When Do Babies Drop to One Nap?

If one thing is consistent with babies, it’s that they’re always changing. By the time your child is one, you may finally feel like you’ve gotten into a comfortable routine—only to have your cutie suddenly start fighting the naps they used to so happily take. What gives?

It may be time for your tot to drop a nap, whether you’re ready or not. “Mine just recently dropped to one nap, and they’re 20 months old… We tried to go to one earlier but they weren’t ready,” shares kelliwill, a community member on The Bump forums.

So when do babies drop to one nap, and how can you tell if your toddler is ready to transition from two naps to one? Here, experts and real parents share their top tips on how and when to make this change–without having a total cranky-pants on your hands.

How Much Sleep Do Babies Need?

Per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), your little one will need less sleep as they get older. Newborns will likely sleep for most of a 24-hour day. There isn’t an expert consensus on what their total sleep schedule should be, as babies this young should be sleeping and eating on demand. Between 4 and 12 months, though, the AAP says that babies need a total of 12 to 16 hours of sleep; this includes around two to three hours of daytime naps.

Toddlers between one and 2 years old, need between 11 and 14 hours of total daily sleep; this includes a minimum of 90 minutes to a maximum of three hours of nap-time sleep.

When Do Babies Drop to One Nap?

Every child is different, but it’s not unusual for babies to drop to one nap when they’re between 12 and 18 months old. “Usually I see it around 15 to 18 months, but often, children in daycare are transitioned to one nap once they leave an infant room, which is around the 12-month mark,” says Nicole Cannon, a certified child sleep consultant in New Jersey. “As children get older, they naturally need less sleep during a 24-hour period, and that reduction usually comes from daytime sleep.”

If your kiddo is in daycare, they might automatically be shifted to a one-nap schedule. So if they’re at home, should you push them toward one nap? Not necessarily, says Kira Ryan, a pediatric sleep consultant in New York City. “You can look for signs that your child is ready. Fighting a nap or taking a short nap may be a sign that it’s time to consolidate.” Transitioning to one nap might also work better for your schedule—maybe you want to do a fun class with them in the morning, or perhaps you need them awake to pick up an older sibling. “It can be trial and error,” Ryan says.

Signs Baby Is Ready to Drop to One Nap

The switch from two naps to one nap isn’t necessarily easy. You may have to rethink your entire day. After all, when your tot is getting only one nap, that nap becomes all the more important. With just one nap, you’re really looking for deep, restorative sleep, so it’s not ideal to have an on-the-go nap the way you might have done when your child was an infant, Ryan says. So how do you know when it’s the right time to make the big switch? Here, signs your toddler may be ready to transition to one nap:

• They fight their nap. “One time is a fluke, but if they continue to fight it day after day, it’s a sign they may not need the two naps anymore,” Ryan says. According to Rachel Mitchell, a maternity and pediatric sleep specialist, if they continue to fight it for 10 to 14 consecutive days, it may be time to drop to one nap.
• They aren’t going to bed. If a toddler is staying up later than their bedtime, or fighting their bedtime, it’s a sign that something needs to shift in their routine. “I like looking at the 24-hour sleep cycle and seeing what’s working and what isn’t,” says Cannon, adding that a toddler fighting bedtime may be ready for one nap. Similarly if they’re having trouble staying asleep or experiencing split nights, that’s another sign, Mitchell says.
• They’re waking up very early. Early wake-ups are another sign your kiddo is ready to make the switch from two naps to one, Cannon says.
• Their nap durations are changing. If your child is consistently taking a longer first nap, leaving little room for their next nap—or if their second nap is becoming shorter and shorter, it might be time to drop to one nap, Mitchell says.
• It makes sense for your schedule. Whether your child is going to daycare or you feel two naps have become restrictive in your schedule, it’s okay to experiment and see if switching to one nap a day goes over well. “Kids can get on board, and if one nap for a 15-month-old is what has to happen at school, then they can still keep two naps on the weekends, as needed,” notes Cannon.
• They’re reaching the right developmental age for one nap. While this will vary for everyone, Mitchell says if your kiddo is between 16 and 18 months and experiencing multiple signs of readiness, it might be time to go down to one nap.

