3-2 Nap Transition

Is the last nap of the day creeping later and later or is your baby resisting it altogether? If so it might be time to consider moving from three naps to two.

Don't worry, this transition is the easiest to master and most babies navigate through it fairly quickly without too much resistance.   

Let’s explore if your baby is ready for this step.

When Does It Happen?

Anytime between 6 and 9 months, your baby may start to show signs of being ready to drop from three naps down to two. Until about 6 months, your baby will successfully be having three naps per day with the 3rd nap often being the shortest and taken around 4:30-5pm. 

 As your baby gets older their ability to stay awake for longer increases and nap timings naturally fall later.  You may therefor start to notice that there is no time left at the end of the day to fit in a 3rd nap. 

Signs Your Baby Is Ready To Drop Their Third Nap

If your baby consistently resists the 3rd nap or takes a long time to fall asleep, they may simply not be tired enough or have already had sufficient day time sleep. You may also notice that the 3rd nap is getting later and later in the day and your baby isn't falling asleep until after 5pm which may then impact bedtime.

So if your baby is starting to niggle around that last nap of the day, they could be ready to drop down to two naps.

If They Are Ready

Around 6 or 7 months (this can vary) your baby's awake windows will naturally increase making it a good time to transition to two naps. Babies over 6 months can usually tolerate an awake window of between 2 hrs. 45 mins - 3 hours. See our 3-9 month Nap Guide for further details. 

If They Are Not Quite Ready

Some babies are not quite ready to drop the third nap until a little later and may become too overtired without it. However, letting them sleep for too long can have a flow on effect at bedtime. If the 3rd nap has become too tricky in the cot, try offering a quick power nap  in either the pram, car seat or front pack. 

A 15 minute nap during a well timed car ride, or walk in the pram can give them the snatch of sleep they need to carry them through till bedtime.

What If They Are Sleepy In The Afternoon?

If you have transitioned down to two naps and you find that your baby is still sleepy in the late afternoon, bring bedtime forward by 45 mins for a short while to prevent them getting overtired at bedtime. 

How Will The Transition Go?

Typically the process of transitioning from three naps to two is reasonably quick. The transition phase usually lasts between 5 to 7 days.

Once you have made the transition to two naps you should notice that your baby falls asleep quicker and takes longer more restorative naps. 

Hopefully, following these tips should help you navigate through the changes smoothly. If you get stuck and need a listening ear or guiding hand please don't hesitate to get in touch.