Nap Transitions
Moving from three nap to two
What are the signs a baby is ready?
Afternoon naps decreases in length, and there is a lot of crying or babbling of thirty minutes or more.
stamina in increasing, for the last two weeks and they seem to have more energy. So, at this time, the morning nap could be dropped. This is between 5-7 months. Start a six-month-old on a three-month schedule due to sleep debt.
Parent is noticing signs of fatigue when the morning nap should happen. This is because the body clock is used to sleeping at that time. They may be tired, but she will not sleep long enough.
How to Handle the Change
Nap times need to be pushed down by 30-40 min to bridge gap in daytime hours. Do this for a few days.
So, if nap time is 8:30, 12:30, and 3:30, the new schedule would be 9:00/9:30, and 2:00/2:30.
This may instantly improve nap length, but it may decrease nap length due to slight overtiredness. This should be short term. Just keep going forward.
If nap length gets worse, then a third nap in the stroller or car is a good solution to give the baby a bit of a cat nap to take the edge off before bedtime. If a third nap does not happen, the parent can put the baby down an hour earlier. Body clocks take about 4-6 weeks to change. So be patient.
Moving from two naps to 1
The average age for this is between 12-16 months. Always ask if there have been any developmental changes. If so, tell them to wait a couple weeks and if it persists, to come back.
Signs to look for:
The child may begin to sleep longer for their morning nap, and shorter for their afternoon nap. This scenario is the most common.
Many children who are ready to make this change spend the whole nap time playing in their crib, or if they do fall asleep later, they will sleep later and they will have to be woken up to preserve bedtime.
On occasion the child may babble during the morning nap and the afternoon will be the good one.
One of the naps may become suddenly challenging. The child may cry and cry and not actually sleep for their nap. These things will not happen every day, but if you find it happening 4-5 days a week these are happening then it is time to make the switch.
Making the switch
Once you decide to do the change stick with it. If you do not it confuses the body clock.
If she seems tired at the time, she will normally take her nap, change activities.
Reminders:
- Step one
Move nap time by 30 min for three days.
- Step two
Try to put the baby down for her afternoon nap. If she does not sleep no worries, move bedtime an hour earlier.
Every three days we will move the naptime 30 mins until the desired afternoon naptime is reached. This time should be around 12:00 pm.
During this transition, bedtime should move to 6:30-7:30 at the latest.
The end of nap time
What to look for:
The child will always go down for an afternoon nap, but the problem becomes at bedtime.
Developmental milestones can almost always be the cause of nap time parties, so make sure this problem has gone of for two weeks or more. This can also happen in the middle of the night. This is usually the developmental milestone of language. Reassure the parent, this will pass.
Becomes a matter of choice for the parent. They can keep one nap, and put the bedtime to 8:00, or loose the nap, and bedtime is at 7:00 pm.
If you remove the nap, implement quiet time for at least 6 weeks, as this will help with afternoon melt downs. Meltdowns may still happen at dinner time, but this could be due to hunger as well. Offer a snack and water. Keep hydration up.
