Nap transitions: how and when to do it

Nap transitions are a normal part of your baby or young child’s wider sleep development.  They occur when a child drops a nap, whether that is moving from three naps to two, two naps to one, or eventually from one nap to none.

While nap transitions are expected, they are only one piece of a much bigger sleep picture.  How your child sleeps at night, how long they are awake between sleeps, and how their nervous system copes with change all influence how smoothly these transitions go.

There are no exact ages for when children drop naps.  Children develop at different rates, and several factors influence timing, including nap length, bedtime, morning wake-up time, the quality of nighttime sleep, and overall wellbeing.

Common ages for nap transitions

Although timing varies from child to child, common age ranges are:

• From 3 to 2 naps: 6–9 months

• From 2 to 1 nap: 10–15 months

• From 1 to 0 naps: 2–4 years

Signs your child may be ready to drop a nap

You may notice:

• Difficulty settling for naps or naps becoming shorter.

• Earlier morning waking.

• Taking longer to settle at bedtime.

• Night waking that wasn’t previously present.

With each of these signs, look for a pattern over several days rather than an occasional off day.

If you’re recognising your child in several of these signs and things suddenly feel harder than they used to, you’re not doing anything wrong.  Nap transitions are one of the most common points where families begin to feel unsure or stuck.  You’re very welcome to book a no obligation, free discovery call if you’d like to talk through what’s happening for your child and explore whether personalised support would be helpful for your family.

How to navigate a nap transition

It is usually best to transition away from a nap gradually rather than dropping it instantly. Try reducing the length of the nap by 10–15 minutes at a time and observe how your child responds.  You may also need to adjust subsequent nap timings or bedtime as you go.

It’s also important not to assume that the nap being resisted is always the one that needs to go:

• If bedtime is being resisted, it is often the third nap that may be ready to drop.

• If an afternoon nap is being resisted, it may be the morning nap that is ready to go.

• When moving from three to two naps, aim for a morning nap and an after-lunch nap.

• When moving from two to one nap, drop the morning nap and keep a lunchtime nap.

Navigating the final nap transition

Dropping the final nap can be trickier to navigate.  The age range for this transition is wide, meaning your child may be ready at a very different age to other children.

As with earlier transitions, it is best to transition gradually.  Slowly reduce the length of this nap and on days when your child does not sleep, replace it with quiet time instead. It can also be helpful to know that this final transition is rarely linear - some days your child may need a nap, and on others they may not.

Who would benefit most from personalised support?

Personalised support can be particularly helpful if:

• Your child’s naps are unpredictable or getting shorter and bedtime has become harder.

• Night waking or early mornings have started during a transition.

• You’re unsure which nap to drop or how to adjust awake windows and bedtimes.

• You feel you’ve tried everything, but things still feel unsettled.

• You would like a calm, step-by-step plan tailored specifically to your child.

A personalised plan looks at your child’s full sleep picture and supports you through each transition so that changes feel gentler and more predictable.

Take the next step

Nap transitions can feel surprisingly challenging, even when you’re doing everything ‘right.’

If you would like calm, personalised guidance through this stage - including nap timings, and supportive sleep adjustments- you’re warmly invited to book a free discovery call. Together we can look at what’s happening for your child and create a plan that supports more settled naps, smoother bedtimes, and more predictable days.