Nap Transitions: 2 to 1 Nap

This transition is daunting, I know! With my daughter, I remember thinking to myself, what am I going to do with her for such a long chunk of time in the morning? How is she going to stay awake that long?! But, we made it, and all was fine.

So let’s talk about...

When does this transition happen?

Typically between 14-18 months, with the average being 15 months. With that being said, my daughter was 13 months and my son was 15 months.

What are the signs?

Typically children will continue their morning nap but fight their afternoon nap. Then if they do take an afternoon nap, they are not sleepy at their usual bedtime. Or perhaps they start suddenly waking earlier and earlier in the morning.

So how do you make the move?

My suggestion is to push through the first nap! Light exposure helps with this; if weather permits, get outside. Avoid car rides right before nap time. Your child will likely have a hard time making it to even 11:30am at first, so start there for a week, then push to noon! Usually during the first week of the transition your child will experience a short nap as they make this huge adjustment. Keep steady, keep offering the nap. AND most importantly, offer them an early bedtime- around 4 to 5 hour after waking from their nap, but not past 8pm!

If you’re looking for more sleep help, please head to my sleep services page.

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Sweet dreams,

Lexi