Two-to-One Nap Transition

There is no denying it – nap transitions are tough. There are benefits to a three-nap-a-day, two-nap-a-day, and one-nap-a-day schedules…but the change between them can be rough on a kiddo and a parent. It’s important to look for the signs that your little one is ready to make a change to their schedule. Sometimes you are dealing with a sleep regression and it might not be time to change it up. Other times, they are made to make a schedule change. How can you tell? 

There are a few things to look for when it comes to making a nap transition (verses dealing with a sleep regression). Is the child refusing a nap? Is the timing of the nap starting to change? Is the length of the nap changing? What is the behavior of the child like if they miss their nap? Is bedtime becoming a battle?

A nap transition is different from a sleep regression in that when a sleep regression occurs, there is a developmental shift. If you sleep train at naptime for 2-4 weeks and there is no improvement, it is usually a regression. 

The transition from two naps to one nap usually occurs when a child is between 14 and 18 months old. You will know that a child is ready to make a change when they are consistently resisting the morning or afternoon nap. Continue to offer the naps for a few weeks to be sure it is not a regression. 

At this age, daytime sleep usually amounts to 2-3 hours. For a smooth transition, you want to consider gently moving the child’s nap time by a few minutes each day. For example, if a child was napping at 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., you would begin to push the morning nap back 15-30 minutes per day until the child is napping around noon. You may want to wait a few days between each 30 minute push. Depending on the child, you may need to also make bedtime earlier. 

 Each child is different, but here’s a sample naptime schedule when dealing with the two to one nap transition. 

With this schedule, you will continue to offer the afternoon nap until about around days 7-9, when their morning nap begins around 11:00. Likely, you won’t have time for that longer, afternoon nap. You may see the afternoon nap begin to shorten, and that’s OK! Sometimes a quick catnap in the afternoon is what a child needs to make it from their last nap until bedtime as they work through this transition. Just be sure to wake them at least 3 hours before their bedtime. 

If you would like some more personalized help with this (or any!) sleep transitions, please email me at nikki@nikkinelsonsleepconsulting.com.