Everything You Need To Know About The 3 → 2 Nap Transition
Sleep is one of the most important parts of your child’s growing needs. Ensuring that your child is getting enough sleep can help their physical, mental, and developmental growth.
I have included everything you need to know to make the transition from
3 naps/day → 2 naps/day as seamless as possible.
In order to make this transition successful, it is important to start with a well rested child. If your child is struggling with sleep prior to this transition it is likely that the issues will only increase. If you need additional support to improve your child's sleep habits or to help navigate this nap transition please reach out here and I would be happy to help you!
Now for the good part… everything you need to know about
transitioning your child from 3 naps/day to 2 naps/day!
When Does It Happen?
Babies typically make the transition from 3 → 2 naps between 6-9 months, although this
can vary slightly based on the individual sleep needs of your baby.
Signs That They Are Ready
There are key signs that will indicate when your child is ready to begin the transition. It is important to note that babies can have “off” days when it comes to sleep, so you want to make note of these signs when they are happening CONSISTENTLY, or for at least a two week period. If your child has one day of bad naps or a difficult bedtime we do not take that as a sign to make any changes.
Use this checklist to see if your child is ready:
Your child is within the age range for this transition to happen (see note above)
Both nap 1 & 2 have lengthened to more than 1 hour (ideally 1.5 hours)
AND any of the following:Consistently refusing to take nap 3
Does not fall asleep for nap 3 until close to 4:30pm or later
Is taking all 3 naps, but then struggles to fall asleep at their normal bedtime resulting in a late bedtime (later than 7:30pm)
Eliminating A Nap
Once your child has shown you that they are ready to drop the catnap completely, you can work on changing their schedule. An ideal two nap/day schedule is as follows:
Waketime:
No earlier than 6am, no later than 7:00am
Nap 1:
In bed between 8:30-9am
Nap 2:
In bed between 12:30-1pm
Bedtime:
In bed between 6-7 pm (see note below)
Early Bedtime (if needed):
Anytime after 5:30pm
Waketime
A natural wake time should be no earlier than 6am, and no later than 7am. If your child is waking before 6am you want to look at their schedule and note any changes that may need to be made (timing of nap, earlier bedtime, etc.). These early wakings should be treated as a night waking to avoid any reinforcement. To preserve their nap schedule, your child should be up for the day no later than 7am.
Naps
Once your child is ready, you will cut out nap 3 completely. After your child makes this transition to a two nap/day schedule you will likely see a need to shift their bedtime earlier to avoid having an overtired baby.
Bedtime
An acceptable bedtime is anytime between 6-7pm, but flexible depending on your child’s daytime sleep and their mood. For example, if your child has short naps (less than 1 hour each) they will likely need to go to bed earlier. However, if your child slept for 3 hours that day you will likely notice that they are able to stay up closer to 6:30-7pm. If your child is struggling to make it through their evening without melting down it is a great idea to get them in bed earlier than normal to avoid them getting overtired.
It is important to note that when your child first makes the transition to 2 naps/day they will likely need to be in bed closer to 6pm, and occasionally even as early as 5:30pm to make up for lost sleep.
Early Bedtime
Offering an early bedtime is a great strategy to help avoid an overtired child. Common reasons you may utilize an early bedtime are: missing a nap, taking a short nap, or rapidly declining mood in the early evening. Bedtime can be as early as 5:30pm on these days, however, it is important to avoid getting trapped in the early bedtime cycle. If early bedtimes are offered every day it is likely that your child will fill their sleep tank and begin waking much earlier the following day. If you notice that you are stuck in an early bedtime cycle it is important to work on shifting the second nap so that it ends later in the day. For example, babies who begin nap 2 at 12pm will often need an early bedtime. In this case you would want to work on shifting the start of nap 2 slightly later to help bridge the gap to bedtime. The following information will help you make that shift:
Day 1: shift the start of nap 2 to 12:15 and keep it here for 2-3 days
Day 3: shift the start of nap 2 to 12:30 and keep it here for 2-3 days
Day 6: shift the start of nap 2 to 12:45 and keep it here for 2-3 days
Day 9: shift the start of nap 2 to 1pm and keep it here
If you’ve read this far I appreciate you sticking around! I know it can be a lot of information and it sometimes ends up feeling quite overwhelming, so if this is you I can help. Book a call here to chat about how I can support you and your child through a nap transition period!
