Baby Nap Schedule: When and How to Drop Naps
If someone offered me a job right now and told me that I would be given a chance to nap in the middle of the day I would take the job in a heartbeat. Luckily my job does allow me to nap throughout the day because my kids still nap and lucky for me they both nap at the same time. So I either enjoy the quiet house and get some work done or take a nap myself.
I just wish I knew more about naps when my daughter was born. I used to always worry and second guess myself about when she should be napping and how many times a day she needed a nap. I am just glad I know the details now and am better able to help families like yourself to get a clear picture of how naps should be for your children. When reading this blog, make sure to read it with a grain of salt since every baby/family is different. That is why there is usually a range in everything sleep-related. Nothing is set in stone and your baby will make sure you know that as well. Continue reading if you want to learn more about when and how to drop naps for your child and set them up with a nap schedule that actually promotes sleep.
HOW MANY NAPS SHOULD MY BABY TAKE?
WHEN DO I DROP A NAP?
Start paying attention to your baby’s sleep habits and patterns. This is why I urge my clients and parents to keep a sleep log by using an app such as Baby Tracker or Huckleberry, something like TALLI Baby Tracker works great as well, or the traditional pen and paper way is fine too.
If you notice these signs for about 8-10 days consecutively then it may be time to drop a nap.
IRREGULAR NAPS. If your baby is beginning to take longer than usual to fall asleep, refusing naps, or is taking short naps after having longer predictable naps then this can be an indication they are ready to drop a nap.
NIGHT WAKINGS. Suddenly started having night awakenings after being able to sleep longer stretches or sleeping through the night.
EARLY WAKE-UP CALLS. Your baby is waking up for the day earlier than normal. If your baby is taking too many naps during the day then they will begin to wake up earlier in the morning since they have probably reached their total sleep quota for 24 hours. Waking up anytime between 5-6 AM can be an indication of early wake-ups.
THE SCHEDULE IS OFF. Your child’s sleep schedule just seems “off”. They may not be showing their “sleepy cues” towards the end of those awake windows as they used to or they struggle to be put down for a nap.
HOW DO I DROP A NAP?
I recommend starting to drop a nap after you notice the signs mentioned above for about 8-10 days consecutively. They do not need to show all of these signs. Some babies may only show 1-2 signs and that’s fine too. Just be sure that you are not confusing a regression with them being ready to drop a nap because if you drop a nap too soon then it could lead to more sleep troubles. This is why we want to wait almost 2 weeks before starting to transition. Nap transitions take a lot of patience, consistency, and time. Dropping naps successfully can take several weeks.
Dropping from 4 to 3 naps:
Start by increasing the awake windows by 10-15 minutes at a time throughout the day.
You may be offering a 4th catnap for a few days. You may need to do a later bedtime during this time. Don’t make bedtime any later than 8:00 PM if your baby wakes around 7:00 AM.
After your awake windows have lengthened and there just isn't time for a 4th nap then you can do an earlier bedtime. You can do a bedtime as early as 6:00 PM if you need to.
THE IDEAL AWAKE WINDOW FOR A 3-NAP SCHEDULE IS 1.5/2/2/2.5.
Dropping from 3 to 2 naps:
Start by increasing each of the awake windows by 10-15 minutes at a time throughout the day.
You can cut the naps shorter by waking them up to make sure they are not getting too much daytime sleep and to help with increasing the awake windows. For example, limit 1-1.5 hours for each of the naps to start and then work up to 2 hours for 1 of the naps. They should be getting about 3-3.5 hours total of daytime sleep across the naps.
May need to offer a 3rd catnap for a few days before fully dropping it if your baby did not get close to 3 hours of daytime sleep between the first 2 naps. Offer a slightly later bedtime when this is offered if needed.
May need to do an earlier bedtime once the 3rd nap is dropped or as they get at least 3 hours of daytime sleep from the 2 naps. You can gradually increase the last awake window to the ideal bedtime.
THE IDEAL AWAKE WINDOW FOR A 2-NAP SCHEDULE IS 2.5/3/3. Or you can have a nap scheduled by the clock with a nap around 9:00/9:30 and a nap around 1:30/2:00.
Dropping from 2 to 1 nap:
This usually takes the longest to transition.
Start by increasing the awake windows by 10-15 minutes at a time throughout the day.
May need to offer the second nap for a few days before fully dropping it. You may need to cut it by 15 minutes every few days till you drop it completely. Offer a later bedtime when this nap is offered.
May need to do an earlier bedtime once the 2nd nap is dropped. Gradually increase the last awake window and form your ideal bedtime.
THE IDEAL AWAKE WINDOW FOR A 1 NAP SCHEDULE IS 5/5.5. Or you can have a nap scheduled by the clock with a nap around 11:30/12:00.
CLICK HERE to find out if your child is ready to drop their last nap.
WHEN CAN I FOLLOW A NAP SCHEDULE?
You can follow a by-the-clock nap schedule after your baby is on 2 naps. You can schedule the 2 naps around 9:00/9:30 and 1:30/2:00 depending on when they wake up in the morning. Following awake windows is also important so you want to make sure they are not staying up too long in between their naps or before bedtime. Test out a few different times for the naps that work for your baby, their internal clock, and your own schedule.
Need more support with nap transitions? Or you're having a hard time dropping the naps and still following the age-appropriate awake windows?
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NIGHT NIGHT,
Unnati
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