Nap Transitioning from One to Two

My son, now two, transitioned to one nap at 11 months. I fought it at first thinking he would not get enough sleep with just one nap. I also was so used to his two naps, I was not as aware of his own changing needs. As soon as I simply allowed him to have the one nap he wanted life was much simpler. He needed no transition to one nap. I simply watched him, and when he started rubbing his eyes I knew it was time to put him down for his nap. Eventually a time pattern appeared and we were both much happier and more at ease. Good luck!

I read this and thought I was reading about my own son! He is 11 months and is going through the exact same thing. My son sleeps very well and has a regular napping schedule, which he thrives on. He was an angel going down at 9am, then it was 9:30, then 10, and then he fought me, like screaming fits. I thought he was just being a brat and it was a battle of wills, and I am not one to give in just because he is screaming about something he doesn't want to do. Naps are crucial for his well being as well as mine. But after three days of this, I got tired of fighting it for hours at a time and thought I would try something else. So I finally just kept him up until his afternoon nap (although I started the process a little earlier - 1:15 instead of 2pm) and he goes right down. He is still a bit tired in the morning, and he took a catnap today (about 20 minutes), but overall it has been much better. Now he sleeps for 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the afternoon and wakes up so happy and well rested. This is what is working for us so far. Good luck!

My daughter has taken only 2 naps for about 2 months now and she is going to be 11 months old in a week. she goes down between 9-10am and around 2-3pm then sleeps for about an hour. they are constantly changing. as long as your son is happy when he wakes up he is getting enough sleep. :)

Hi L.,
My 17 month old daughter has basically dropped her second nap. This started about a month ago. In the beggining she would just cry and cry. I figured out that she just wasn't tired at 3:00 anymore. I did however move her nap from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. By the time she is 2 years old, I will probably try to push her nap until after lunch. It's a long gap from her only nap to the time she goes to bed at 7:30 pm.
Once in a while if she is really tired, I can get her to take a nap around 4:00pm, then she will go to bed around 8:30-9:00. But that rarely happens.
As far as a transition period? I would just go with the flow.
I still think 11 months is young to drop a second nap, but every baby is different.
Good luck!

I think it may depend, from day to day. After a big day or outing, with less sleeping the next day he may need more. What I did as my son was transitioning was put him down for his morning nap around ten or eleven then when he woke up, lunch. With no afternoon nap, you may notice him ready for bed earlier. I think it is best if there is a schedule but not too rigid. He may have two naps some days and one on others. He's still pretty young, but may be heading in that direction. I think it depends on how stimulating and active his day is and when he's on a developmental learning curve.. Best of luck

my son also went from 2 to 1 nap a day at 11 months..and it actually made life easier..we could go do more things..he is now 31 months and still naps once a day..stick w/ the nap..if he drops to one he'll probably nap longer..at around 20 months they start to rebel against the nap..but stick with it..this is how i got my son to keep napping ..if he skips naps then the next day i will take him to the park and at nap time i make sure he's in the stroller and i go window shopping and he will pass out in the stroller..that gets him back on track and the next day i put him back in his crib at naptime and he naps again.
He's very agile and i still have him in the crib and he doesn't climb out.
your's might even go back to 2 naps..this could just be a phase..try the stroller trick or be in the car at naptime and your babe will probably fall asleep again but if you drop to one nap i bet it will be a longer nap.

He's right on time! Kids usually give up the morning nap around one year.

One LONG nap 2-4 hrs after lunch is wonderful.

My two babies made the transition to one nap at around 15-18 months. All babies are different, but don't necessarily take his protests as meaning that he does not need the nap. Both of my babies have gone through phases where they would protest, but sleep is a non-negotiable in my book. He could be protesting just because playing is a lot more fun than sleeping, but sleep is a critical need for babies.

Again, every baby is unique, but this is how the transitions went with my two babies, just to maybe give you some ideas. With my first baby, he was taking longer and longer to fall asleep for his morning nap (he went to sleep on his own in his crib, but I always listened on the monitor and I could hear him playing). Morning nap was about 9-11am, afternoon nap was about 1-3pm. He would play during his morning naptime and sometimes not fall asleep until about 10:45, then sleep for his usual 1-1/2 to 2 hours (if I let him) but then would not be ready for an afternoon nap, and much too tired to stay up until his 7pm bedtime. So I would keep him up in the morning, give him an early lunch around 11:00 am and try to have him down for a nap at about 11:30/12:00. It was a difficult transition because he would get really tired and grumpy, but then he would sleep 2-1/2 to 3 hours during the one nap, and was pretty well set until bedtime. It took a couple of months before he completely adjusted to the new routine and no longer got real tired in the late morning.

With my second baby, he started sleeping for a really long time during his morning nap (it was usually about 1-1/2 hours and he started sleeping over 2 hours) then he would only sleep for about 45 minutes during his afternoon nap. So to me, that was the cue that he was ready for only one nap. His nap schedule was the same as my first baby's nap schedule had been, so I did the transition timing the same way. This was a really hard transition for him because he got soooo tired in the morning, so I would do a "sedentary" type of activity, like take him and his big brother for a walk in the stroller, or run an errand. Many mornings, he would fall asleep in the stroller or in the car seat (one morning he even fell asleep on my lap eating Cheerios! it was adorable!) and get a short "cat nap" - this seemed to work out perfectly. The short nap would rejuvinate him so he could make it until lunch then an early afternoon nap. It took him many months to adjust to only one nap a day, and I had to be very diligent to be sure he was in his bed for his nap no later than 12:00 (sometimes even a little earlier) because he was just too tired. He is now 28 months old and is lately able to wait until 12:30/1:00 for his nap.

