I get this dreaded question on a weekly basis from my followers. I know the fear it can strike in the hearts of mothers when their toddler suddenly stops napping. It causes us to go into catastrophe mode and worry that they will never ever nap again! But, I’m here to bring some calm, reason, and helpful tips to you. Most likely your toddler is NOT done napping- seriously. So don’t freak out, and let’s talk through some basics like: when you can expect your toddler to stop napping for good, what causes nap refusals, how to get your toddler back to napping, and (worse case scenario) what to do if the nap is gone for good.

 

What age do children stop napping?

Every child is different, of course- but I typically find that a majority of children will stop napping between 3-5 years of age. This is a wide range but here’s where you get to use your experience as your child’s parent to help you fine tune this range. If your child has typically had low sleep needs, then it’s likely they will drop their nap on the early side of this range- around 3 years. If your child has typically had high sleep needs, then you can expect them to drop their nap closer to 5 years. If your child has seemed pretty average and follows typical wake windows and sleep schedules, then they will probably fall smack dab in the center around 4 years.

 

Now, what do I mean by low and high sleep needs? If your child has lower sleep needs, then they get less sleep in a 24 hour period than their peers. However, and this is a BIG point, they still seem well-rested and they are getting plenty of sleep for their body. This is such a big point because I often talk to families who think they have a low sleep needs child but the child is clearly not getting enough sleep. They are tired, cranky, wake up in a bad mood constantly, and simply don’t know how to get the sleep their body needs. 

 

These are usually families who have not worked on healthy sleep habits and therefore their child is constantly fighting sleep not because they don’t need it, but because they’ve been conditioned to fight sleep over the months and years. Keep this in mind as you try to assess whether your child is really done napping or not.

 

What causes nap refusal?

Nap resistance and refusal can come about for all kinds of different reasons. 

• Sometimes it’s directly related to the arrival (or impending arrival) of a new sibling. This can be a big change for your toddler and is likely to throw off sleep for a time as they adjust. 
• Sometimes it’s connected to the crib to bed transition. This transition can be a doozy for many families and the challenges it presents can bleed over into nap time. Read more about handling this transition here.
• Sometimes it’s simply par for the course with toddlers. Toddlers are learning to be independent, they are learning that they can “No,” and they are constantly testing boundaries. Resistance at nap time is no exception to this. Check out more about Toddler Sleep and Why It Sucks if this sounds familiar.
• Sometimes a schedule tweak is overdue and by making small changes to the sleep schedule, the resistance will dissipate. At this age, it’s important to anchor the nap at a specific time each day. Right around 1pm is good for most little ones between 2-5 years. If your child tends to sleep in past 7am in the morning, you may need to shift nap time later than 1pm.

 

How do I get my toddler to keep napping?

The biggest piece of advice I want to offer here is CONSISTENCY. Without it, you will continue to have sleep issues. Consistency is so incredibly important for our testing toddlers and preschoolers. 

 

This means that nap time is still offered every single day- regardless of whether your toddler naps or not. Many parents get tripped up by thinking they need to “make” their toddler nap. But that thinking gets us into trouble. You can’t “make” your toddler nap anymore than you can make them like the pink cup or use an inside voice. You cannot control when your toddler falls asleep, how long it takes them to fall asleep, or how long they sleep. What you CAN control are the boundaries you create around sleep time, their sleep environment, the timing of sleep, and the consistency with which you offer all these things.

 

When your child resists their nap, simply continue to offer their nap time each and every day. Give them warnings about impending nap time, do your nap time routine, narrate and validate their big feelings about not wanting to nap, and hold the boundary. They don’t have to sleep during nap time. In fact, I encourage families not to say, “Go to sleep. You need to sleep now.” and instead just tell your little one, “It’s okay if you’re not tired, just rest your body.”

 

Have a set amount of time (I recommend 45 minutes minimum) that you keep your child in their crib or room during nap time and if they aren’t asleep when that time is up, then you can get them up and go on with your day. Don’t focus on the fact that they didn’t nap. Instead say something like, “Good job resting your body. I know it’s hard to do sometimes. Now that nap time is over, let’s play.”

 

By doing these things, you are keeping the framework of nap time in place so that when their brain is done resisting and when their body needs the sleep, they will be able to settle and fall asleep for nap time again!

