Master the Transition to 1 Nap a Day with Confidence and Ease

If you have a 12-14 month old that’s still on 2 naps then this blog is for you!!

Are you ready to transition your baby to 1 nap a day instead of 2 naps a day?

This transition can be great for parents as it frees up the morning time to be able to go to the park, run errands, get together with friends or just have a low key day at home reading books and doing toddler puzzles.

Here are some things to look for so that you can be confident that your little one is ready to drop a nap!

• Difficulty with the Second Nap: They are resisting the second nap.
• Short Naps: They may need a longer wake window to build up enough sleep pressure before they take a nap.
• Earlier Wake Ups: They are waking up earlier in the morning and seem well-rested.
• Trouble Falling Asleep at Night: Bedtime is becoming a struggle with your child taking longer to fall asleep or waking up frequently. If your little one is taking 20,30 minutes or more to fall asleep at nap time or bedtime then it’s time to transition to one nap.
• Age: Your toddler is between the ages of 12-16 months old, most commonly around 12-14 months then it’s time to transition to one nap.

If you are seeing these signs, it’s time to transition your baby to one nap. Take notes over a few days and see if you are seeing any of these common naptime struggles. If nothing is changing then try transitioning to one nap.

This transition can take time. Your goal may look like this: 7 am wake up and 7 pm bedtime with a nap from 12 to 3pm. Sounds great, right? Yes! But first you need to help your baby transition to staying awake longer in the morning to get to the new goal of 12pm nap time.

They might be more fussy in the morning and the first day you may only make it to 11am. That’s okay! It’s about progress, not perfection!

Here are some ways to start to stretch their wake window to get to your new desired nap time.

1. Allow your baby a few weeks to adjust to the new time. Start nap time at 11 am for 1-2 weeks to allow your baby to adjust well. At 18 months old you can move the nap time closer to 12 pm.
2. DISTRACTION is your best friend! Change up the activity to something more active, such as going outside when you start to see them getting a little tired and it’s only 10:45 am.
3. Rotate your toys and bring out a “new” old toy for them to play with that will keep them interested for a bit longer.
4. Dance, sing or do action songs with your baby! They love it when we act silly with them!

What should you do if the nap goes poorly?

Don’t be afraid to put your little one to bed 30 minutes early to avoid overtiredness. Chalk it up to a rough nap and move on! Tomorrow’s a new day!

What if you have a 18-24 month toddler on one nap? The goal for them would be a 12:30-2/2:30 nap time with bedtime at 7:30pm. They need slightly less day time sleep but still enough wake time after nap to build up the sleep pressure before bedtime to avoid bedtime struggles.

Remember, there is help available if you are still doing contact naps and would like to move away from this or if you are just struggling at bedtime. Reach out and make an appointment to chat with me and let’s get these sleep struggles figured out! Go to the menu and click on the Free Sleep Evaluation Call to make an appointment.