When Do Babies Drop Their Second Nap?
Naps. Adults love them, kids hate them. At birth, babies will spend most of their day sleeping on and off but slowly drop naps as they get older. Most parents rejoice at the thought of their baby dropping down to one nap a day. It opens up a world of possibilities!
But of course, not every baby will be ready to drop their second nap at the same time. Some babies will be eager to drop to one nap and have enough energy to spare, while some need as much rest as they can get! Wondering when you should expect your baby to drop that second nap? Continue reading to learn more.
How to know Your Baby Is Ready to Drop a Nap
Learning your baby’s sleep needs can be difficult. I always felt like as soon as I was getting the parenting thing down, my baby would up and change on me! This always resulted in me having to reassess their needs and create a new plan of attack. This especially included dropping naps and how many they really needed.
It might not seem glaringly obvious that your baby is ready to drop down to one nap, and sometimes, the cues that they’re ready can be subtle! Here are a few to look out for:
Skipping naps or difficulty falling asleep. If your baby is continuously skipping one of their naps or takes a while to fall asleep for a nap, this might be a sign that your baby is ready to drop down to one nap. Keep in mind that if your baby is not sleeping or has difficulty sleeping for one of their naps but still shows signs of tiredness, such as eye rubbing, they can still lay in the crib for quiet time.
No difference with a missed nap. A big indicator that your baby is ready to drop their second nap is that if they miss one of their naps, they are still as cheerful and happy as ever.
Difficulty sleeping at night. If your baby is finding it tough getting to and staying asleep at night, this could be a sign that they’re ready to have only one nap a day, especially if their second nap happens later in the day.
How Much Sleep Does Your Baby Need?
Babies at various ages will require different amounts of sleep. Newborns, for example, will sleep upwards of 17 hours within a 24-hour period. By the time your baby is 6-8 months, they will be taking approximately two or three naps a day.
By nine months, your baby should be taking two naps a day. Their sleep at night should be about 10 hours at night and three or four hours a day split into two naps.
Once your baby hits 14-18 months, your baby has the capacity to drop to one nap when they’re ready. Some babies require far more sleep than others, so when your baby decides to drop to one nap, it will largely depend on when they begin showing signs they are ready.
An important thing to note is that some children will completely drop naps altogether before they leave toddlerhood, while others will still continue to nap throughout kindergarten.
How to Transition Your Baby to One Nap
Like plenty of other habits, you can absolutely cut your baby from two naps cold turkey. However, you can always transition them to one nap. There are a few ways you can do this to help them drop to one nap a day.
Go slow. Gradually make the transition over a few weeks. Start your baby’s first nap a little later each day - say by 15 minutes every week. This might result in you needing to shorten their second nap.
Stretch out their midday nap. If they’ve made the transition to one nap, be sure they are getting enough sleep during this one nap. This nap could be as long as two or three hours!
Create a nap time routine. This routine does not need to be as in-depth as a bedtime routine, but enough of a schedule that your baby understands that nap time is coming.
Alter their bedtime if needed. If your baby has dropped to one nap a day, your baby will most likely be exhausted by the time nighttime rolls around. This might mean you will need to adjust their bedtime by moving it up slightly to ensure they are still getting enough sleep!
Remain patient. Helping your baby transition from two to one naps can be not only difficult but tiresome for both of you! There may be some days where one nap is easy peasy, while others, your baby will have difficulty without their second nap. Remaining calm and collected will help ease the stress your baby may feel during this time.
Although you may have had a few successful days of your baby taking only one nap, there may be some days where their one nap will be longer, or they will need two. This could be on days they are especially tired or sick.
Keep Track of Your Baby’s Naps with Baby Connect
Rest is important for everyone, adults and children alike. It allows the body to rest, recharge, and retain information from the day. Without sleep, we would all be walking zombies!
This is why it’s important to make sure your little one gets as much sleep as they can (or want). Your baby might want to drop their second nap too soon, but you should try to encourage them to continue until they reach a certain age. They don’t have to sleep but can enjoy quiet time in their crib in their room. With Baby Connect, you can track your baby’s sleep patterns to ensure they are reaching all of their resting goals!
