Managing Your Baby Or Toddler’s Nap Transitions

How to tell if a nap transition is approaching 

When to drop one nap or when a nap transition is approaching, there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for: 

• Consistently waking very early in the morning 
• Taking shorter naps 
• Skipping naps altogether 
• Taking a long time to fall asleep, or wanting to play, chat or sing in the cot or bed 

It’s important to note that resisting naps could also be part of a sleep regression, so consider all the signs before deciding to proceed with a nap transition for your child. 

What happens if I dropped a nap too soon? 

In short, if you drop a nap too soon, you will have an overtired child on your hands. Overtired children can often be emotional, have tantrums, and show fussy behaviours because they are too tired to get through the longer period comfortably. 

How long do nap transitions last? 

Nap transitions can last for several weeks, although if your child is ready, it could take only a few days for them to adjust. 

Which nap transition is the hardest? 

The difficulty of each nap transition depends on whether your child is ready for it or not. If your child has good sleep foundations and is allowed to rest when they need to, the transition should be fairly smooth. Nap transitions are a natural part of your child’s development. 

Sometimes the more challenging part of a nap transition can be a change of schedule for the entire family or household. Often parents and caregivers enjoy some much-needed time during naps to either rest themselves or get some work, or life administration in order. When this time is removed it can add extra pressure. It can however open up more lifestyle freedom. 

What to do during nap transitions 

Parents and caregivers play a vital role during nap transition. Check in regularly with your child to ensure they are coping with the changes. You could also consider offering an extra nap every now and then during transition periods, should you feel your baby or toddler is struggling to stay awake comfortably.

How to get a baby through a nap transition? 

To help your baby through their nap transition, consider the following: 

• Extend wake periods gradually 
• Earlier bedtime 
• Spread out remaining naps 
• Offer an additional nap from time to time if you feel your baby or toddler isn’t coping to help ease the transition 

How to get a toddler through a nap transition? 

When your toddler drops their final nap, they may still benefit from rest time. By this time, you will likely have a good sense of your toddler’s overtired signs. If your toddler is showing signs that they are overtired, you could: 

• Offer some rest time or quiet play instead of a nap 
• Give them an earlier bedtime 
• Stick to the new routine, rather than chopping and changing