Signs Baby Isn’t Ready to Drop to One Nap

Wondering how to tell if you’re tot isn’t quite ready to give up their second nap of the day just yet? Mitchell says to look for the following signs:

• They still want their second nap. If your child is steadily taking their second nap—even if it’s becoming shorter—it’s probably a sign that your kiddo’s not ready for one nap per day yet.
• They struggle to make it to bedtime. If your child’s been switched over to one nap, but they’re consistently falling asleep before their bedtime—even after it’s been adjusted (more on this below)—it may mean their wake window is too long with just one nap.
• They’re going through other changes. Dropping to one nap can be a big change for a little one, so it’s best to wait to do it until they have consistency in other parts of their life. In other words, if your tot is also adjusting to a new school, new family member or some other transition, hold off on changing up the nap routine for now.

How to Ease the Transition to One Nap

While you may have flashbacks of a rocky sleep training process, the good news is that transitioning from two naps to one can be a pretty straightforward process, especially if your child is already a good sleeper. And if naps are already a struggle? There’s still good news in store: Cannon says the switch to one nap can be a good time to “reset the script” when it comes to sleep hygiene.

So how do you actually go about switching to one nap a day? For the most part, it makes sense to lose the morning nap, Ryan says. But instead of simply dropping it, think of combining your child’s morning and afternoon naps into one solid nap cycle. To do that, it’s important to move that afternoon nap earlier than before. “If you used to have a nap from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., I’d probably suggest changing the start time of that nap to 11:30 a.m. or 12 p.m.,” Ryan says. “If your child used to fall asleep for their morning nap around 10 a.m., delay that nap time by 15-minute increments each day, so they fall asleep at 10:15 a.m. one day, 10:30 a.m. the next, until they reach that 11:30 a.m. mark.” During this transition time—which usually lasts about two weeks—your toddler might take a short afternoon nap, which is fine, especially if they’re taking a long nap in the morning.

Here, some other tips for making sure that transition to one nap goes smoothly:

• Move up lunch hour. During this transition, you may be wondering when the best time is for your child to eat lunch. That should be a little before they go down for a nap. As you’re combining naps, you might switch around mealtimes temporarily, but ideally your child will eat around 11 a.m., and then fall asleep shortly thereafter.
• Have an active morning. Play games, go to the park, run around, sing songs—tiring out your toddler is the name of the game in the morning hours while you’re trying to consolidate naps. It’s also important to make sure they don’t snooze on the go. Try singing in the car if your child looks drowsy en route home from the grocery store can help them stay awake until nap time.
• Move up bedtime. Your toddler still needs about 14 hours of sleep a day. To make sure they’re getting enough rest, you might need to move bedtime up a bit. “It’s not uncommon for a toddler on two naps a day to fall asleep around 8 p.m. But if you’re moving to one nap, then 7 p.m. may be what you need to shoot for to make sure they have 12 hours of nighttime sleep,” Cannon says. Calculate how much sleep your child is getting when you add up their nap and nighttime sleep and tweak accordingly.
• Let them fuss a little. “A nap cycle is 45 minutes, and we want at least two cycles in the nap,” Ryan says. “There’s some natural shifting as one cycle ends before another cycle begins,” she explains, so you may hear some fussing or crying. But instead of rushing in, let them try to settle themselves, or come in and lightly rub your child’s back without picking them up. That way, they can learn to link sleep cycles and get a solid one-and-a-half to two-hour nap.
• Make the nap count. If your little one had been napping in the stroller or carrier up to this point, it may be time to rethink your routine. “This nap is typically longer and deeper than what you may have experienced in the past,” Ryan says. This means that while an occasional stroller nap may happen, it’s important that the majority of their naps take place in their crib.
• Be prepared for an off day. Kids aren’t machines, and every child may have a no-sleep day every now and then. Rather than assume something’s wrong or start from square one, assess your routine and see where there may be room for tweaking. Maybe your child is overtired, or maybe the nap isn’t as long as it could be. It could also just be a fluke. A sleep consultant can help you troubleshoot, but know that occasional bad days are par for the course, especially during a nap transition.
• Allow for the occasional two-nap day. Just like you, sometimes your child will be extra tired. Most kids can easily take two naps without disrupting their usual one-nap routine. It might even make sense to continue to keep two naps on the weekends, especially if your toddler seems overtired.

What Is the Ideal Schedule for One Nap?

All kids’ schedules will look a little different, based on their individual needs. That said, you’ll want to make sure your child is getting enough sleep. For kids around 18 months, Mitchell notes they might follow the below schedule:

• Wake up: Between 6 and 7:30 a.m.
• Naptime: Starts between 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.; ends between 1 and 2 p.m.
• Bedtime: Starts between 7 and 8:30 p.m.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.