One of the most common questions that I get when working with parents is when it is time to transition from two naps to one nap. I have the answers to your questions as well as tips on how to make this transition.
At what age?
The average age to cut down from two naps to one nap is between 15-18 months of age. Some children do it a little sooner and some a little later. There isn’t a set age to make this transition, so we look at a range. Each child is different.
Don’t Rush It!
Keep the two naps as long as possible! I will repeat this……keep the two naps as long as possible. If one nap is taken away before your child is ready you will find that your child will go into an overtired state. This will interfere with your child’s mood and behavior. You will also begin to see bedtime protests and multiple night waking due to this overtired state. If you don’t feel confident that your child is ready to drop down to one nap yet, then I would suggest putting a cap on the first nap. This will protect the two naps for a little longer. Often parents look forward to this transition because it offers more freedom to do the things they need and want to do, however, if this is done too early your child’s sleep bank will quickly get depleted and the well-established sleep habits that you have put into place will begin to crumble.
Clues Your Child Is Ready:
If you are offering your child two naps a day consistently for two weeks during the age range of 15-18 months of age and your child is skipping one of the two naps, then your child is showing signs that they are ready to transition to one nap. Each child is different in which nap they skip but the key is that they are consistently skipping one of the two naps when offered them consistently. Some children skip their morning nap, and some children skip the afternoon nap. Another thing to look at is your child’s night sleep. If your child were going to bed for the night without protest and having consolidated sleep and now you are seeing a change then this could be due to your child having too much day sleep.
What if my child is skipping naps before this age range?
Most children are not yet ready before the age range of 15-18 months of age to transition to one nap. There will be times that they will protest naps before this time. This is very normal! What is happening when your child is skipping naps before the average age range is your child is going through a sleep regression or demonstrating a sleep strike. When your child is learning a new skill like standing, walking, and talking they will go through sleep disruptions. It is such an exciting time for your little one. They want to practice this new skill all the time. Sleep will take a back seat. If your child is younger than the age range and skipping naps stay the course and continue to offer the two naps. It will pass if you continue to be consistent.
How do I transition from two naps to one nap?
Once you have determined that your child is ready to drop one nap after two weeks of offering the two naps, then stop offering the first nap. This transition does take time and patience. Think of this as a process. To begin with you can start to offer the one nap in the later part of the morning. Every few days push the nap time a little later until you get to your goal of offering the nap in the early afternoon. For a while, you may need to offer an early bedtime until your little one adjusts to the one-nap schedule.
When making this transition be patient with the process and your child. Your child will once again amaze you when you offer a consistent response to the new sleep schedule.