How to Do 2 to 1 Nap Transition

nap transitions

May 14

The 2-1 Nap Transition can be very intimidating because it is a big leap in wake times! You are going from wake times averaging 3-4 hours to wake times in the 4-6 hour range! That can be a big adjustment for most toddlers. So it’s always good to make sure they’re actually ready for the transition rather than pushing it before they’re ready.

In this blog post about the 2-1 nap transition we will cover

2-1 nap transition signs
2-1 nap transition age
How long does 2 to 1 nap transition take
How to make the 2-1 nap transition
2-1 nap transition schedule
2-1 nap transition cold turkey
2-1 nap transition overtired
2 to 1 nap transition early waking
2-1 nap transition short nap

2-1 nap transition signs

There are common signs that your little one will show during nap transitions, so if you’ve made it through other nap transitions, you may have a good idea of when your little one is ready for the 2-1 nap transition! Remember, your child will most likely only show 2-3 of these signs!

Common Signs of 2-1 nap transition:

Naps that were previously long are now shorter
Nap refusals (usually the afternoon one)
Early morning wake ups (unexplained by things like teething, illness, etc)
Trouble at bedtime (taking a long time to fall asleep, not happy going to bed)
Maxing out awake times for their age (decreases total sleep below recommended amounts/baby is CRANKY with less sleep/more wake time)
Naps are getting too late and pushing bedtime too late (usually past 8/8:30pm— but this depends on your schedule overall; we wouldn’t want less than 10 hours of night time sleep if possible)
Unusual night wakings that weren’t happening before

2-1 Nap Transition Age

The biggest issue we see with the 2-1 nap transition is transitioning too early. According to Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, only about 17% of kids are ready for 1 nap at 12 months of age, even less if they’re younger than that. The transition typically happens around 14-15 months of age all the way up to 18-19 months of age!

A common sign of the 12 month sleep regression is the refusal of the second nap which parents can take to mean they are ready for 1 nap. This isn’t usually the case though and it’s best to continue offering it when possible.

Yes, daycares also transition littles sooner than they’re ready for one nap. This is OKAY! Do early bedtime on daycare days and keep 2 naps on the weekend until they’re ready to fully transition.

How long does 2 to 1 nap transition take

The 2-1 nap transition can take time to settle! It can take up to 4-8 weeks before you find yourself on a good nap schedule and everything feels like you’re in a good groove.

How to Make the 2-1 Nap Transition

The first step would be to look at your current schedule and collect data. Do you have room in your day for two-1 hour naps? If so, try that! A common transitional schedule (before completely going to 1 nap) looks like:

(4/4/3)

7:00am wake up

11-12:00pm nap

4-5:00pm nap

8:00pm bedtime

This works because wake times are front loaded (makes the jump to higher wake times less severe on one nap) and sleep hormones are higher at bedtime so a shorter wake time before bed is TOTALLY fine. Plus the last nap is less restorative so they’re more ready for bed, despite the lower wake time.

However, if you have already maxed out of that wake time and then you know you are ready to make the transition from 2-1 naps (along with some of the other signs stated above).

Start off by pushing the first nap to 11/11:30am and don’t cap the nap; let it go as long as 3 hours.

You can stay there for as long as that is working for you, schedule wise (ie sufficient nap, going to bed easily, sleeping well at night, no early waking).

When you do have signs of the wake time no longer working, push the nap 15 minutes later. Stop when you’re not having any issues, make changes when you are!

2-1 nap transition schedule

Being settled on one nap often looks like an average amount of wake time of 5/5 (5 hours before nap, 5 hours of wake time after nap). Or a nap happening between 12-1pm (give or take some time). Some kids don’t settle on one nap until they’re around 5.5/5! Others are settled at 4/6. You really do have to track and log sleep to know what’s working/what isn’t working.

2-1 nap transition cold turkey

Do not be afraid to go COLD TURKEY and set the nap time at 12/12:30pm! Let them have crib time after waking up, and early bedtime between 6-7 depending on the length of the nap as they adjust.

This is often the quickest way of settling into one nap (and how we’ve all basically transitioned our little ones when it was time to). I get that it can be scary though… which leads us into….

2-1 nap transition overtired

Consider using an early bedtime if necessary! A big issue with transitions is over tiredness, so do not stretch that wake time before bed over 5ish hours! 6pm bedtime is always better than an overtired baby!

Once your little one is settled on 1 nap, their nap will often start between 12-1pm and bedtime between 7-730!

The best way to prevent overtiredness is an early bedtime. I prefer the later nap with an earlier bedtime to help the transition settle and help them make up sleep from the longer wake times.

2 to 1 nap transition early waking

Yep— this is a common fallout of the transition. If they’re on the young side for the transition, you may find yourself going back and forth between 1 and 2 naps to help minimize some of the overtiredness and decrease some of the crib time they have from the early wakings. If you’re really struggling, make sure you check out this blog on early wakings!

2-1 nap transition short nap

Ideally, a single nap averages 2 hours, but could range from 1.5-3 hours. Not every kid will take long naps, but 1.5 is sufficient if that’s what they’re doing! If it’s less than an hour, I’d play around with the awake time before nap to see if more/less wake time results in a better nap. Don’t forget to try some crib hour too!

Pro-tips and final points regarding the 2-1 nap transition:

Try to not constantly change their nap time
If they take a short nap, make sure to practice crib “90” instead of crib hour (60 minutes) where we leave them for 90 minutes
Utilize an early bedtime when necessary
Have an out of crib time of 6:30-7:30am
Remember that one skipped nap doesn’t mean you need to make this transition! Look for a trend of skipping the nap most often during the week before transitioning
Sometimes you can add in a second cat nap when needed if the first nap ends before 12:30, but try to avoid doing this too often and after 1-2 weeks, I wouldn’t offer it at all
Utilize some quiet time during the afternoon to help any afternoon crankiness-- this can be a car ride, stroller ride, carrier walk, quiet play in their room with books, dim lights, etc
Meal times can be tricky around this time too! Sometimes you can do a large snack before and after the nap or you can serve lunch around 11 with a snack after the nap!
Remember this can take up to a month to “settle” into place!