Transitioning from two naps to one nap can be a big change.
With this transition from two naps to one, your toddler will be staying awake for longer periods of time during the day and having one nap that’s usually around midday. Personally, I found having one nap to be nice in that we had more time to actually get out of the house and do things.
This can be a challenging transition for some as our toddlers adjust to having longer awake windows and only one nap. This transition can take time, and there may be days where our toddlers still need two naps and that is okay. It can take up to a few weeks to transition fully to one nap.
How do I know my toddler is ready to drop from two naps to one nap?
Signs your child is ready to transition from two naps to one:
- Your toddler is waking up earlier
- They are refusing their second nap
- It is taking them a long time to fall asleep at naps or bedtime
- They have started suddenly waking up at night
- One of your toddler’s naps has become longer
- Having two naps would push bedtime too late
When will my toddler transition to one nap?
This transition will often happen somewhere between 14-18 months. Many children will go through a phase around a year where they seem like they are ready to transition to one nap, but they often aren’t truly ready and they are showing these signs due to a developmental progression.
If you transition to one nap before your child is truly ready, it is okay to go back to offering two naps. If your toddler is struggling to make it through the day and you are finding they are having more tantrums when you’ve transitioned to one nap or if sleep is a struggle overall, your child may still need two naps.
How to make the transition from two naps to one
To make the transition to one nap, you can start by gradually pushing the first nap later. So, for example, if your toddler usually takes their first nap around 9, then you could stretch it and offer the first nap at 9:30. Depending on how long they nap, you may choose to offer a second nap, which could be a cat nap to bridge the gap to bedtime.
If your child doesn’t take a second nap, you would want to do an early bedtime. This could be as early as 6 pm. Having an earlier bedtime can be helpful so that your toddler isn’t awake too long in the afternoon and ending up overtired come bedtime.
Since you are extending the awake time during this transition, it can be helpful to have some fun, engaging activities on hand. If you usually play outside before the first nap, maybe spend a little longer outside playing.
What should our schedule look like when my toddler is taking one nap?
So of course, your schedule has to be one that works for you and your child. I always encourage you to follow your child’s sleepy cues. In terms of what I would recommend when your child has fully transitioned to one nap, I suggest the first awake window be about 5 hours and the second awake window about 5/5.5 hours. This can look different for children who have higher or lower sleep needs, so that’s always something to keep in mind.
Sample one nap schedule
7 am wakeup
12-2 pm nap
7/7:30 bedtime
Some common challenges that come up with a one nap schedule:
When to do lunch?
When nap time is falling at lunch time, it can be confusing as to when to do lunch. Now, of course, this is going to vary based on your child and family. Many toddlers will do well with a light early lunch and a hearty afternoon snack, though other families prefer to do a snack before nap and a later lunch. I generally don’t recommend having a large meal immediately before going to sleep so that digestion doesn’t get in the way of sleep.
What to do if the nap is short?
If your child’s nap is really short, there are a couple of options. One option would be to offer a second nap. Depending on your child’s age and if the naps are consistently short, they may not be fully ready to transition to two naps.Another option for when naps are short would be to do an early bedtime, as early as 6 pm.
Also, when naps are short it’s often helpful to look at all areas of sleep hygiene to see if there is anything that is causing your child to wake up early. For instance, are there noises disturbing them, light bothering them, or are they hungry? Any of these could cause short naps and are usually relatively simple to fix.
If you haven’t already grabbed our free download “6 Tips for Better Sleep” make sure you do that as these tips can help with naps, too!
If you have any questions or would like support with making this transition, I’m here for you!
