How To Drop From Two Naps To One - Sleep - What To Expect

Naps are a must for babies. Deep snoozing sessions during the day help them get the sleep they need — and gives you a chance to pick up all the toys strewn around the house.

But like most things, nap needs change, and the daytime sleep schedule that once worked well for your 9-month-old may be a bust at 12 months.

Here’s how to make sure your little one stays healthy and well-rested when she decides to go from two naps to one.

Key Takeaways:

1. Check for nap-dropping signs. Yup, you’ll notice these! She may be waking earlier in the morning, fighting her nap schedule and staying up later than usual.
2. Shift her (now) single nap gradually. Ease the way by keeping your babe up longer in the morning and serving an earlier lunch and dinner to accommodate this new phase.
3. Don’t sweat the tears. It’s normal to fuss more during this sleep change but if you stick to her regular tuck-in steps, she’ll soon be snoozing like a champ.

How do you know when your baby is ready to drop a nap?

Here's something to keep in mind while you're lamenting the loss of your baby's morning nap: How many times a day your baby sleeps isn’t as important as how well she functions on the sleep she's getting. (How well you function on the sleep she's getting is another matter entirely.)

If nap-skipping doesn't bring out the crankies and she's not too overtired to settle down for one good nap and a full night's sleep, then you may have to kiss those two-nap days good-bye.

Not getting enough necessary naptime, however can make for a less happy, less cooperative baby during the day — and one who's too overtired and overcharged to settle down at night. If that's the case, she's probably not ready to drop from two naps to one just yet.

Here are some signs that it is time for a one-nap schedule:

• Resisting naps. If she seems refreshed and energetic during the day, and won’t go to sleep when it’s time for her second nap, she’s probably just not tired enough.
• Super-short naps. On a two-nap schedule, each nap should last roughly one to two hours. If your little one suddenly decides she’s done after 30 minutes or so, then she might not be tired enough to snooze for longer, meaning she needs more awake time before heading to her crib.
• Extra-early morning wake-ups. Babies are naturally early risers — if yours regularly sleeps past 6 or 7 a.m., count yourself lucky. But if your little one goes from consistently waking up at 6:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. (or earlier — ugh!), it’s probably time to drop a nap.
• Bedtime keeps getting pushed later. If you need to keep your little one awake for longer than four hours between naps, she’s probably not going to go down for the night at her usual time of 7 or 8 p.m. or so without some resistance (a clear clue that it’s time to transition to one nap).

How to transition to a one-nap schedule

When your baby’s nap schedule changes, so does everything else. In many cases, it’s a good idea to loosen your regular structure a little and shift your baby's sleep schedule accordingly (without abandoning it entirely, as babies thrive on consistent schedules). Track your baby's sleep with the Baby Tracker tool in our free app

Going with the flow a bit and letting her get to sleep without help will up the odds she’ll go down and stay down when she really needs some Zzzs. Here are some tips to help your baby make the switch to one nap a day.

• Gradually extend her awake time in the morning. Your baby should be awake for at least four or five hours before she goes down for her afternoon nap. What to Expect Community parent jmlb554 has found success with this tip. “As you drop the nap, you just increase the wake window.”
• Move lunch and dinner earlier if she seems super sleepy. That way you can put her down for her afternoon nap early and put her to bed earlier.
• Have quiet time during her regular morning naptime. If your little one is fussy or seems tired during her normal morning naptime, replace it with midmorning quiet time filled with books and cuddles.
• Make sure her one afternoon nap is at least one to two-and-a-half hours long. Older babies who have given up the morning nap may need to power nap in the afternoon. If your baby isn't napping for about two hours, make sure she's getting enough sleep at night and talk over any concerns with your pediatrician. Sleep training for naps or incorporating a calming wind-down routine before naptime might be in order.
• Move up bedtime if she seems especially cranky. If your little one isn't at her best as night falls, consider moving her bedtime earlier. She may be more than ready to conk out sooner rather than later as she gets used to her new one-nap schedule.

Transitioning from two naps to one can be a bit rocky for everyone in the house. The key is to make sure your child still gets enough sleep as she grows up and out of her little-baby schedule.