Your baby changes quickly in its first year of life. And the sleep rhythm changes with it. This also means that your baby will gradually take fewer naps during the day and remain awake for longer periods. But how do you know if your baby is ready to transition from 3 to 2 naps a day? This article will bring you up to date on this topic!
Your baby's nap schedule: from 3 to 2 naps
When is your baby ready to transition from 3 to 2 naps? This is different for every child. Most babies start showing signs of being ready around the age of six to eight months. Is your baby ready for that already sooner or only later? That, too, is not a problem. Every baby has his or her own sleep rhythm!
At eight months: Sleep regression throws a spanner in the works
If your baby is 8 months old, he or she may experience sleep regression. That’s because of a big developmental leap! Suddenly, your child experiences separation anxiety and does not want to sleep when you are not around. Or is that a sign that your child is ready to do with one nap less per day? This period can be very confusing. By the way, recognizing leaps is easy with our app! You can see exactly when a new leap is about to start and receive notifications when it is time. This will let you know exactly where you and your baby stand.
How do you know when your child can do with one nap less per day?
The big leap at the age of eight months can throw a real spanner into the works. But how do you know if it is time for your baby to transition from 3 to 2 naps a day? What are signals?
- The sleep rhythm you were used to is starting to change
- The third nap is getting shorter and shorter, or otherwise, your baby may have problems falling asleep.
- The first two naps get longer
- It’s harder to get your baby to fall asleep on time at night
How do you know if your baby still needs that third nap?
Once your baby is six to nine months old, you might think it is time to transition from 3 to 2 naps. Of course, that may be the case, but there are also signs that your baby is just not ready, such as:
- Your baby is not yet able to sleep through the night.
- Your baby is still enjoying his or her third daytime nap.
- Your baby is in the leap at the age of eight months.
Transitioning from 3 to 2 naps: How to go about it?
Have you noticed that your child is ready to adjust their sleeping pattern and is ready to do without a nap less per day? Then the following question comes to mind: How do you go about it? We will gladly provide some tips.
- Gradually phase out the last nap in the afternoon. Sometimes your child will still need an afternoon nap, at other times not. Be flexible and don’t expect to achieve it in one easy shot. It may still take a few weeks!
- Make sure the nap before the actual third nap is the longest one. This way, the time between this nap and evening bedtime will be shorter and your baby will be able to cope better. This could be a nap of about two hours, as opposed to the morning nap, which should normally last for one to one and a half hours.
- Put your child to bed earlier in the evening. Your baby will probably become tired sooner, and that’s not a bad thing at all!
- Make sure you also have a sleep ritual for the daytime naps. Read a story, sing a song or do something else that fits your rhythm.
Tip: Download our app and join the discussion in the forum on this topic! Here you will find countless other parents sharing tips and their experience as regards the transition from 3 to 2 daytime naps. And of course also about all the other things you experience as a parent. Ideal!
