and now all of a sudden he is in his crib up to an hour and a half (sometimes crying off and on) but most of the time just playing before he falls asleep and we have the same issues when trying to get him down for the night but that even takes up to 2 1/2 hrs before he falls asleep.

I think children at this age should definitely still takes naps at least 2 hrs up until they are 2 1/2-4 just depending on the child. My older son stopped at 3 but we would rest and that would help him get through the day..

I know how frustrating it could be..

Good Luck!

its normal. it has been a long time since i had a little one but when my daughter was that age she did not want to go to sleep either. it was like she was rebeling. i still made her lay down and wind down for an hour whether she slept or not. no tv. soft music helped my daughter relax

My son did this at exactly 16 months. He went from (two 2-hour naps a day to nothing at all. Fortunately for us, it was just a phase that lasted about 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, he started taking one 2-hour nap a day. He is now 20 months old and still taking one nap. Hopefully, it is just a phase for you guys too!!!

Mine is 14 mo and is becoming increasingly more difficult to get to nap. We've battled it out for an hour several times recently. I was totally against CIO at all until 1 year and now I am realizing my son tests my will power sometimes. Keep at it. I think your dc probably needs it for awhile longer. I think after 2 might be "normal". What has your pediatrician say?
R.