When Do Infants Drop to 2 Naps?

Infants drop to 2 naps round 8 months previous, on common, although it could occur anytime between 5 and 10 months. Listed below are a couple of tricks to transition your child to 2 naps based mostly on my 10+ years of expertise as a child sleep guide.

New child infants will take 4-5 naps a day however by 5-6 months previous, most infants are taking 3 naps a day. Nevertheless, the third nap is usually a 30-45-minute catnap that can go away very quickly. Let’s speak about the very best time to drop the third nap.

When Do Infants Transition From Three Naps to Two Naps?

Nearly all infants drop to 2 naps by 9 months previous after they can deal with 2-3-hour wake home windows. A “wake window” is the period of time between sleep intervals. As well as, infants on a 2-nap schedule usually want to remain awake as much as 3 to 4 hours earlier than bedtime. This may make it tough for some infants to transition to 2 naps too younger.

When you assume your child is likely to be going by the 8 month sleep regression, it’s doable you may merely have to drop the third nap.

Indicators to Transition Child to Two Naps

There are a couple of inquiries to ask your self when deciding whether or not to offer your child two naps or three:

• Has nighttime sleep dropped to under 10 hours?
• Does your child have a break up night time a number of occasions per week?
• Is your child skipping one in every of their three naps not less than 4 occasions per week?
• Are all 3 naps immediately quick catnaps after they had been over an hour every?

Each scenario is totally different so relying on what particular points you’re having, it’s possible you’ll or might not wish to drop to 2 naps however these are good indicators it could possibly be time. We don’t anticipate to see ALL of those indicators. It’s extra prone to be only one, possibly two, of them.

In my expertise, the commonest technique to drop the third nap is to easily run out of time earlier than bedtime to slot in one other nap. Your child’s wake home windows earlier within the day have probably gotten longer and the naps themselves could also be longer. As soon as that late afternoon nap is at 5:00 or 5:30 PM, or later, it’s often time to drop it.

The way to Change to Two Naps

The large query is find out how to efficiently change to 2 naps that gained’t trigger different sleep issues!

First, be ready that every one nap transitions might be difficult and take 2-3 weeks, on common. When you’re having a tough time, it does NOT imply it’s not the proper factor to do! However, in case your child continues to be struggling after 2-3 weeks, you may wish to make some adjustments.

5 Tricks to Drop Child to Two Naps:

1. Begin growing your child’s wake home windows to 2 to 2 1/2 hours very first thing within the morning after which 2 1/2 to three hours earlier than the second nap. You may enhance their wake window by quarter-hour on daily basis or each different day.
2. Hold your child in mattress for not less than one hour to assist lengthen the nap. When you transition to 2 naps, every nap needs to be not less than 1 to 1 1/2 hours lengthy.
3. If both nap is shorter than one hour, transfer bedtime earlier however no sooner than 6:00 or 6:30 PM to protect in opposition to early waking.
4. Provide three naps a few times per week. Being on a 2-nap schedule for someday or a couple of days is one factor however on daily basis is one other. Many infants will begin to get chronically overtired over a interval of a number of days. Catch up for someday after which get again to the brand new schedule the subsequent day.

Dropping to 2 naps might be difficult so don’t anticipate it to be excellent or clean. As soon as your child has adjusted, they are going to sleep 11-12 hours at night time and 2-3 hours throughout the day, on common.

What 2-Nap Schedule Ought to You Use?

The schedule to make use of with a child who takes two naps will rely in your child’s age and the way lengthy they will comfortably keep awake between sleep intervals. Except your child is taking a 2-hour morning nap, they are going to most probably want to remain awake 2 1/2 hours earlier than the morning nap and three hours earlier than the second nap to be on a correct schedule. You should definitely try our 2-nap sleep schedule for concepts.

I hope this publish has helped you resolve when your child ought to drop to 2 naps. Dropping from 3 naps to 2 naps isn’t at all times straightforward however your child will regulate with time! You probably have any questions, we’re right here to assist!

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