Giving up daytime naps
Most children stop napping somewhere between about 3 and 5 years. Very few stop before 2, about a third have stopped by 3, more than half by 4 and about 8 in 10 by 5, though studies vary a lot.
How sure are we?
Not sure yet. One study that pulled together many studies has been read so far, and those studies varied a lot. How we know this
What it’s a sign of
Your child can stay awake and alert for longer stretches of the day.
Studies differed a lot: at 4 years, between about a quarter and nearly 8 in 10 children had stopped napping, depending on the study. There were some differences between continents.
We don't yet know why some children keep napping much longer than others.
A main source for the ages
Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0–12 years
Sally Staton, Peter Sheldon Rankin, Mollie Harding, Simon S. Smith, Emily Westwood, Monique K. LeBourgeois, Karen J. Thorpe · 2019 · Sleep Medicine Reviews
- Children
- Children from 44 studies
- Where
- Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia
- Ages
- Birth to 5 years and over
- How
- A study that pulled together lots of studies, mostly parents' reports
- What it found
- Very few children had stopped napping before 2. About a third had stopped by 3, more than half by 4, and about 8 in 10 by 5.
- Limits
- Studies varied a lot, and most were rated at some risk of bias. No studies from Africa or South America.
A main source for the ages
Sleep Duration From Infancy to Adolescence: Reference Values and Generational Trends
Ivo Iglowstein, Oskar G. Jenni, Luciano Molinari, R. H. Largo · 2003 · PEDIATRICS
- Children
- About 500 children
- Where
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Ages
- Birth to 16 years
- How
- Parents' questionnaires as children grew
- What it found
- Nearly all children (96 in 100) still napped at 1½ years, and about a third still napped at 4.
- Limits
- We have only read the summary. It is one of the studies pulled together in the napping review, so it isn't a separate source.
If you’re worried about your child, talk to your child and family health nurse or GP.
Last checked 2 November 2026