How Do You Know It’s Time to Drop a Nap?
As your child ages, their sleep needs change. I haven’t met any 18 month olds taking four naps a day, but this would be normal for a 3 month old. Time passes, they grow, they learn, they eat and drink more, they need more physical activity, and they need less sleep.
Dropping a nap comes with decreased sleep needs. When a baby needs more awake time throughout their day—for instance, they’re obviously not tired when nap time rolls around, take a 30-minute nap, and are still happy afterwards—it becomes a math problem. The amount of awake time they need increases so much that it pushes bedtime to an unreasonable hour, or every nap will have to be capped shorter than is reasonable (under an hour) to fit everything in.
Generally, I recommend that you hang on to whatever number of naps you have NOW for as long as possible, at least until…
Your child is within the recommend age range to drop a nap
It becomes a math problem—you just can’t fit everything into the day
Your child shows multiple, other signs of readiness.
Recommended Ages for Dropping a Nap
4 Naps → 3 Naps = 4-5 months
3 Naps → 2 Naps = 6.5-8 months
2 Naps → 1 Nap = 13-18 months
1 Nap → No Nap = 3+ years
These ranges are not a hard and fast rule, and it’s always best to tune into your child and learn what they are communicating. They might be ready earlier or later than the ages listed here, and that’s okay.
Common Signs for Dropping a Nap
In addition to your child being the appropriate age and facing a simple math problem, we will see some common signs that it’s time to adjust your child’s routine and drop a nap.
Ideally, we want to see 1-2 of the following signs for the majority of 1-2 weeks:
Early morning wakings (between 4-6 a.m.)
Random night wakings
Taking 30+ minutes to fall asleep at bedtime
Taking 15+ minutes to fall asleep for naps
Skipping the third nap but remaining happy/content
Short naps: waking 30-45 minutes into a nap but is happy/content
Seems easy/content to be awake longer than 2.5 hours, especially in the afternoon/evening
The reason why we want to see these signs over the course of a couple weeks is to look for a pattern of behavior and rule out other contributing factors, like illness, developmental leaps (which usually come with new skills), separation anxiety, readjusting after travel, transitioning out of the swaddle/crib, introducing a new sibling, etc.
When It’s NOT Time to Drop a Nap
Sometimes, parents can mistake a few early mornings or a random night waking as a sign to expand their baby’s awake time and drop a nap. No judgement if that’s happened to you! But I would encourage you to look at the full picture first, let some time pass, and identify a pattern before making the switch. It makes this transition so much smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.
If you child is occasionally waking before their designated wake-up time in the morning, or will sometimes cry out in the night, that’s not necessarily a sign to overhaul their routine. We want to see a pattern and longevity first.
The same goes for naps—if your little one is sometimes taking short naps, this is not unequivocally a sign to drop a nap. Instead, evaluate their wake windows (see what’s appropriate for their age here), and make sure they are getting enough awake time prior to the nap to build appropriate sleep pressure (or, conversely, that they’re not getting too much and waking early because they’re overtired).
We also want to make sure that your child is ready to handle the amount of awake time required on the new nap routine (to ensure that bedtime falls at a reasonable hour).
4 Naps = 1-1.75 hour wake windows
3 Naps = 2-2.75 hour wake windows
2 Naps = 3-4 hour wake windows
1 Nap = 4.5-6 hour wake windows
For example, if 6-month-old Stetson is on a 3-nap routine but is waking before 6am every so often, but his mom knows he can’t handle more than 2.5-hour wake windows quite yet, it would be best to stick with their current routine but look at limiting his daytime sleep or expanding his awake time slightly.
As always, children who are already independent sleepers tend to handle these transitions much better, so that’s always a great place to start!
If You Need Guidance, I’m Here.
If nap transitions, routines, schedules, wake windows, or how to structure your day cause you to feel stress, or if you child has no routine at all and/or cannot sleep independently, I am here to help you. Please reach out to schedule a free, 15-minute call to talk through the struggles you’re facing, and we will make a plan that works for your family.
Please note that I am not a medical professional, and this blog post is not meant to serve as medical advice, a diagnosis, or any form of treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please discuss them with your child’s pediatrician.
