At what age do you go from two naps to one?

busydev

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 1:30 pm

well mine stopped going to sleep in the afternoon a bit over a month ago (14mo)

he just wouldnt go to sleep and would also sleep longer in the morning nap (which was still at 10/10:30 for a few weeks.

Now (just turned 15mo) he sleeps for 1.5-3 hours and is ready for his nap between 10:30 and 12.

my goal is to get it to the afternoon by the time the summer rolls around (for camp and playgroup next year)

also if he starts waking up much earlier in the morning that could be a sign (once he dropped his second nap he almost never woke up before 6:30 and for a few weeks before we would sometimes wake as early as 5.

RachaelLeah

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 1:51 pm

Didn't know about the 15 month rule - if my memory is serving me correctly, I think all my kids dropped their second nap around 12 months.

The signs were difficulty falling asleep for the second nap, difficulty going to sleep on time at night - it just seemed "too early," even though it was a normal bedtime. And waking up too early. Just got a sense from them that they didn't need all that sleep anymore.

There was a difficult transition period for a few weeks, where they were a bit tired and cranky from having to adjust to a new schedule, but the old schedule wasn't working either.

Take your cue from your baby, and what s/he seems to need.

AlwaysGrateful

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 2:00 pm

Tapuzi wrote:

The "rule" is 15 months but it could be a bit earlier or later. The main sign would be difficulty falling asleep for the second nap.

I think that people drop their kids' naps too early, imho.

Napping kids are happy. Once you drop a nap, it doesn't come back. My personal philosophy is to keep a nap for as long as you can.

My kids were taking two naps past age 2. Sure, they went through phases of having a hard time falling asleep for the second nap. But I just insisted on some quiet time, and within a few days or a week they weren't having any problems falling asleep anymore. Many of their friends did the same thing, but their parents gave in and dropped their naps...and those kids were miserable throughout the late afternoon because they were overtired. Obviously, some kids need to drop their naps earlier than mine, but...I'd say hang on to it for as long as you can.

rachel91

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 2:04 pm

It just goes naturally, by 18 months my daughter stopped, abit before that she only took the second nap occasionally, she's 2 now and naps once a day for about 1,5 hours.
It actually also depends when they go to sleep at night, I think I switched night time from 8 to 7 pm when she stopped napping.

evie

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 2:05 pm

Wahh, my 19 month old doesn't seem interested in his second nap anymore, and I'm not ready for him to give it up yet. I agree, naps are good, for Ima and baby!

Last edited by evie on Wed, Jan 23 2013, 2:18 pm; edited 1 time in total

RachaelLeah

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 2:12 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

my oldest stopped napping at all at 9 months.

Oh my goodness - that sounds like a nightmare! I wouldn't be able to handle - how did you cope?

rachel91

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 2:13 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

My baby stopped taking 2 naps around 1.

I'm thankful....my oldest stopped napping at all at 9 months.

My baby is 9 months old now and w/o his 2 naps I wouldn't survive Very Happy

baltimoremom

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 2:44 pm

at around 15/16 months my son also started skipping the second nap, he simply would just not go down or he would drink his bottle and then as soon as he was done cry to come out and as an above poster wrote before that he was waking up way to early in the morning. Now he takes one morning nap and he goes to bed early sometimes by 6:45.
We too are hoping to move the nap to about 1:00. In the afternoon now we have rest time while he drinks his afternoon bottle, at home we sit on the couch and read books at babysitting she puts him in his pack n play for 20 min and he sits and drinks and babbles.

smile22

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 3:19 pm

what time do you do the second nap?

my baby naps from 10 to 1 but when would I put him in for his second nap? he goes to sleep around 7:45

busydev

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 3:28 pm

smile22 wrote:

what time do you do the second nap?

my baby naps from 10 to 1 but when would I put him in for his second nap? he goes to sleep around 7:45

if your baby is sleeping 3 hours a day then thats all he needs (in general).

my son slept 1.5 hours at 10 and then another 1.5 at 2:30/3.

then he dropped the second nap and now sleeps on average 2 hours (sometimes 1.5 sometimes up to 3 hrs) (he is sleeping for the night by 8 and wakes up around 7 give or take 20 min)

babies drop their second nap and consolidate it into 1 nap and as they get older and need less sleep they wake up earlier from their nap.

MaBelleVie

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 3:34 pm

smile22 wrote:

he usually get tired around 4-5 but I feel like if I put him in for a nap then he wont be tired at night

How old is he?

MaBelleVie

Wed, Jan 23 2013, 3:39 pm

Three hours of napping at that age is perfect. It's pretty typical for kids to get cranky in the afternoon regardless- you can do bedtime as early as 6:30 if you think he needs it. But I wouldn't change the naps.

Shmerling

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 1:25 am

15 months?!
My kids all dropped their second nap before age 1. Actually I dropped it for them when I realized that their afternoon nap was making them stay up till 11 oclock. My 12 month old naps from 11 to 1 and then goes to sleep for the night at 7:30-8.

amother

Thu, Jan 24 2013, 6:11 am

OP here.

Wow, thanks for all the helpful replies!

My baby is nine and a half months. I happened to be chatting to someone at the park and she said her baby dropped the second nap way before this. She was like "Wow, still two naps? Mine dropped the second nap ages before she was that age!" So I got worrying that I should be encouragining mine to nap less (she isn't a great sleeper at night so I'm considering every reason why this could be!)

She has been napping one hour in the morning and two in the afternoon but for the last few days has slept longer in the morning and a little less in the afternoon so I wondered if that was a sign that I should be encouraging a change in nap schedule.

I guess I 'll just let her do her own thing and see what happens to the naps then!