Seeking Sample Nap/feeding Schedule for 1 Nap a Day

This is the schedule for my daughter. Whatever time she wakes up it doesn't matter.
1 hr after waking, she gets breakfast.
about 10 am is morning snack.
12 is lunch
between 1-2 is go down for nap (about 1 hr after she finishes lunch)
4ish (depending on when she wakes from nap) is afternoon snack
6:30 is dinner time
between 7:30 and 8 is bedtime/bedtime routine.
We kept her on her regular daily schedule, just delete one nap. There is no need to alter the schedule you already have just get rid of the morning nap. So if you already have a schedule in place, don't alter it to much. This is least disruptive to his day. Both my kids thrived on their schedules. They didn't like change to much. It worked best when we didn't change anything.

Here's what I did for my daughter and am about to do with my son.

Wake up around 7 or so and have breakfast. I didn't do a morning snack because there didn't seem to be a good time for it. But then I would give her lunch at 11 and then down for a nap by 11:30. She would usually sleep until 2:30 or 3:00. Then I'd give her a pretty big snack. Then by 6:00 she was ready for dinner and then the bedtime ritual in time for a 7 - 7:30 bedtime. My son sleeps a little less so I expect that his mid-day nap is going to be shorter.

I found the transition with my daughter was a little bit challenging, but what I did was move back her morning nap by 15 minutes each day for a week and a half and that got her to 11:30. That week and a half was really difficult because she wouldn't take the full nap and then was up for a very long time in the afternoon. I found that as long as I kept her super occupied, she was fine but when she got bored she would just cry and cry. Also, my daughter doesn't eat well when she is tired so I had to do her favorite dinners during the transition because she wasn't up for trying anything new.

Every child is different and I found that this was the schedule that worked for us. I know so many people who have different schedules that work for them - don't think there is a written rule. But good luck with the transition - I had to keep in mind that it was going to end soon to keep my sanity.

Hi J.,

It sounds like your little guy is definitely ready for just one nap a day! My son started napping just once a day around 15 months, and here was his schedule once we transitioned him:

8-8:30 a.m. - Wake-up
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
10:15 a.m. - Snack
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
12:30-3:30 or 4 p.m. - Nap
4 p.m. - Snack
6 p.m. - Dinner
8-8:30 p.m. - Bath and bedtime

My son was weaned from the bottle before he started taking just one nap a day, so I didn't include any bottles in this schedule. The snacks were very small - a handful of grapes or crackers and always a sippy cup of milk - and they helped hold him over to his next meal.

As far as switching him to one nap, it was pretty easy. He was doing exactly what your little one was doing, so I just made sure to keep his mornings active and busy. He always crashed after lunch and we never looked back.

It's great when kids start taking just one nap. You can get a lot more accomplished during your day! Good luck!

My daughter who is 15 months transitioned to one nap at about 13.5 months. If we put her down in the morning, she would talk in her crib for over an hour before she'd go to sleep or start yelling and want to get out. So we moved it to one afternoon nap and she's asleep within 15 minutes of going in her crib.

The transition didn't change our schedule all that much. She's still going to bed (830pm-ish) and waking up (7am ish) at the same time. She just goes down for her one nap of the day after lunch rather than after a morning snack.

She has breakfast within a half hour of getting up. She has lunch around noon give or a take a half hour if we're out running errands, or she had a big morning snack, etc. She has her morning snack about 2 hours after breakfast, but that varies depending on how hungry she is, could be sooner could be later.

She goes down for her nap around 1pm, give or take a half hour, depending on our schedule. She typically sleeps about two hours. When she gets up we give her a snack, which holds her until dinner which is between 6 and 7pm.

Good luck with the transition.

Our routine is very similiar to Dianna's. My "baby" is now 15 months. He went down to one nap a day before Christmas, so he was only 12 months at the time. All children are different, I have 3 and just followed their cues.

Right now he wakes usually between 6:30 and 7:30, naptime is usually 12 or 1, and bedtime is about 8pm.

You have to take into account what will work for you and how baby does with one nap or two... if he seems like he doesn't need the two naps anymore, than give him one nap in between your two regular naptimes and adjust as necessary.

Good luck!!

With my 3 it all depended on what was scheduled for the day. One thing that you can be sure of is that it will change. Bt the time I had my yougest my twins were 3. At 3 they seldom took naps. When my twins wee 15 months old they took afternoon naps and went to bed at 7:30 and were up at 6:30. So it all depends on your variables

Sleep tip - when making the transition to one nap - you may need a 2 nap catch up day - but most importantly during the transition, a super early bedtime usually makes up for the lost nap - if he is showing signs by 6pm - 6:30 put him to bed for the night - avoid a late afternoon nap. Good luck!

Hey J.,

What we do at my childcare center to transition the infants over to the toddler room is move their morning nap back a little each day by extra activity, and singing songs, dancing, pretty much what ever we could until they can make around 11 and then we will give them lunch at around 11:15 and down for a nap by 12. They usually sleep for a few hours and then mom gives them an earlier bedtime. It is going to take a few weeks in most cases because some days they just can't make it. We never forced them if they couldn't do it one day of course we would let them sleep but over time with doing it a little each day it works. Most of the children arrive at 7:30 we do breakfast at 8:30 they have had their morning bottles when they woke up. A majority of my toddlers are around 15 months and have been doing this for a few months now and it is working fine for them. They will usually get another bottle after lunch at nap time and then I am not sure if moms give another bottle before bed but we do not give another bottle at school. When they wake up they have their afternoon snack with a sippy cup. Hope this helps.