So I hope that gives you some ideas. If now is the time, or it comes a few months later, good luck!

I haven't read all the other responses, but here's my thoughts...
My daughter is 15 months and has been taking only 1 nap long before she turned 1, probably around 8-9 months. She transitioned on her own. She goes down anywhere from 11-1 and sleeps for 1.5-3 hours. It just depends on how she slept the night before, activities, etc. I never worried too much about having an exact time, as it usually fluctuates every few months (time, duration) I kind of depend on her giving me tired signs, then I put her down. One thing for sure is that she always has a nap. She is very good now, but she would protest at times. Also, sometimes when they are super cranky it's becasue they are super tired, and they protest more. It wierd I know : )Good luck and I'm sure you'll find a pattern that works for you.

My son was about the same age when I changed to 1 nap. Just cold turkey. My baby goes down for a nap around 11:30 and sleeps until 1:30 or 2, and then we have lunch. In the beginning some days he still had 2 naps, it really just depended on how tired he really is. Every day is a little different (including your schedule) play it by ear but try to stick to about the same timing. Some days he stays up a little later and has lunch first and then just a snack after his nap. Ususally when I am out and about he stays up with no complaints. Yesterday he had his nap at his usual 11:30 but only slept an hour and a half so he needed a little cat nap in the car before dinner on the way home. It has been a couple months now and he is doing great on this schedule.
Transitioning can be a little tricky some days, but you know your baby best. good Luck!

My son went through a phase at about 1yr but he didn't fully drop a nap until he was close to 2yrs old. It was like 2-3 weeks where he fought the 1st nap... I would try moving his 9am nap to maybe 9:30 or 10:00 to see if that makes a difference. At about 28mos that's when we finally dropped his morning nap and he was good until about 1:00-1:30 and he would sleep a good 2hr nap in the afternoon. Today, my son is 3 (just turned in Aug) and is starting to go w/o a nap about 2-3 days a week. (Those days we have playdates or activities planned and he just goes through w/o one, but goes to sleep at 8pm sharp!) Other days he falls asleep in the car seat for about a 30min power nap while we're out and about and then he goes to sleep at about 8:30-9:00pm. If we're at home though and he doesnt fall asleep we always have quiet time where we just read a book in bed or lay down to watch a movie in the early afternoon. My personal opinion is he's probably still too young and just going through a phase. Every child is different though~

Hope this helps, best wishes!
C.~

www.HelpUstayHome.com

for us it was a transition it didn't start until our daughter was closer to 15-16 months, we would skip the morning nap, but then she'd be totally ready for afternoon nap at about 11:30am. I would give her an early lunch and then put her for nap and each day just pushed it a little later until we were doing nap at about 1:00pm, shortly after lunch.

The main key is to look at the total number of housr of sleep your son is getting. He should be getting 14-16 hours at his age so if he's sleeping a full 12 at night and you get him to take a full 2 hour nap once a day, then it should be okay but if his one nap is less than 2 hours or if his night-time sleep is less than 12, you may need to be adjusting to make sure he's getting enough sleep.

good luck!

You said it, your 'smart' boy is doing exactly what he should. At this stage in development, kids start adjusting their own sleep needs during the day. For many that does mean dropping one nap and creating one long nap in the middle of the day.

My little dude was about 13 months old when he completely dropped the morning nap. It was a transition, as we were starting daycare a few days a week too. But, I found that he would fuss if we tried to do morning nap, so I just let him play and have a great morning, then do lunch at around 11:15am and nap was happening by 12pm (give or take). There were some days when he would get sleepy earlier, but I would take him outside and do activities, and other days we'd miss lunch altogether until post-nap because he was so pooped. But, by 13 months old we had it down and it was great for me too!

Our schedule has stayed the same, with of course teething and sick times being the exception...

Wake: 6:30am
Nap: 12:15pm to 2:30pm (give or take a few minutes)
Bedtime Routine: 7pm, and asleep by around 8pm.

Like with anything, it's a work in progress...things will be constantly changing. But, if your little guy is ready to move himself to a different nap schedule just follow his lead, and provide the appropriate guidance. Sounds like you guys are a great team! Keep up the good work.

Hi L.,

I can't remember when my son went from one naps to two, but it must have been at this time because after he turned two, he didn't take an afternoon nap every day (but I did put him in "quiet time" regardless).

Anyway--my opinion is yes--you just go for the one nap--maybe just move it up a bit earlier than your afternoon nap is now. I think when I did it I began putting my son down at 2:00p.m. instead of 3:00p.m.

:-) D.
P.S. Of course when you do the one nap depends upon your personal family schedule--take into consideration when your little one wakes up, when he eats lunch, when he has certain activities, when he eats dinner, when he goes to bed...