Expert Answers Will my toddler sleep better if I put him to bed later or stop letting him nap in the afternoon? Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Parents often try to move their toddler's bedtime later, hoping he'll be so tired that he'll fall asleep faster when they eventually get him to bed. But as young children become overtired and sleep-deprived they have a harder -- not easier -- time settling down and falling asleep. Toddlers who are overtired also wake up more often during the night. The same is true if you try to take away your toddler's nap before he's ready to give it up . Toddlers need naps; without a daytime rest they're more tired and have more trouble falling asleep and sleeping through the night. As your toddler gets closer to being a preschooler, though, you may find that continuing his daytime nap does make it harder for him to fall asleep at bedtime. You can either keep his naptime as it is and move his bedtime a little later in the evening, or try shortening his nap or seeing how he fares without it. My daughter (23 months) will sometimes take a very late nap - waking at 5pm. Even though she sleeps so late, she still is ready to go to bed at bedtime, and she still goes right to sleep when I put her down. If I don't let her take a nap because it's too late in the afternoon for a nap, she