Do Some Babies Move to One Nap Before 1 Year Old
Naps are always a big topic of discussion with my clients, merely there's one nap transition in particular that takes the block:
Going from Two Naps to One
Is Your Child Set?
This is a large transition! Your kid is going from existence awake 3-iv hours a solar day to 5½-6 hours a day. Then if you lot make the move too soon, you run the risk of your kiddo condign extremely tired because they just tin can't handle that corporeality of awake fourth dimension.
When children get overtired, their sleep suffers significantly. They're hit with a cortisol surge from the body working overtime to keep them awake, and this makes information technology harder for them to not only fall asleep, but stay asleep. (Acquire more about overtiredness and how it leads to sleep problems in children in my blog post Why Overtiredness Leads to Sleep Bug .) This is why it's extremely important to first brand certain that your kid is set up for this two-naps-to-one transition.
Signs of Readiness
If your child is over 13 months old and…
a) they're taking longer than twenty minutes to fall asleep at naptime or…
b) they're skipping their second nap entirely or…
c) nap duration is less than ane.25 hours
d) they're waking upwardly earlier half-dozen:00am
If whatsoever of these 3 criteria happen for more than than a week, then it's fourth dimension to drop that nap. Just go ahead and do it! Your child is developmentally capable and they're definitely showing signs that they're ready for information technology.
If your child is under xiii months…
Use the same readiness criteria as to a higher place — however, instead of waiting a calendar week, wait at least two-3 weeks before taking the leap.
Why wait? Because your kiddo may actually be going through a developmental jump…
Why Waiting for Developmental Leaps is Important
When children go through developmental leaps, every day is a new twenty-four hours of commemoration for them. It feels like Christmas morning, or a birthday, or some other equally heady special occasion — it'south but that it lasts for a few weeks instead of one day! When children are going through these leaps, the desire to practice their new skill is stronger than their desire to slumber (also what we telephone call sleep pressure). This is why we meet children ditch their good sleep habits at some of the big milestones — similar walking.
Around 10-12 months, the excitement (and lack of slumber) brought nigh past the developmental leap of walking gets confused for beingness ready to drop the second nap. This is why information technology'due south so important to give your kiddo those two-three weeks of wait-time to see if they're actually set to drop the nap, or if they're just eager to practice their amazing new skill.
If you endeavor to drop the 2nd nap too soon, your child will become overtired, and it will be compounded past sheer exhaustion once they starting time walking. This volition only make things worse! So practice yourself a favor if your kid is under thirteen months and look those 2-three weeks to find out what's at play. Then, yous can proceed accordingly.
Okay, so y'all've established your child is definitely fix… now what?
Making the Transition from Two Naps to One:
a Step-by-Step Guide
The key component here is gradual transition. Y'all don't desire to just jump to a ane-nap schedule right out of the gate because, again, your child volition go extremely tired, which will lead to nighttime wakings, which volition atomic number 82 to early morn wake-ups, which volition ultimately sabotage the later naptime completely.
Here is what to do instead:
24-hour interval 1
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Move outset nap subsequently by 30 minutes (i.e. Nap 1: 10:00am ➝ 10:30am)
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Move second nap later by 30 minutes and offer it (i.e. Nap two: 3:00pm ➝ 3:30pm)
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Offer second nap only for 15-20 minutes; if your child is protesting and y'all reach about the 20-minute mark, it's okay to phone call off the second nap — but be sure to do step iv
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If the 2nd nap didn't happen, move bedtime earlier by about 60 minutes (i.eastward. Bedtime 8:00pm ➝ 7:00pm)
Day 2 ➝ repeat Twenty-four hour period one
Day three ➝ echo Twenty-four hours ane
Day four
-
Move first nap afterwards again past 30 minutes (i.e. Nap 1: 10:30am ➝ 11:00am)
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Proceed second nap at the time information technology'due south currently ready for (i.e. Nap 2: 3:30pm stays at three:30pm)
-
Offer second nap only for 15-20 minutes; if your child is protesting and you attain nigh the 20 minute mark, telephone call off the second nap — only be sure to do step iv
-
If the second nap didn't happen, move bedtime earlier by about threescore minutes (i.e. Bedtime eight:00pm ➝ seven:00pm)
Day 5 ➝ repeat Mean solar day 4
Day vi ➝ repeat Mean solar day 4
24-hour interval 7
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Move first nap later again by xxx minutes (i.due east. Nap ane: xi:00am ➝ xi:30am)
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Instead of offering 2nd nap in the crib, have your kid for a xv-30 minute motion catnap; walk in the stroller, get on a auto ride, or put them in the baby carrier for a brief nap and this will help take the edge off before bedtime
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If the catnap didn't happen, motion bedtime earlier by about 60 minutes (i.e. Bedtime eight:00pm ➝ 7:00pm)
Day eight ➝ echo Day vii
Twenty-four hour period nine ➝ echo Day 7
Day 10
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Movement first nap later on once more past 30 minutes (i.e. Nap 1: xi:30am ➝ 12:00pm)
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This should be the ideal time for a i nap schedule, about 5½ hours subsequently your child starting time woke upward for the day. If not, move the nap later past thirty minutes one more time after three days.
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At this point, you can drop the second nap for adept! Amen to that!
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Past Twenty-four hours 10, your child should be feeling comfortably adjusted to the nap changes. However, this does non hateful that the nap will immediately become a 2-hour nap. If we can get at least a 1-ane½ hour nap out of your kiddo, that is a success!
Give information technology a good 8 weeks for your child'south trunk to fully adjust and to start taking those dainty, long two-60 minutes naps. In the meantime, make sure you're putting your child to bed at a good time. Aim for your child to get 12 hours of sleep at night, which means bedtime should be almost 12 hours later your child wakes up for the day.
Patience Is Your Friend
This nap transition is a big adjustment, and so call back to give you lot (and your child!) a niggling grace with it. Be patient, and give it a good 8 weeks for your child'southward trunk to completely adjust. If you're notwithstanding having issues after that time period, ship me a quick email and we can set upwardly a xxx-minute strategy session. These strategy sessions are $150, whether y'all work with me or a member of the Sleep Squad, and they're a great way to troubleshoot any problems that may non need a full consultation parcel. The only caveat is that your kiddo must exist falling asleep independently.
Y'all Got This!
(and if you don't, send me a DM!)
I hope that these tips aid! Good luck with that nap transition. Once they fully adjust, it is the best nap schedule e'er.
As always, my goal is for yous to take the tools you need to assist your child become the residual they demand to feel and be their best.
If you have whatever questions about this information, please feel free to send me a DM on my Instagram @kellymurraysleep.
All team members have completed in-person Slumber Sense Training and the Kelly Murray Slumber mentorship program. Kelly continues to support, guide and oversee the Sleep Team as they piece of work with the families who trust in united states. That fashion, all clients will experience the same astonishing results (and lots and lots of sleep) regardless of who supports them.
Source: https://kellymurraysleep.com/the-sleepy-times/two-naps-to-one
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