 

What do I do while I wait for my toddler to start napping again?

This may take a couple days or a couple weeks for your toddler to start napping again. That’s okay. This is a normal part of toddlerhood. Even once they start napping again, you may have days here and there where they stay awake the whole nap time.

 

On the days where your toddler doesn’t nap, you’ll want to offer bedtime earlier than usual. This is to help them “make up” for the lost nap sleep and keep them from becoming overtired. A good general rule of thumb is to allow 12 hours of overnight sleep for a toddler or preschooler who skips their nap. That means if your toddler typically wakes up at 6:30am, you will want to put bedtime at 6:30pm in order to allow their body the chance to get the rest they need.

 

What if the nap is gone forever? 

In some cases, your child will be done napping forever. And I know that can be a really hard pill to swallow. However, just because your child no longer needs a midday nap, that doesn’t mean your child no longer needs a midday rest. I strongly encourage parents to offer a daily quiet time (screen-free) once the nap is gone. This gives the child a chance to rest and practice independent play and it gives parents a time to decompress and rest too. I wrote more extensively here about developing a quiet time.

 

I know this can be an incredibly challenging time in toddlerhood but try to remain calm and patient. Whatever comes, with the right attitude and follow through, you'll get through this! Take this tidbit with you as you go: You can do hard things & so can your child! 

 

Struggling with daycare naps? Is your baby enrolled in daycare and you were just informed that they are moving up to the toddler room and switching to a 1 nap schedule? And you’re thinking, “But they’re only 10 months! They can’t handle 1 nap!” 

 

Well fortunately (and unfortunately), you’re not alone if you’re experiencing this. I see daycare nap struggles often with families and it can be so incredibly frustrating. I wanted to put together this post with 5 tips to help you navigate this annoying (and sometimes sleepless) situation.

 

Daycare nap tip #1: Take a deep breath

I know you may be freaking out right now but the first thing we need to do is breathe. This is a problem for sure, but we aren't going to be able to solve it if we aren't thinking calmly and clearly. This is a challenge but it's not a hopeless situation. So before you move on to implementing tip #2, make sure you have a clear head.

 

Daycare nap tip #2: Communicate & get creative

See if you can set up a meeting or call with your daycare teachers and/or director. Explain your concerns to them about this early transition to 1 nap. Some important points to bring up would be:

• Most babies aren't capable of handling a 1 nap schedule until 14+ months of age
• The transition to 1 nap will require an early bedtime to help your baby recoup the lost sleep and that will make your evening family time shorter than you'd like
• Transitioning to 1 nap too early can lead to over-tiredness and early wakings. This keeps the overtired cycle going

After expressing your concerns about this transition, ask if there is a way you can work together to keep your child on a 2 nap schedule for longer. Try to get creative. If your child is being forced to a 1 nap schedule because of a move to an older room, ask if that move can be held off a few more months. If it can't, can your baby be moved back into the infant room during nap times? Directly ask if there is any way that your child can still be offered a morning nap in some way, shape, or form. Something is better than nothing here.

For more details on communicating baby's sleep needs with your caregivers, check out this blog.

 

Daycare nap tip #3: Let go of what you can't control

After communicating with daycare, you may realize that there is no compromise and there is no way in which they can honor your child's sleep needs. If this is the case, we've reached the "let it go" part. This is important for your mental health. Focus on the things you *can* control when it comes to your baby's sleep and let go of the things you *can't* control. If daycare naps are one of those things outside of your control, then it's time to stop stressing and ruminating on it.

Move on to tip #4 for ways you can try to combat this early nap transition.

 

Daycare nap tip #4: Avoid over-tiredness on your end

Now that your child is moving to 1 nap at daycare, here are my suggestions for handling sleep at home:

• Your baby will be more tired for a while. Try to offer an early bedtime on daycare days. Ideally I'd aim for about 5 hours of awake time between the end of daycare nap and the time you are laying them in the crib at bedtime. For example, if nap ends at 2pm, then aim for bedtime at 7pm. If they seem tired earlier than that, then follow their lead and put them down sooner. Even as early as 6pm may be exactly what they need!
• On the weekends (or any day your child is home with you) continue to offer 2 naps a day like usual. Some parents worry that this will be confusing for baby or throw them off but it's actually essential. Depending on the age of your child, you may continue to offer 2 naps a day on the weekend for months- and that's okay!
• Some night wakings and early wakings will pop up during this time. Do your best to remain consistent in your responses at night. Avoid adding night feeds back in or over-helping. If your child already has the skills to fall asleep on their own, lean on those skills and give them the space to work through those wakings on their own.

