u i d e

t i o n G
r a n s i T i m e
a p T u i e t
N o t o Q O F
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t AEL SHE PYBABY
HT A

I n R D - O

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H
AC EE
SL
Y R E Y
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Learn how to know the tell-tale

signs that your baby or toddler is
ready and how to transition or
"drop" naps!

Copyright 2020 Rcahael Shepard-Ohta of @heysleepybaby

 Nap Transition Guide
Naps can be a tricky thing to navigate for parents because every baby's daily sleep totals are so
variable.

In general, between 0-4 months, baby's naps won't have too much of a pattern. They might take some
20 minute catnaps and other naps might be over 2 hours. Some days they might take 5 naps and
other days might take 3 or 4. By 5-6 months, though, most babies are on 3-4 naps per day.

Often when we google we find charts that tell us how baby "should" be napping by a certain age, but
there are so many factors at play and each baby and family has different needs. That's why it's
important to follow your baby's cues and follow their lead when it comes to napping, especially with
transitions. Don't go by a guide that tells you an arbitrary age or stage baby needs to be in to drop a
nap. Look for these signs instead.

Key Signs Baby is Ready to Drop a Nap:

They're fighting the last nap of the day, or routinely skipping it all together
The last nap of the day takes forever to get, so bedtime continues to get later and later
There might be new patterns of interrupted night sleep, split nights, or early rising

Dropping from 3 to 2 Naps

This transition usually occurs around 8/9 mos.

You will extend the wake windows and ideally the first 2 naps will each lengthen, so bedtime can stay
relatively the same. If it's been a few days of this and the naps are not consolidating (getting longer)
then the transition could be premature. If baby can't be up for more than 2 hours without becoming
overtired, they probably aren't ready for this yet. Be flexible- 3 naps might still be necessary some
days! Especially if the first nap is short. This is a better option than the last wake window of the day
becoming too long.

Dropping from 2 to 1 Nap

This transition usually occurs between 13-18 months.

Some babies around 11/12 months may start to show some signs that they are ready, but most are not.
You can try shortening the naps instead if that's the case. Once they are resisting the second nap,
even with a capped first nap, it might be time to transition to one nap.

The first step is to move the morning nap later, very gradually, and then either brining up bedtime, or
adding a little on-the-go catnap to make it to bedtime. Once the nap has moved to midday, your
toddler should be able to make it to bedtime.
 Nap Transition Guide

Sleep Total Averages by Age (per 24 hour period)

Source: National Sleep Foundation
 Nap Transition Guide
Dropping the Nap

Most children will hang onto their nap until between 2.5-3.5 years old.

The biggest sign this is happening is that bedtime becomes later and later.

Before you drop the nap all together, you can experiment with moving it to earlier in the day. This
will create a bigger wake window and more sleep pressure to build before bedtime. If your child
won't fall asleep at the earlier time but you want to try keeping the nap, you can try capping it
before stopping it all together. Try cutting it down to an hour, or even 30-45 minutes.

Introducing Quiet Time

First and foremost is safety. Quiet time will be a bit easier if your child is still in a crib, but floor
beds or toddler beds work well too! You’ll want to be sure that the entire room is safety proofed if
you won’t be staying and supervising your child. Think about bolting heavy furniture, removing
cords/ wires, and think about things that they may be tempted to climb, jump off of, etc. It’s a
good idea to use a video monitor if you can, especially at the beginning of this new routine.

Choose the activities you’re comfortable with, and that your child will enjoy. Choose things you
know can occupy them for a while. My favorites are books because they encourage a sense of
calm and relaxation. Your child also might enjoy a basket of stuffies or dolls for pretending, or a
quiet activity like coloring, puzzles, or toy cars (nothing too flashy or that lights up or makes
noise). When you’re first starting, novelty can help get “buy in” from your child. So maybe as a
little incentive for “graduating” from naps and starting quiet time, you get them a few new books
or a new puzzle or stuffed animal. While novelty at the beginning can help, anything too exciting
will do the opposite of what you want, and will make your child too excited to rest.

