Introducing Quiet Time: an option for when your child is ready to give up naps

Does it seem like your toddler or preschooler is ready to be done napping? Unless you have to, I don’t usually recommend just totally cutting out naps cold turkey. Instead, I recommend putting quiet time in place. 

Before you cut out naps completely, I recommend troubleshooting some things such as the schedule and trying capping naps first. Many toddlers will go through a developmental progression and it may seem like they are ready to drop naps before they are truly ready. If you’ve given it some time and you are sure they are ready to drop their nap, then quiet time would be the next step to try.

What is quiet time?

It is pretty much what it sounds like, a time where your child is quiet and essentially resting. There isn’t the pressure to sleep, but it is time in their bedroom with some calm, quiet activities available. This should be a time that isn’t stimulating, so I don’t suggest using tv or tablets during this time.

What happens during quiet time?

Ideally, your child will get some rest. They may play quietly in their room, look at books, and if they actually need to, they also have the opportunity to fall asleep. 

Some little ones may get upset with the idea of resting and they may fight it. Your child may insist they don’t need to rest. As parents, we can support them with this and help them adjust to having quiet time. It is possible for it to be an enjoyable time that everyone looks forward to.

How to introduce quiet time

Preparation is key! If you just tell your toddler “It’s time to have some quiet go sit in your room”, then it is likely they will get upset and resist this time. Instead, ahead of time explain it to your child. Explain it in a way that they will understand based on their development. For some kids, saying something along the lines of ‘You are getting bigger and I know you don’t need to nap every day. It is still important for your body to have time to rest during the day.’

You don’t have to call it quiet time if that term doesn’t work for your family. Instead it could be special time, snuggle time (if snuggles are happening), whatever works for your family.

You also want to set expectations for your child while also setting them up for success. So, define what this time is going to look like for your family. For many families, it looks like their toddler spending some time in their room with a few calming activities such as coloring, stuffed animals, or books. It happens at a consistent time of day and the expectation is for their child to stay in the room until the time is done.

When initially introducing quiet time, you may want to have it for a shorter amount of time. 

You can start with even just 15-20 minutes, and then gradually increase the length of time. Starting with a shorter amount of time helps give your child a chance to be successful. With practice, quiet time could build up to 1-2 hours depending on your child.

At first, you may need to or want to stay in the room with your child, and that’s okay. Maybe this becomes a time where you are both looking at books.

Other things to keep in mind 

When doing quiet time, I suggest offering it at the same time nap had been offered and also doing the same pre-nap routine. Dim the lights and turn on the sound machine just like you always have done. You can tuck your child into their bed and leave them with some books or stuffed animals to play with.

You want to make sure that their room is safe and child proofed and that there isn’t anything too stimulating in their bedroom. I generally suggest minimizing the amount of toys in the bedroom so that the room itself can really be associated with sleep.

Also, when introducing quiet time, using visual cues can be helpful. Some okay to wake clocks have a setting that can be used for naps/rest time as well. For example, the Hatch can be set to change color and sound to indicate that it’s time for quiet time to begin and then it will change again when it is over.

Some children will end up falling asleep and actually napping during quiet time. If this isn’t the case, it is likely that your child will need an earlier bedtime as they are adjusting to a longer day with no naps.

Why should we have quiet time?

There are a few reasons I suggest quiet time. One is that the transition to no naps can take time for some kids. You may find that there will be days your child needs a nap and other days that they don’t, and this is okay. Having this time still allows the opportunity for the child to take a nap if they really do need it. 

Quiet time also helps keep a rhythm to the day. So many children really thrive off of routine, structure, and knowing what to expect and having a designated time for rest helps with that.

Also, I know a lot of parents use their child’s nap time either to rest themselves or get things done. I’ve heard from many parents who dread the day their child stops napping as it’s the only time they get any alone time during the day. Having this time lets you still have some time for yourself