Unfortunately for parents and caregivers, naps never stay on the same schedule for very long. It can often feel like as soon as we get into a good routine with our baby’s sleep, suddenly ‘out of nowhere’, that routine disappears into thin air and it happens when we’re least expecting it.  

The reason for this is that as babies get older, their ability to stay awake longer between naps gets longer. If you try to put your child down for a nap when they’re not tired enough (or conversely- too tired) it will backfire on you! This will happen naturally as babies grow, and these nap regressions are unavoidable. 

Below are three tips to make the nap transition (and associated regression) more manageable:

1) Know when it’s the right time to transition:

• How do you know your child is ready to drop a nap?
  • From 3-2 naps (around 6-9 months)
  • From 2-1 nap (between 15-18 months)
  • From 1-0 nap (Anywhere after 22 months, often times around the age of 3)

• How do you know when your child is ready?
  • An obvious sleep regression will happen. If it’s been happening for AT LEAST two weeks then it’s likely time.
  • Sometimes regressions happen for other reasons. This is why you wait to weeks- to rule out any other reasons (i.e. sickness, developmental leaps, etc).
  • Must make sure your child’s age is right. For instance, If your child is only 11 months old, they’re likely not going to be ready to drop to one nap. 

• If you’ve waited a full 5 days and the regression is still happening- get in touch with us! Generally though, after around 5-7 days you’ll notice that things have gotten drastically better.
  • Oftentimes, people don’t realize that it takes a few days for your child to adjust to the new scheduling. Just be consistent and know that everything takes some time (usually a minimum of 5 days) for your child to adjust!

Rachel Bascom
Rachel is a mother of two and the Roo Family baby and toddler sleep consultant. She is certified through the Paediatric Institute of Sleep and Parenting, recognized by the International Association of Paediatric Sleep Consultants. Through her own sleep journey with her two children she knows that sleep is important for all – kids and parents. Rachel’s methods are based in science and are gentle. She is committed to working with clients to find the best solution for their family and child.

Book a free 15 Minute Discovery with Rachel to learn more about how Roo Family can best support your family.

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