Nap transitions can be a dicey stage! The hardest transition in my opinion is to go from one nap to no naps at all. Often this transition can take a long time and progress looks like two steps forward one step back. It’s important to realize that with any of the big nap transitions (2 to 1 and 1 to no nap) that it is not necessarily a linear path forward and there may be times when you need to offer your child a nap.They may need to catch up on their sleep debt or something was overstimulating during the day, whatever it might be, they clearly need rest even if they’ve dropped a nap.
The 2 biggest takeaways when it comes to nap transitions are let it be child led and don’t mistake a nap protest for not needing daytime sleep. I always recommend that kids nap until at least age 3. After that you can substitute naps for quiet time in their room!
Nap transitions should be child led, but nap protests do not necessarily mean they're ready to drop a nap!
Child Led - this is when your child shows very clear signs that they no longer need a nap. These signs are most obvious under one year old. You will notice that your baby is not only refusing to go down for a nap and fall asleep, but is also very happy and not showing any signs of being fussy or tired prior to naptime. You may see your baby rolling around and playing contentedly in their crib during a time when they used to sleep for a nap.
Another sign of being child led is when you notice that they will not fall asleep at bedtime or they are waking up super early in the morning. This just means that they are getting all the sleep that they need during the day and they don’t have the sleep pressure at bedtime to be able to fall asleep. When they’re all caught up on sleep they are also going to wake up earlier!
Nap Protests - you will most likely see this after a morning at school, a big activity, when they went to bed late the night before, or are getting down late for a nap. Their little brains are in overdrive from stimulation and not getting enough sleep! And as crazy as it sounds, often times when kids are super tired, they cannot sleep. They are not developed enough to know how to calm and settle their thoughts and bodies when it’s time to do just that. If your child is under the age of three, this does not necessarily mean that they don’t need a nap! And their behavior as it gets closer to bedtime will likely show you that they are incapable of skipping that nap. After skipping a nap you’ll see whining, meltdowns over very little things, not listening, and possibly very hyper behavior.
They are not developed enough to know how to calm and settle their thoughts and bodies.
Try to keep your sanity and boundaries during nap protests. Say on repeat: I am the parent and know what’s best! Get through the bedtime routine, turn out the lights and let your child independently calm themselves. If it’s helpful to stay with them while they calm down, stay close by with a soft touch and simple calming phrase, but keep your interactions minimal. The key is to reduce stimulation, allow their brains to come down from all the adrenaline of protesting sleep, and get the melatonin kicking in so they can fall asleep.
Pro tip - when dropping a nap, make sure to adjust bedtime! Their bodies are still learning to get through the day without that nap, so they will likely be more tired at bedtime. Move up bedtime at least 30-45 mins.
The Blueprint: Nap transitions are tough! Let dropping a nap be child led and don’t be fooled by nap protests before they are truly ready!
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