Nap transitions can be a messy, tricky time. You had a good nap rhythm, and then suddenly it’s not working. You are ending up with skipped naps, short naps, fighting naps, or just awkwardly timed naps that just don’t let you head into bedtime in a way that supports better quality nighttime sleep.

When your nap rhythm seems to go off the rails, it’s tempting to think it must be time to drop a nap. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it’s actually time for some small adjustments to your nap rhythm to better fit your little one’s current sleep needs.

At what age do babies and toddlers drop a nap?

There are no firm rules around nap transitions, and every baby is different. Younger babies don’t seem to have big transitions as they decrease their number of naps. Among older babies and toddlers, you tend to see nap transitions around similar ages.

• Often babies drop from 3 to 2 naps between 7 -9 months.

• Often toddlers drop from 2 to 1 nap between 15-18 months.

• Often toddlers drop the nap entirely sometime between 2.5-4 years.

• If your child is a little on the early or late side, they could still be ready to drop the nap. Try some troubleshooting first, and then trust your baby.

What are some signs your baby is ready to drop a nap?

• They are regularly fighting the nap and taking a long time to fall asleep.

• A nap is very, very short and takes a lot of effort to happen.

• The time they are comfortable awake is too long for the naps to comfortably fit into their day.

• They are often skipping a nap leading to awkward nap rhythms.

• They sleep better on days they skip the nap.

• They get more sleep without the nap than with it.

• Bedtime is getting later and later to fit in the last nap.

• Sometimes split nights can be a sign something isn’t working with daytime sleep.

What if you aren’t sure it’s time to drop a nap?

Sometimes it’s not clear whether it’s time to drop a nap or simply time for some nap schedule adjustments. Even when the number of naps stay the same, a child’s nap timings often change over time. Sometimes you don’t know without a little bit of experimenting. Here are a few things to consider:

• If the nap happens under baby’s ideal conditions, but not otherwise, they may still need the nap. So, will baby nap with motion or contact, but won’t nap in their crib? It can be worth giving some extra support to help them through until they are more ready to drop the nap.

• Before dropping a nap try shortening it or adjusting the timing. Your child may need less sleep at that time or need more awake time and activity before they are tired. These things can really make a difference.

• You may need to cap earlier naps in order to get a later nap in the day. Or stretch time between naps to build up more sleep pressure.

What happens with sleep when you are dropping a nap?

During the time a child drops a nap, whether it is baby or parent led, there is often a period of over-tiredness and difficult late afternoons and evenings. Many babies and toddlers are ready to drop a nap before they are entirely ready to do without that nap. Try and give yourself and your little one a lot of patience and compassion during nap transitions.

Nap transitions aren’t a switch you flip, and suddenly your child does perfectly on the new nap schedule. They are a messy period that can be drawn out over weeks and sometimes months (especially when dropping the nap entirely). Expect several weeks where your little bounces back and forth between the more naps and fewer naps rhythm depending on how the day goes. Often, you can tell if a day is more likely to have more or fewer naps based on how the first nap goes. Short and early first nap, you are likely to be in a more naps rhythm. Later and longer first nap, you are likely to have a pattern of less naps. Triaging your day can sometimes mean you can give just a little nudge to nap timings to help your daytime rhythm go as smoothly as possible.

Expect that you may need an temporary early bedtime to compensate for shifting naps while your baby adjusts. Additionally, bedtime may shift from day to day more than normal depending on how many naps your child had that day. In the middle of a nap transition, it’s more important to head into bedtime tired without being so tired you are dysregulated than it is to keep a consistent bedtime. Once your naps settle into a new rhythm, your bedtime will settle down again.

Expect messiness! Nap transitions are a time of shifting timings and needs. Being in the in-between with our littles is hard. And I promise you’ll come out on the other side with a new rhythm. It just takes a little time and patience.

If you need more support, then let’s talk about 1:1 or group options. My online program Responsive Family Sleep has a whole module on naps to help you find and keep adjusting nap rhythms as your little grows.