 

Daycare nap tip #5: Stay hopeful

If this transition ends up being really rough for your baby and your family, take heart! I know it's hard and frustrating and tiring but it's also just a season. It won't remain like this forever and before you know it, your baby will be older and able to handle 1 nap much better.

Stay hopeful thinking about the future when nap schedules won't feel as make or break. You WILL get there- I promise!

 

Need more help navigating sleep in general? I help tired moms who are overwhelmed by conflicting sleep advice to confidently sleep train. And I do it by providing affordable, personalized, and experienced sleep support. Start here by scheduling a free call.

Baby sample sleep schedules are here! I’ve had many requests for a blog like this over the years but I have to admit, I’ve been reluctant to make it. Not because I’m sitting on some kind of top-secret information but because I’ve seen many parents stress themselves out trying to follow an arbitrary schedule online.

That is not what this is! The schedules below are simply examples. They may not work at all for your child and that is okay! These sample schedules are meant to be a guide only and not a rule book that you follow religiously.

In the examples below, I’ve made them all assuming a 6:30am wake up time because I find that to be the most common time that babies wake up. If your child wakes up later, then you’d just shift the schedule accordingly! If your child wakes up earlier and you don’t like it, then I’d treat your daily schedule like they are waking up at 6am in order to help shift things later. More on early wakings here.

How do I fit feedings in with my baby’s sample sleep schedule?

Every baby is different and you know your baby best! Below are some suggestions for feeding but please do what is best for your situation.

In general, I recommend falling into a pattern of eat, play, sleep and separating the act of eating from the act of falling asleep whenever possible. This means that the bulk of your daytime feeds would happen when baby wakes up in the morning and when baby wakes up from each nap. Add in your bedtime routine feed and you’re good to go!

*If you feel your baby needs more feedings than this or is acting hungry, then you can also offer a feed about 45 minutes before naptime as well to keep it from bleeding into sleep time while still offering extra calories.

 

0-2 month sample sleep schedule

With the newborn stage, everything is highly flexible. Most likely each day will look different and that’s to be expected. Newborn sleep is especially unpredictable but the key to avoiding over-tiredness is offering naps frequently. I recommend offering naps about every 45-75 minutes depending on the age of your newborn.

Newborns will likely have 4 naps or more a day with a later morning wake up and a later bedtime. Below are a couple examples of what your day could look like with a newborn. Again, none of these are better or best. I simply want to show you how different you should expect newborn schedules to be from day to day and from baby to baby.

 

Sample sleep schedule #1 (Mixture of short and long naps)

Wake up: 7am

Nap 1: 8-10am

Nap 2: 11-12pm

Nap 3: 1-3pm

Nap 4: 4-4:30pm

Nap 5: 5:30-6pm

Nap 6: 7-7:30pm

Bedtime: 8:30pm

 

Sample sleep schedule #2 (Long naps)

Wake up: 7am

Nap 1: 8-10am

Nap 2: 11-1pm

Nap 3: 2-4pm

Nap 4: 5-6pm

Nap 5: 7-8pm

Bedtime: 9pm

 

Sample sleep schedule #3 (Short naps)

Wake up: 8am

Nap 1: 9-9:30am

Nap 2: 10:30-11am

Nap 3: 12-12:30pm

Nap 4: 1:30-2pm

Nap 5: 3-3:30pm

Nap 6: 4:30-5pm

Nap 7: 6-6:30pm

Nap 8: 7:30-8pm

Bedtime: 9pm

 

For more info about handling newborn sleep, check out my newborn sleep resource page here.

 

3-4 month sample sleep schedule

This is the stage when night sleep can start to consolidate more (especially if your child has been developing independent sleep skills). But you may also run into the 4 month sleep regression and that can come with its own challenges. See more on this regression with these blogs: How to prepare and Do’s and don’ts

Many 3-4 month olds will still be on a 4 nap schedule but some 4 month olds are taking nice long naps and are able to handle a 3 nap schedule instead.

