Moving To One Nap

Are you having trouble fitting in two naps or is bedtime getting too late?

Then it could be time to consider transitioning your little one down to one nap.

Typically this transition usually occurs between 13 to 16 months, but most babies start to show signs of readiness around 14 months.

Let’s have a look at what you can expect before, during and after the transition.

What Should I Expect Before the Transition?

Up until about 12 + months, your baby is likely to be successfully napping for two sleeps during the day. Ideally, you want the first nap to be short and the second one to be a longer, more restorative nap.

Leading up to the time when your baby turns 12 months, it often helps to keep the morning nap short so you have enough time to fit in a longer nap after lunch. Try offering the 1st nap around 9:30am for about  20 -30 minutes and the 2nd nap around 1pm for up to 2 hours. 

As long as your baby is up by 3pm you should be able to settle them successfully for a 7 o’clock bedtime. *5 hours awake time between 2nd nap and bedtime usually works best. Check-out our 9-18 month nap guide for helpful tips and guidance. 

Signs Your Baby is Ready to Transition to One Day Nap

From about 14 months onwards (as a guideline only as every baby is different), your baby will start to show  signs that they are ready to start dropping down to one nap. Some common signs are that your baby may wake earlier in the morning, fight going to sleep at bedtime, or simply resist a nap altogether. 

If your baby resists going down for the 1st nap or takes a long time to fall asleep, it may make the 2nd nap too late. You may also find by letting your baby nap in the morning, the 2nd nap ends up being short resulting in an over tired baby and a long gap before bedtime.

It is important to note that on occasion babies can skip naps especially when learning a new skill and may not necessarily mean they are ready to drop a nap. If you have experienced changes for more than two weeks and have tweaked the timings of naps to no avail then it's likely your little one is ready to move to one nap. 

How to Transition to One Day Nap

When you decide it is time to transition to one nap, skip the morning nap altogether and keep your baby awake until as close to lunchtime as possible. Ideally between 11:30-12pm usually works best and bring lunch solids earlier if necessary. 

The first few days may be hard and your baby may not sleep particularly long, don't worry this will improve with time. If your baby wakes up after a short while try and resettle them back to sleep so that they get around 2 hours or more of sleep.

Over time the longer awake window in the morning should help prime your baby to sleep more solidly and have a longer more restorative nap across the middle of the day . Over the course of about 3-4 weeks you can gradually push out the timing of the nap so it falls after lunch.  

How Long Does The Transition Take?

Unfortunately the transition from two naps to one doesn’t happen overnight. Give it time and consistency and allow 10-14 days for things to slot into place and your baby adjust to the changes. 

After being consistently on one nap, your baby's night sleep should become deeper and more consolidated and you may see improvements to early rising too.  

During the first month or so of being on one nap your baby may be prone to getting overtired. Try and bring bedtime forward to 6pm to help bridge the gap and stop any over tiredness disrupting their night sleep.   

However If your baby doesn't cope with being on one nap and you feel the move was too soon, go back to offering two naps and try again at a later date. Remember perseverance and consistency is key when making the transition.  

If you are having trouble making the transition, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with me here at Serene Sleep. My 30 mins express call is the perfect option to give you tips and pointers to help manage the transition.