Go through your nap time routine the way you normally would and around the same time. This
might mean a diaper change or trip to the potty, a cuddle or a special song, etc. Keep the lighting
dim but bright enough for them to see a book or whatever activity they have available. Maybe
leave the curtains open but don’t have any lights turned on.

PREP! Set the expectation that this is a quiet time for rest, just like nap time. Talk it through with
your child, let them know that you’ll be resting/ reading in your room too. You might even write a
social story about how it will go (I have a highlight on how to make social stories in my IG profile
or you can google!). It can be a good idea to start prepping them for this change a few days
ahead of time. However quiet time can often evolve out of nap time really gradually and
seamlessly.
 NAP TRANSITION GUIDE
Quiet Time Continued

Depending on how verbal your child is, you can even explain to them WHY our bodies need rest
to grow, play, etc.If you’re finding your child will still sleep for a little while some or most days, you
can place the basket of books/ dolls etc. in their crib or bed at nap time, go through your normal
nap routine (maybe even including their sleep sack), and see what they do.

When they wake up or before they fall asleep they might use these items but still nap for a chunk
of time as well!If you’re pretty sure they won’t be sleeping at all, decide on a set amount of time,
and consider a timer, OK-to-Wake Clock, etc. Some children might need more practice with this
than others especially if they aren’t in a crib and have the freedom to move around. They might
try to get out of their room and come looking for you. If this is your child, try to remain calm and
don’t get frustrated, and know that this can take practice like any new routine or skill. If you get
angry or upset your child will resist even more, so keeping things low-pressure is key!

It can really help to set the expectation very low to start. Use a visual timer that your child can
track, and start with just 5 minutes. Once they have a couple of successful 5-minute days in a row,
you can add a couple of minutes at a time. Remember that your child is used to falling asleep
and then seeing you pretty quickly after they wake- so this is new for them to be by themselves
for an extended period of time. Patience will pay off. If you decide to use a timer or clock, practice
showing your child what the clock will look like when quiet time is all done (i.e. “The light will turn
green and that means quiet time is all done and mommy will come get you!”).

Move bedtime up. If your child isn’t napping at all or they’re only napping for 20 or 30 minutes,
they’ll likely be very tired by their normal bedtime. It’s ok to make bedtime earlier! You might
need to move it up anywhere from 15-60 minutes (or more) depending on your child, and you’ll
likely tweak this a bit as they adjust to not napping. It’s normal for toddlers and young children to
have days where they will fall asleep (especially if in the car or stroller) during this transition, and
it’s normal for them to be extra grumpy in late afternoon for a while. It’s also to be expected that
as you shift day sleep, night sleep is also affected. This will usually be a positive shift because the
night sleep will become more consolidated with day sleep being shaved off their 24-hour total, but
overtiredness can also lead to night wakings, earlier mornings, etc. Be prepared to see these shifts
and know that you might have to play around with your schedule for a bit until you find a sweet
spot.

Lastly- just try it! Remember that this is quite a shift, and it can take a little time for new routines
to settle in with our little ones. Be patient with them and yourself, and enjoy your quiet break!
 ABOUT RACHAEL
Rachael Shepard-Ohta, of @heysleepybaby, is a certified Baby-Led Sleep &
Wellbeing Specialist. Rachael trained under the Isla-Grace certification program,
which focuses on attachment and mental health of both baby and mother. This
program also looks at sleep hollistically, searching for the root cause of sleep
issues and educating parents on what normal infant sleep looks like.

Rachael is also a Mama of 2, a Yoga Instructor, and a former Special Education

Teacher. She lives in San Francisco with her kids, husband and rescue dog, Olive.

Follow Rachael on IG @heysleepybaby 

Website: heysleepybaby.com
Email: [email protected]

Rachael offers consulting

packages starting at just
$55 and offers monthly
webinars. Email or DM
to get in touch!

Copyright 2020 Rcahael Shepard-Ohta of @heysleepybaby