A baby’s habits can vary from one day to the next. One of those varying changes is naps. These evolve rapidly from frequent, short newborn naps to one long nap by toddlerhood.
However, it’s not as clear-cut and simple for every single baby. That’s why it’s hard to provide a guidebook specifically for every baby when it comes to anything, especially nap time.
Let’s take a look at the key nap transitions, changes, and signs of nap changes so that you can act on them successfully.
Key nap transitions and changes
Some key nap transitions and changes typically happen age by age. However, this is really just an average and isn’t the reality for every baby.
Newborn to three months
It’s important that at this point, your baby is napping around 4-6 times a day, and usually this is anywhere between 5 and 120 minutes each.
Sleep is likely to be disorganized in its format throughout the day, so it’s good not to worry too much about it being strict in terms of a routine.
This will likely be the point at which you’re able to get a lot of things done, especially as it doesn’t require too much effort on your part
Four to six months
At this point, typically, the naps will drop to around 3 a day. These will tend to vary in length, but anywhere between 30 and 120 minutes will be expected.
Nap times will also become more regular, with a short morning nap, a long one over lunch, and a short afternoon nap. Again, these may vary depending on the baby’s current sleeping habits.
Seven to ten months
Another transition period happens between seven and ten months. There’s a transition from three naps to two naps, with the late afternoon nap dropped most likely. This leaves consistency in a morning and an afternoon nap.
Fourteen to eighteen months
For those who have been used to a couple of naps a day, transitioning down to just one nap in the day can be an adjustment. Although saying that, most babies at this age will still sleep between one and three hours, so still a good chunk of time.
Eighteen to three years
With one consistent midday nap, this will typically last around an hour and a half to three hours, give or take. Some may have a lot less of a nap, and others might enjoy their sleep a lot and sleep longer as a result.
3 years and over
Once your toddler hits the three-year mark, a lot of them tend to drop their last nap, and instead, it’s replaced with quiet time. Again, it’s good to be aware that not every child drops it immediately and might still enjoy a little snooze where possible every so often.
What are the signs of nap changes?
For first time parents or parents who’ve had another child have a longer period of time, it’s sometimes a challenge to know what typical signs to look out for when it comes to nap changes.
If your child is waking up very early, taking shorter naps, or skipping them entirely, then this is often a typical sign that a nap transition is due.
Sometimes, a resistance to sleep is often a case where a nap will soon be dropped, and nap regressions can often occur around the 4-month, 8-month, and 12-15-month mark. These often coincide with developmental milestones.
How to be successful with nap times from newborn to toddler
Following a baby nap schedule by age is the best way to help transition through the months and ensure your child is napping as they should without much hassle.
Successful nap times require the right environment and may often require trial and error to help find that sweet spot each time.
- Newborn to 4 months, aka the ‘Fourth Trimester’
At this point, it’s a good idea to follow wake times as best as you can. Keep babies awake for only forty-five to ninety minutes at a time and be flexible with your routine. It’s important to recognize that you’re not always going to get it right every time, and life often has other plans that need to work around nap times, too.
Focus on the simple pattern of feed, burp, gentle play, and then sleep. When setting up the perfect environment for the baby to sleep in, make use of white noise and keep the room dim in order to create a calm and dark space.
Swaddling and rocking are great combinations to help your baby settle.
- 4 to 12 months – Developing a structure
As you get to the development stage of four to twelve months, this is where a structure is likely to develop. Every child is different, so try not to be too hard on yourself if there’s not much of a structure to begin with.
Dropping naps will be the first step, and moving from 3-4 naps to just 2 naps by 4-6 months will be the norm. You may get to just one nap by 12-15 months.
At this point, you want to try to keep naps consistent, roughly at the same time daily. Try putting them down before the nap, awake but sleepy. This will hopefully help with self-settling.
The feeding schedule is something to factor in, too, feeding 15-30 minutes before the nap in order to prevent early waking due to hunger.
- Toddler (12+ months) – Singular naps and rest times
From twelve months, a significant shift occurs where you’re just down to the one nap, usually a long afternoon one. Once they stop napping, which tends to happen around three years old, it’s worth implementing quiet time in their room, with books or a quiet toy.
Try to maintain a strict and short nap routine. If the nap has skipped, try to move bedtime around 15-30 minutes earlier in order to avoid over-tiredness.
With these tips, you’ll hopefully navigate your baby’s naps a lot easier and more efficiently, regardless of whether it’s your firstborn or your third child.