 

Sample sleep schedule:

Wake up: 6:30am

Nap 1: 8-9:30am

Nap 2: 11:15-12:15pm

Nap 3: 2:15-3:15pm

Nap 4: 5:15-6pm

Bedtime: 8pm

 

5-6 month sample sleep schedule

Most babies are solidly on 3 naps by this age range. Try your best to hang onto 3 naps until your child is at least 7 months old.

For more information on nap transitions, check out my comprehensive nap transition guide. It walks you through the 4 major nap transitions: 4 to 3, 3 to 2, 2 to 1, and 1 to 0!

 

Sample sleep schedule:

Wake up: 6:30am

Nap 1: 8:30-10am

Nap 2: 12-1:30pm

Nap 3: 3:45-4:30pm

Bedtime: 7pm

 

7-8 month sample sleep schedule

7 months is the earliest I like to see babies transitioning to 2 naps. As a result of this transition to 2 naps you’ll see bedtime pulled earlier for a while but don’t be scared of the early bedtime! Bedtime may fall as early as 6pm and that’s okay! The sample schedule below is an example of what a 2 nap schedule will look like early on in the transition. But if you have a 7 or 8 month old who is still rocking 3 naps- go for it!

 

Sample sleep schedule:

Wake up: 6:30am

Nap 1: 9:15-11am

Nap 2: 2-3pm

Bedtime: 6:15pm

 

9-11 month sample sleep schedule

By this age range, most babies are settling into a good 2 nap routine and able to handle slightly more awake time as you can see below.

 

Sample sleep schedule:

Wake up: 6:30am

Nap 1: 9:30-11:30am

Nap 2: 3-4pm

Bedtime: 7:30pm

 

12-14 month sample sleep schedule

It’s not unusual for 12-14 month olds to start resisting the 2nd nap a bit but try as hard as you can to hang onto 2 naps until you reach that 14/15 month mark. While the second nap may become shorter and less restorative, most babies still desperately need it at this age. Without it many spiral into a cycle of over-tiredness with night wakings and early morning wakings and it can feel impossible to break out of.

You may find you need to wake your child from their first nap slightly earlier to build enough sleep pressure before you offer nap 2.

 

Sample sleep schedule:

Wake up: 6:30am

Nap 1: 9:30-11am

Nap 2: 3-3:45pm

Bedtime: 7:30pm

 

15-24 month sample sleep schedule

Now your child is finally old enough for the transition to 1 nap so feel free to go for it when you’re ready! Our aim is for a lunchtime/afternoon nap that is 1.5-3 hours in length. During this adjustment to 1 nap, don’t fear the early bedtime- it’s your BFF, I promise! *Please note that in most cases you don’t want to jump from a 3 hour wake window before nap 1 to a 5-6 hour wake window. See my comprehensive nap guide for more step by step instructions so you don’t end up with a crabby, overtired toddler!

Around this age, many parents ask me what they should do with lunch time. Usually it falls right when their child should be taking their long nap and parents worry their child will be hungry and wake up early. I recommend splitting your lunch in half and offering the first half shortly before naptime and then offering second lunch after naptime.

 

Sample sleep schedule:

Wake up: 6:30am

Nap 1: 11:30-1:30pm

Bedtime: 6:30pm

 

2-3 year sample sleep schedule

By this age range, most babies are settling into a good 1 nap schedule and you’ll see that nap shifting as late as 1pm and bedtime shifting later accordingly! Not much will change now for a while. It’s normal for 2 year olds to go through a nap strike but don’t be fooled. They still need that nap! Keep your typical nap time everyday- even if they aren’t sleeping- and they will get back to napping. For more about this tricky age, check out this blog: Toddler sleep and why it sucks.

 

Sample sleep schedule:

Wake up: 6:30am

Nap 1: 12:30-2:30pm

Bedtime: 7:30pm

 

3+ year sample sleep schedule

Most kiddos still need a nap until 3-5 years of age. Once you hit that stage be sure to read my Quiet Time blog. I am a big believer in keeping a daily quiet time (for your child’s sake and yours) even when they stop napping. It’s been an absolute lifesaver in my house and a great way for my kids to hone their independent play skills.

