2-1 NAP TRANSITION – HOW & WHEN

Are you a mom who is struggling with the 2-1 nap transition?? If so, you’re not alone. Many moms are struggling with this transition. But don’t worry, I’m here to help. In this post, I’ll outline everything you need to know about the 2-1 nap transition. I’ll also provide some helpful tips on how to make the transition easier for both you and your little one. So read on, tired mama, and find the answers you need!

In This Blog, We Will Cover The Following About The 2-1 Nap Transition::

Signs Your Toddler Is Ready To Transition To One Nap
My Baby Is Ready. What Should I Do?
Have Patience
The End Goal
Faqs About The 2-1 Nap Transition
Final Thoughts

Signs Your Toddler Is Ready To Transition To One Nap.

It is a frustrating situation. Your little one does not need two naps. When he takes two naps, he doesn’t really take two naps OR he doesn’t sleep as well at night. But he isn’t ready for just one nap. When he takes one nap, he is a terror and also does not sleep as well at night because he is overtired. For many toddlers, there is a “transition time” where the child is not really ready to drop the morning nap, but also does not really need two full naps.

On average, the transition occurs between 14-18 months, with the average being 15 months. Transitioning too early will almost always lead to a baby who becomes overtired and therefore may begin taking short naps and/or waking several times throughout the night. My recommendation is to hold onto two naps as long as possible, even if that means getting creative and capping naps so that you allow time for two naps without bedtime being pushed out too late.

Common signs that baby may be ready to go to 1 nap include:

At least 14 months of age
Refusing the afternoon nap.
The afternoon nap is occurring too late in the day and pushing bedtime too late.
Night wakings that are otherwise unexplained.
Early wakings that are otherwise unexplained.

My Baby Is Ready. What Should I Do?

With any nap transition, you don’t want to just jump ahead without a plan and increase wake time by more than 15-minute increments. Jumping right to a 12 pm nap time may work with some young toddlers, but with most toddlers, it ends up backfiring at some point. If you push too hard at once it can leave you with an overtired child who is a hot mess and beginning to wake up a lot at night and earlier in the morning because they are simply overtired.

Here’s what I suggest you do to get your toddler to transition smoothly to 1 nap.

Remember, this is not a race, there is no need to rush things. Take it slow…..

So, let’s say your little one wakes up naturally at 7:00am and typically takes her first nap at 10:00am. For the first 3 days push her to 10:15am. If she wakes before noon, then offer a catnap sometime between 3:00pm – 4:00pm. If she doesn’t want to take a catnap, then opt for an early bedtime 6:00pm (or approx 5.5 – 6 hours after she awoke from her nap). After 3 – 5 days, move her nap by another 15 minutes to 10:30am, PAUSE, give this a few days, and then move her nap to 10:45am, and so on until you get to about 5.5 hours of total wake time in the morning.

So, if your little one wakes up at 7am, then her nap should eventually begin between 12pm/12:30pm (or 5.5 hours after she wakes for the day). However, don’t go too fast. Let’s say your little one is doing great with an 11:30am nap (4.5 hours of wake time in the morning from when she woke) and just gets way too overtired if you push the nap out later. In this case, just PAUSE. Stay here for a week or more, and then try pushing her nap out by another 15 minutes when she seems ready. Again, it’s ok not to rush to get to the 12/12:30pm nap time. I promise with time and patience you will get there.

As mentioned, at the beginning the transition the stretch between nap ending and bedtime will be long (about 5.5- 6 hours). So, you may start with the morning wake time at 3.75, and the afternoon will be 5.75 to 6 hours. But as you stretch the nap later in the morning to 5-5.5 hours after your baby wakes up for the day the wake time will decrease before bed which will be about 4.5/5 hours after the nap ends which is 10-10.5 hours of total wake time.

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If you see your toddler getting overly tired or fussy during the transition then pull in nap time earlier by 15 minutes and see if that helps. You can also shorten the wake window before bedtime slightly to avoid the DREADED overtired state. Keep in mind, this nap transition doesn’t just happen overnight. It can take weeks from the first day that you decide you are ready to drop the nap to when your baby is well-established on their new schedule.

As You Go Through This Transition Have Patience.

As I have mentioned a few times, nap transitions can be hard. There’s likely to be some short naps, some frustration, perhaps some night wakings, etc., but if you stay consistent and trust the process, it will all come together. Often, once parents don’t see immediate results they are quick to switch things up and try something else, but with babies and toddlers, consistency is key.

The End Goal

As mentioned earlier, eventually you will want the nap to be occurring around 12:30pm (or about 5.5 hours after baby wakes for the day) and bedtime to occur about 4.5-5 hours after the nap ends, this gives your little one 10-10.5 hours of total awake time for the day. Once you are on this schedule, your one nap is well-established and there is no need to tweak unless your little one is taking a while to fall asleep before the nap/bedtime.

Final Thoughts

You Got This! (and if you don’t, send me a DM!)

I hope that these tips help! Good luck with that nap transition. Once they fully adjust, it is the best nap schedule ever.

I have so much more I want to teach you about baby and toddler sleep and how you can help your baby!

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Sending sleepy vibes and sweet dreams your way!

Erin McCormick

Your Pediatric Sleep Specialist