Nap Transitions: When Babies Drop From 3 Naps to 2, and 2 to 1

The usual sequence

• 4 to 3 naps: around 4 to 6 months.
• 3 to 2 naps: often around 6 to 9 months, most commonly 7 to 8 months.
• 2 to 1 nap: usually between 12 and 18 months, often around 15 months. Many 1-year-olds still need two naps.
• 1 to none: usually between about 3 and 5 years (see the dropping the nap and quiet time guide).
• Total sleep matters more than the number of naps: about 12 to 16 hours a day from 4 to 12 months, and 11 to 14 hours from 1 to 2 years, naps included.

Signs a nap is ready to go

Look for a pattern most days for one to two weeks, not one off day: - Taking a long time to fall asleep for a nap, or playing through it. - The last nap is pushing bedtime later and later. - Short naps that used to be long, or a long first nap followed by refusal of the next. - New early morning waking or more night waking with no other cause.

Teething, illness, travel and new skills like crawling can briefly look like this. Wait it out before changing the schedule.

Going from 3 naps to 2

1. Stretch the wake windows by 15 minutes every few days, so the first nap moves later.
2. Aim for a morning nap around 9 to 9:30 am and an afternoon nap around 1:30 to 2 pm.
3. Drop the short late-afternoon catnap.
4. Move bedtime earlier, even to 6 or 6:30 pm, for a couple of weeks while the baby adjusts.

Going from 2 naps to 1

1. Push the morning nap later in small steps, 15 to 30 minutes every few days.
2. Land on one nap starting around 12 to 1 pm, ideally 1.5 to 3 hours long.
3. Offer lunch just before the nap so hunger doesn't cut it short.
4. Use an earlier bedtime on days the single nap is short.
5. Some days will still need two naps. Going back and forth for a few weeks is normal.

Childcare and two homes

• Many childcare centers move children to one nap when they join the toddler room. If home and childcare differ, match on weekends when you can, and expect some tired evenings.
• Share the nap plan with a co-parent, grandparent or sitter so the timing is similar across homes.

Common mistakes

• Dropping a nap after a few bad days. Give it a week or two.
• Keeping bedtime the same when total daytime sleep drops. A temporarily earlier bedtime protects night sleep.
• Letting the single nap run very late, which pushes bedtime late.

When to check in

• Mention it at the next checkup if your child seems very sleepy all day despite enough hours, snores loudly most nights, or has pauses in breathing during sleep.