So you think you're headed for a nap transition, huh? Well, before you jump in, here are three things I wish EVERY parent knew before making the move to drop a nap. Let's dive in!

As a quick aside, if you are ready for a nap transition, I highly recommend checking out my comprehensive Nap Schedules & Transitions Bundle which walks you step by step through each of the different nap transitions your child will have.

 

1. Is your child the right age for a nap transition?

First things first. Is your child at the right age for a nap transition? Or are they too young to drop the nap that extra nap? If you try to transition them before they are fully ready and capable, you will end up with a tired and cranky baby who will start to sleep even worse! Transitions work best when they happen at the ideal ages.

Here are some general guidelines I like to use for seeing if baby is the right age for a nap transition:

• 4 to 3 naps should happen around 4-5 months
• 3 to 2 naps should happen around 7-9 months
• 2 to 1 naps should happen around 15-18 months
• 1 to 0 naps should happen around 3-5 years

If your child is not within a week or two of these lower end ages, then you are either jumping the gun or you're dealing with a different root cause of your sleep issues. There is no rush to drop a nap!

 

2. Is your child exhibiting these signs of being ready for a nap transition?

Look for these signs that your baby is needing to drop a nap:

• More frequent night wakings than usual
• Shorter naps than usual
• Early wakings than usual
• More difficulty falling asleep

These are all signs that your baby could be needing to drop a nap. However, I want you be able to see patterns with these signs rather than just having this happen a handful of times over several weeks. As a general rule of thumb, these signs should be happening about 50% of the time AND causing issues with sleep and mood, especially before you take the leap early.

I repeat- there is no rush to drop a nap!

3. Do you have a plan for handling sleep disruptions during a nap transition?

Before you even think about going through a nap transition, you need to have a plan in place. Have it in your mind, talk about it with your partner, maybe even write it down if that will help!

Your child's sleep will be disturbed during a nap transition. There is no magical way around this. So it's vital that you know how you will handle extra night wakings, short naps, overtiredness, etc. BEFORE it even happens.

If you've previously sleep trained, I recommend pulling your sleep coaching method out of your back pocket and applying it during this time. If you choose to assist your child to sleep during these extra disruptions, that is always fine. Just make sure you're honest with yourself about the habits you may be introducing. My rule of thumb is to avoid introducing habits you don't want to continue long term. Otherwise, you'll just have to make habit changes later on!

 

 

Alright, those are the top things I want you to know before you go through a nap transition!

 

We all know that feeling when sleep is going well and the BAM! You have to a drop a nap. How do you know it's time? How do you do it? How do you avoid the anxiety that comes with nap transitions?

During this episode we will commiserate and share some nap transition tips so that you feel a little more prepared and a little less alone next time you hit a nap transition.

 

Comprehensive Nap Transition Guide

How to Drop a Nap brief overview

30 minute coaching call to talk through a nap transition

 

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, etc.

