While some sleep experts disagree about using a swing for naps or doing naps-on-the-go , most sleep consultants recommend that nursing or bottle feedings should be kept separate from your nap routine to discourage any associations between feedings and sleep. Try nursing or giving a bottle upon wakeup, instead of nursing to sleep or letting your baby nod off with the bottle.
The next transition typically happens around six to nine months, when your baby goes from three naps to two. This happens when that third nap gets pushed too late into the evening and starts to affect bedtime, or your baby might start refusing a third nap altogether.
You could allow a short catnap for a while, or start shifting the whole schedule a bit later—and stretching all the wake windows between naps—to ease the transition gradually. Nicole Johnson, the owner of The Baby Sleep Site, recommends that in the six- to nine-month range, bedtime should be around to , but may have to be as early as p.
As an example, a baby who wakes from a midday nap at p. Within two to three weeks your baby should be back on track with the new schedule, though some babies adjust quicker. Others, not so much! Avoiding overtiredness before bedtime, though, is key, because overtiredness can lead to your baby waking up more at night and having very early mornings.
You may have to invest in blackout blinds and curtains to darken the bedroom before sundown. Your baby can then make up for that lost daytime sleep and will likely sleep until their regular morning wakeup time.
Early bedtime is a constant mantra when it comes to nap transitions, especially for what is arguably one of the roughest ones: dropping from two naps to one, which can happen when your baby is anywhere from 10 to 18 months old. Going from a mid-morning and an early afternoon nap to just one in the early afternoon usually around 12 or p.
The extended wake time between the end of the single nap and a typical bedtime can be tough at first. Plus, during transitions, naps can be abbreviated, so you may only get an hour and a half nap when your child really needs a chunkier nap two to three hours to get through the rest of the day, says Pitts. An early bedtime will help you avoid sleep problems overnight. In other words, even more like a little caveman as usual!
However, it is possible that some babies are ready sooner! The key is to let your little one take the lead and pull a few levers like adjusting sleep times before dropping a nap cold turkey.
If your little one begins showing the signs below, they may be ready to drop the extra nap and transition to one. Your baby may spend a few weeks bouncing back and forth between one and two naps. If your child seems antsy, let them watch 20 minutes of a calming Sesame Street episode or a nature show no cartoons, please.
Again, if you see these signs consistently for approximately two weeks, then it may be time to transition your toddler to one nap. If your little guy switches to one nap, but then starts waking too early in the morning and seems overtired all day irritable, staring, rubbing his eyes, falling back asleep while snacking, being more clumsy, etc.
When he finally settles into a one-nap schedule, the noon nap will last a little longer, and lunch, dinner and bedtime will arrive a little earlier. Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Connect with us at customercare happiestbaby. One major indicator a baby is ready for the move, if they are able to have two longer naps in the day along with the longer wake window this shows the body's natural circadian rhythm is ready for the big change.
Another sign that your child is ready to drop their third nap is no matter what you do, that 3rd nap just won't happen. Key items you need to look out for over the course of days are:. Issues settling to sleep for a nap. Waking early from a nap.
One nap baby settles well, but unable to sleep well for other naps. Issues falling asleep at bedtime. Unable to fit the 3rd nap in for the day. Playing or rolling around for long periods of times before dozing off to sleep. Early morning rising issues. Struggling to fall back asleep in the early morning hours. How To Handle The Changes:.
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