How to Drop to One Nap
One of the nicest transitions for parents is going from 2 short daytime naps to 1 big nap in the middle of the day.
Who does not like time off in the middle of the day? To go from sleeping an hour and a half in the morning, and maybe an hour in the afternoon, to sleeping a solid three hours a day, right smack dab in the middle of the afternoon.
This is great for a couple of reasons. First off, it makes planning your day a lot easier, since you do not need to constantly be worrying about staying close to home so you can be back in time for naps. Now, you will have the whole morning to go out and do whatever you need to before returning home.
Second, a two to three hour break in the middle of the day can be exactly what you need. You could get all the household chores done in that time, read a book, or just take a break. I mean go ahead and take a nap of your own sometimes! And still have time leftover to get stuff done!
Now, I am not usually one to recommend less sleep, but there is no getting around the fact that as babies get older they do not need as much sleep as they do when they are infants. But how are you supposed to know when that time has come, and how do you make the transition?
Well, first things first. How do you know if your baby is ready to drop a nap?
If you notice that baby is doing great in the morning nap, but then fussing or playing for an hour or so before going down in the afternoon, that right there is your indicator.
“He does that for a few days in a row, but then on day three, he will sleep amazing for his afternoon nap,” I often hear and that is really common.
The rule I like to adhere to is this: If baby is fighting the afternoon nap four or five times a week, it is probably a good time to make the switch. Developmental milestones can cause some disruptions which might make you think that baby is ready when he/she is actually not, so make sure this is the pattern for a minimum of two weeks.
The reason I err on the side of caution here is because once you start with this process, it is important not to back-step. If you pull the nap, but then baby manages to fight off the change, it is going to cause some confusion, and that will just complicate the situation.
So, now that you are sure the time is right, it is time to implement the new system. What does that look like?
Well, we obviously cannot just change the schedule overnight. I am sure every mother of a toddler can appreciate how smoothly that would go over.
My approach is to nudge the morning nap time a half hour later every three days, up until nap time hits around 12:30. You will want to take your time with this, because it is a tough transition for your little one. Do not worry if the process takes 4-6 weeks to get fully implemented. That is a good amount of time to shoot for.
As I am sure you are expecting, your toddler is going to get a little sleepy at their usual morning nap time, so avoid going for a car ride, or taking him/her out for a stroller ride around that time. A piece of fruit (or fruit juice) can provide just enough of a sugar rush to get baby over the hump in this situation, so keep a stash of your child’s favorite in the fridge.
You are probably going to have to bridge the gap slightly in the afternoon, so a ride in the stroller or a quick snooze in the car seat is a good way to get a quick catnap in without putting baby down for a full-blown nap. Temporarily moving bedtime up a little earlier might be necessary as well, until they get the hang of the new schedule.
Once baby does start accepting the one nap, you may notice a little inconsistency in the length. This is completely normal and to be expected while their bodies learn to consolidate the amount of daytime sleep they require into one afternoon nap.
And just like that, before you even know what hit you, your little one will have cleared this early hurdle, and baby will be enjoying a daily afternoon nap. Once your heart gets over the fact that your baby is growing up in the blink of an eye, you will be able to enjoy a little time off and a more flexible daily schedule.