Episode 4: Nap Transition Tips

Nap Transition Tips
We all know that feeling when sleep is going well and the BAM! You have to a drop a nap. How do you know it's time? How do you do it? How do you avoid the anxiety that comes with nap transitions? Welcome to episode four of the sleep talking moms podcast and today we are going to talk through map transitions, we're going to talk through some general points, general things to know about it, because, I mean, nap transitions suck, let's just be really hard. They're not fun. Yeah, if we could just keep our babies frozen in the same net schedule for years, I think we would all choose to do that. Am I right, yeah. Yes, 1,000%, and the anxiety that comes from getting ready for those nap transitions, who yes and Kayla you recently just went through a transition that with your youngest, we want to share just a little bit about that. Yes, okay so little Imani bless his little heart. He just transitioned he is 20 Almost 20 months, he just transition from two naps to one nap, and carry on or you will remember that his four to three nap transition was rough. Yeah, and his three to two transition was rough, and I had many many questions. Luckily, the two to one, for Irie was great, but disclaimer for my first child, Ellis, his two to one nap transition was awful. Nap Transition Tips
We all know that feeling when sleep is going well and the BAM! You have to a drop a nap. How do you know it's time? How do you do it? How do you avoid the anxiety that comes with nap transitions? So that's either going to be extremely uplifting for you if you're listening to this, or it's gonna be like, Oh no, but I will say that the hardest part of nap transitions for me, there's two things. One is the anxiety that I put on myself, of like kind of like bracing myself and getting myself pepped up enough to be like, okay, yes we're doing this, we're doing this we're going to be consistent with it. That's probably the hardest thing. The second hardest thing for me is being afraid of that early bedtime. If the last nap or the naps, get kind of wonky. Huh, I remember that being kind of a sticking point for you when we talk and I'd be like, Okay, I think you need to do a six or a 630 bedtime and you'd be like, like was kid's gonna wake up in an hour. Yes but, but he either did, and we had our sleep training plan in place, or he slept. And it was great. We got that extra hour or so of sleep, right, that he had missed throughout the day, for having those short little naps. So, yes, and we're going to talk about early bedtimes. In a little bit because that is a big piece of nap, transitions, Kayla I was gonna ask you because I often tell parents, especially with that two to one transition that it's probably going to be two to four weeks before things kind of settle in, what, what did you feel like your timeframe was with eimeria I don't know if you remember with Alice I know that was a while back. Yeah, I actually remember with ls because LS took quite a while to get used to it. And I think that in hindsight, that with my first kid I was so caught up with like timeframes and shoulds, that I may have moved him a little bit more quickly than I should have. And so his two to one that transition, took a good three ish, I would say, weeks, I'm right on the other hand he has, he is my sleeper. He has always been a great sleeper. He is my child. It went so smoothly but guys I waited, I was at, you know, Karianna gives kind of like a good general age range for when these nap transitions happen normally, and he was at either the very tail end, he was about 18 months, I think close to 19 months before I moved him to transition him, and that transition. I think I may have just lucked out too, but it was flawless. It happened within. I'd say a week or less. That's awesome. Nap Transition Tips
We all know that feeling when sleep is going well and the BAM! You have to a drop a nap. How do you know it's time? How do you do it? How do you avoid the anxiety that comes with nap transitions? Yeah. And just to give you some general guidelines. These are always general but, you know, with the two to one transition, usually we're looking at 15 to 18 months is that range when they're going to do it and I will tell you from experience that if a child is able to wait until they're older, you know, some cases that's just not going to happen because they kind of decide for you that they're done with the second half. But if your child's able to wait longer it goes a lot smoother if you kind of let them wait longer with the three to two nap transition, we're looking at seven to nine months when they're usually ready to do it. And with the four to three transition really anytime between, I would say three and a half to five months. Usually I don't like to get too much into five months before we are definitely making that transition. So those are some general guidelines, I will tell you guys before I jump into any more. I don't remember anything about my kids and nap transitions my boys are five years and seven years and I just, my brain does not have that information in it anymore. Yes, your brain is protecting you from, I don't know what but it is protecting you from remembering hard times. No, you know what though, Kayla, I think that they, they had relatively easy transitions, I think, of course, I don't remember, but I don't know. So yeah, but I mean I guess this is also to say, if you're struggling with nap transitions. You wait until they're five or seven or however, and you, you don't even remember anymore, you forget all of that anxiety. Okay so let's kind of jump into some quick tips for any nap transition, you know, the first thing I want to say it's okay to flip flop. So say we're transitioning from three naps to two naps. It's okay to flip flop between three nap days and two nap days for a while, that's actually kind of a normal part of the transition. But if you find yourself kind of stuck in between for, you know, I would say a week plus that you're like, go for it. Yes, you go for it, you got to bite the bullet and just do it right so flip flopping is okay, we don't want to be flip flopping forever, you may just need to take a little bit of a heavier hand, push them to fewer naps. The other thing that I would say is, it's totally okay to micromanage their naps, if you know they're not ready for the transition. So if I'm using that three to two nap transition as an example, they may be six six and a half months, they may be trying to drop the third nap or you may be having trouble fitting the third nap in, but you know, okay, if they're going to be on two naps, they need to be awake for around three hours, and my baby cannot hang for three hours. It's okay to wake them from some naps and kale, I know this was like a hard part for you. Yeah I would say it's a hard part for every single nap transition that I'm read went through, but obviously I remember them. The most recent transition the best. And I had gotten to the point where his second nap out of two, was 30 minutes long, and I stayed there for a very long time and it was very, it brought about a lot of anxiety in me because it was like okay well what if he doesn't go to sleep right away and what if, what if what if, what if, but I also knew that he would not be able to hang, especially that two to one nap transition like that's a huge amount of time difference that they have to be awake and so I just kind of trusted my gut, I knew my kid. And so, like I said we waited until, you know, 1819 months before we switched him, and you know your kid. So, trust your mom got on that for sure. And a question I get a lot with having to micromanage the schedule and maybe just to clear up what I mean by that I mean that you may have to start their day for them you may have to start their day at, you know, 7am or 6:30am or, you know, wherever that falls, you may not be able to let them have a random sleeping Jay, when you're micromanaging, and then you may have to wake them from each of their naps so that you can fit everything in with a bedtime still around eight and not not tipping later than that if we can avoid it. So a lot of times parents will ask me, Well if I am constantly waking them from these naps during this period, am I going to inhibit their ability to connect nap cycles later on. My answer to that is no, and that the benefits of waking them and micromanaging that schedule, definitely outweigh transitioning them to a few one fewer nap sooner than they're ready so micromanaging is huge, frustrating in the moment but it's temporary. And then the other thing is that early bedtime that we talked about a little bit so when you do transition to fewer naps, you're going to see that bedtime, shoot up earlier right so again I'm liking to use that transition of three to two just for continuity sake but if we're on three naps, that time is probably going to have crept later and later it might be close to eight, which is okay, but once we transition to two, we've got to expect that bedtime, to move earlier and it can be as early as 6pm, which I know is hard for some families, and it's scary. Right, absolutely. Yeah, I just remember, you know, being like, Okay, well, Wait, okay so I guess we're eating dinner for. But I don't know, I know people say this all the time, but it, I don't know I just feel like it, it all comes out in the wash it all turns out fine. So, If you have to completely, kind of, if you are able to kind of like reroute your day. In order to make these happen. It's 1,000% worth it. Yeah, and I think probably the common. The most common worry that parents have with the early bedtime is how early are they going to wake up the next morning then, and, you know, while that may happen here and there, what we know, overall with the overall picture is keeping them awake too long before bed, repeatedly, kind of guarantees that you're going to have early waking so we want to minimize stretching that last window too long, or we're going to have early wakings anyway. And it's not going to be early wakings because they got enough night sleep, it's going to be early wakings because they're overtired and there's absolutely a difference. Right. And remember guys like if you, you have them go to bed at six, and like me I was afraid of like, okay, in an hour and a half, this kid's gonna be up, and sometimes that kid was up, but that is what the sleep training plan is there for so you know whatever you have decided or you know you and Karianna if you use her, whatever you've decided is okay this is our plan of action, if my kid does wake up in the night, you know like whatever that is going on check on them, make sure they're fine and then go in every five minutes or 10 minutes or whatever it is that you have decided is good for your family. That's where this comes into play. Yes and that you bring up another good point Kayla that night wakings probably are going to creep up here and there. During this transition that's really really normal it's part of the process of them, adjusting, because if we're being honest, we can't avoid over tiredness, all together, when we're doing an app transition over tiredness is just going to happen and with that comes some disrupted sleep, but like Kayla mentioned having, you know, whatever your method is that you feel comfortable with and maybe you used it before, maybe you've never had to use one before but having a way that you're going to consistently respond to that disrupted sleep is really important, through the transition. And I think the last thing I would say is just to be patient, you know, just as much as you are struggling with adjusting and with the transition, your child is too. And so we just need to be patient and give them the time that their body needs to adjust to the new schedule. Yes, hugs and love to you guys, anyone who's in the middle of this nap transition are getting ready for one hugs and love to you 1,000% So and I'm also going to link in the show notes, I have a blog about each individual transition with some tips that can be helpful so if you are heading to one and you want to be prepared. That will give you kind of some step by step guidelines. And I also want you guys to know, I offer 30 Minute Calls, if you have an independent sleeper already, who can fall asleep on their own. I offer 30 Minute Calls just so we can talk through a plan of action for the nap transition phase, or maybe you're in the midst of it and you're like, Oh no, I've been doing this all wrong. Now what do I do, we can talk through and get you back on track so I will also link that in the show notes as well. Thank you so much for listening to sleep talking moms, we hope you are walking away from this episode with practical sleep advice to get the whole family sleeping better. If you enjoyed the episode, please take a second to rate and review each review helps more tired and overwhelmed moms by simple and practical sleep advice. See you back here soon. Nap Transition Tips
We all know that feeling when sleep is going well and the BAM! You have to a drop a nap. How do you know it's time? How do you do it? How do you avoid the anxiety that comes with nap transitions?

Gearing up for your next nap transition? Then this blog is for you!

 

What are signs that I should drop a nap?

First off is age. Transitions work best when they happen at the following ages:

4 to 3 naps at 4 months

3 to 2 naps between 7 and 9 months

2 to 1 naps between 15 and 18 months

1 to 0 naps between 3 and 5 years

 

Secondly, here are some signs once you're within the recommended age range:

1. Unusual night wakings
2. Earlier morning wake ups than usual
3. Inability to fall asleep for some or all naps
4. Waking up happy from short naps
5. Struggling to offer enough awake time between sleeps while also keeping bedtime before 8pm

 

Now, we like to see a pattern with these 5 signs rather than just a random weird night here or there. If things are going well for the most part, then there’s no reason to drop a nap ASAP! 

How do I drop a nap?

4 naps to 3 naps (At 4 months)

This is probably the easiest transition you’ll go through! It will involve moving bedtime quite a bit earlier to account for the lost nap and this can be hard, especially if you’re dealing with short naps (be sure to check out my free guide for short naps!)

 

Things to know for this transition:

✩Start by stretching your wake windows. 

✩Once you’ve maxed out your wake windows at roughly 1.75-2 hours, then it’s time to make the switch and drop nap 4.

✩Bedtime may be after 8pm before the transition and as early as 6pm after the transition, this is okay!

 

3 naps to 2 naps (At 7-9 months)

This transition isn’t quite as easy as 4 to 3 but it’s still fairly straight forward. It can get a bit messier because I find that nap 3 can be pretty elusive as you get closer to this transition. If you find yourself in a pattern of consistently missing nap 3, it might be time!

 

Things to know for this transition:

✩Start by stretching your wake windows.

✩Once you’ve maxed out your wake windows at roughly 2.5-2.75 hours, then it’s time to make the switch and drop nap 3.

✩There may be some flip-flopping between 2 and 3 nap days and that’s okay. But if it persists past 7-10 days, then I’d commit to 2 nap days and push through

✩Again, bedtime will be on the later end right before the transition and then jump to early right after the transition. This gives them the chance to make up for the lost nap and to recover from the longer wake windows

2 naps to 1 nap (At 15-18 months)

This one is the BIG one! Such a big transition for your little one and this transition will take time. Buckle up for 2-4 weeks of transitioning and rougher than usual sleep. The goal with this transition is to be prepared and do it slowly.

 

Things to know for this transition:

✩Hitting 15 months does not mean that you HAVE to transition. If sleep is going fine, then don’t rush it.

✩You’ll start by pushing nap 1 later and later.

✩Once nap 1 is ending late enough, that’s when you’ll cut out the second nap completely.

✩Again, bedtime will be on the later end right before the transition and then jump to early right after the transition. This gives them the chance to make up for the lost nap and to recover from the longer wake windows

 

1 nap to no nap (At 3-5 years)

This is the transition that I find happens more naturally. We REALLY want to keep that nap until at least 3 years of age, so if you find yourself with a 2 year old who is trying to drop their nap, it’s probably more related to limit testing than them being physically ready to drop it. Be sure to check out my blog about Toddler Sleep And Why It Sucks if this is you!

 

Things to know for this transition:

✩For a while you may flip flop between nap days and no nap days, this is totally okay! Go with it!

✩On no nap days, don’t be afraid to pull bedtime earlier to make up for the lack of a nap.

✩On nap days, it’s okay to wake them from their nap in order to make bedtime easier. Ideally we’d want their nap ending by 3pm but you can cut it off earlier if you need to!

✩Even once the nap is gone, you still want to keep a daily quiet time in place. See this post for a more detailed overview of how to introduce quiet time for your preschooler.

 

Hope this was helpful and don’t forget, for children who are independent sleepers already, I offer nap transition calls so that you don’t have to go through this alone!