Naps are precious for your baby. They also mean a little downtime for you. For the first few months of life, your little one will sleep in many short spurts throughout the day.

However, as they grow older, these multiple daytime snoozes start dropping in number. Your baby’s sleep needs will change as they grow and develop. And then they eventually hit a significant milestone in their sleep schedule, dropping to one nap a day.

When babies drop to one nap, it can be a slow process that requires some planning. But don’t worry, we have got you covered.

Read on for an expert-backed guide on when to transition to one nap and how to help your toddler adjust to one nap schedule.

Why do babies need naps?

According to Dr. Nilong Vyas (MD, Pediatrician), founder of Sleepless at NOLA, naps serve a critical function by allowing children time to process things they’ve interacted with within their environment.

For example, everything they touched, felt, heard, or saw needs to be connected with previous experiences. Neuronal connections get solidified, and their bodies grow during periods of sleep. Naps also aid your child’s brain maturation and development, memory consolidation, and cognition improvement, among other things.

As your little one grows, their sleep needs will change, and so will the number of naps they take in a day. They need to nap less frequently as their bodies can tolerate more wake time before the sleep pressure to nap increases. As your toddler starts taking one nap a day, you might wonder if they are sleeping less or their sleeping needs are getting met. 

Nap schedule for newborns

Wondering how much sleep your little one needs, exactly? We’ve compiled a chart with some general guidelines.

However, these are just averages. Every child’s sleep patterns are unique, and their sleep schedule may differ from the one below.

When do babies go to one nap?

Most babies drop to one nap between 18 to 24 months, though some might be as young as nine to 12 months.

However, since each child is unique, there’s no fixed age at which they will go to one nap.

Some toddlers ditch their morning snooze while others skip their afternoon siesta when it comes to dropping a nap.

The key is to be cognizant of the signs and trust your instincts on whether your baby is ready to transition to one nap or could still benefit from two.

Signs baby is ready to drop to one nap

Dr. Vyas advises, “If your child is consistently lying in bed up to three to five days, not sleeping and playful, after 30 minutes of trying to sleep, try dropping the nap the following day.” She further adds, “Even if a nap is dropped, it can always be brought back if needed (if a child is sick or overtired).”

Here are some other signs that may indicate your child is ready to drop a nap:

1. Bedtime keeps getting pushed later and later than their usual time. Your baby or toddler’s daytime sleep affects their nighttime sleep. Do you find them struggling to fall asleep at night? Are they energetic and wide awake at their usual bedtime? It might be an indicator to drop one of their naps, probably the late afternoon one.  

2. They resist their afternoon nap for more than a week. The key is to understand their sleep schedule and see if their naps are becoming significantly shorter. If you find that for over a week, your child has been refusing to take their afternoon naps and the lack of naps has not been making them sleep-deprived, fussy, or irritable, it might be a sign to drop a nap.

3. Your kiddo’s naps are becoming increasingly shorter. For example, if your toddler was napping for three hours and is now only napping for one to one and a half hours, try completely dropping one nap and see if they are fresh as a daisy and active throughout the day or become fussy all of a sudden.

4. Your child is suddenly waking up at the crack of dawn. Dropping a nap might be a good idea if they constantly wake up earlier than their usual time in the a.m. hours.

5. Missing naps have little to no effect. If your tot is full of energy and behaving normally, it might be a sign to switch to one nap. However, if not taking a nap makes them irritable and cranky, stick to the two naps a day schedule.

6. Your child can go for car rides early in the day and not fall asleep. Car rides are usually a cue for sleep for many babies due to constant motion, low stimulation, and steady background noise. If your child can stay awake during an early-day car ride that once guaranteed a nap, it may signal that the baby is not tired enough and that they can handle longer wake windows.

How to support the 2 to 1 nap transition?

The shift from two naps to one can feel bumpy but with a few steady adjustments, your child will settle into a new rhythm. Here’s how you can make the transition smoother and more predictable for your baby:

1. Gradually extend the morning wake window. Shift the first nap later by 15-30 minutes every few days until it falls around midday. Aim for 4-5 hours of awake time to help consolidate sleep into one longer nap without a sudden change.
2. Protect total daytime sleep. Once on one nap, allow your toddler to sleep for about 1.5-2.5 hours if possible. If naps are short, offer an earlier bedtime to prevent overtiredness.
3. Adjust bedtime as needed. During the transition, moving bedtime earlier by 30-60 minutes can help maintain overall sleep and reduce evening crankiness.
4. Keep wake time active and engaging. Use the longer morning window for outdoor play, movement, and exploration with your toddler. 
5. Stay consistent. It can take 2-4 weeks to settle into a one-nap rhythm. Keep nap timing and bedtime steady, even if some days are imperfect.
6. Maintain a calming wind-down routine. A predictable routine like reading, dim lights, gentle massage, or soothing white noise helps cue sleep and makes the transition easier.

Is my child ready to drop a nap or are they going through other changes?

Before you drop a nap, make sure you rule out other scenarios that can impact your little one’s sleep patterns, including physical changes like developmental milestones, growth spurts, teething, and sleep regressions, or significant life events such as welcoming a new sibling, starting daycare, or getting sick. 

So how can you know whether your kiddo is ready to drop a nap or just going through some other changes?

Dr. Vyas weighs in, “You will know when a baby is ready to transition when they are put down for a nap and just play in the crib for a period of time. If that happens consistently for three to five days, you can try for a one nap schedule.”

She further adds, “However, if you notice, after switching to one nap, that the child is unable to make it to bedtime without being overtired (for most kids that equate to fussiness), then go back to a two nap schedule and try again after some time.”

Sample baby nap schedule for babies

The sleep schedule that you follow for your child when they start taking one nap will depend on how old they are and whether they can stay awake during their wake windows. 

With the guidance of Dr. Vyas, we’ve put together a sample nap schedule that you can follow after your tot has transitioned to one nap:

Tips for parents during this transition

1. Gradually push the morning nap later instead of dropping one abruptly.
2. Avoid early naps or accidental on-the-go sleep to not disturb the 1 nap schedule.
3. Keep wake windows engaging with play and bonding time to make the longer stretch feel natural.
4. Use a calming pre-sleep routine to help your baby settle into the new nap rhythm.
5. If your child seems overtired, adjust bedtime earlier to maintain overall sleep health.
6. Be prepared for a mix of one nap and two nap days as your baby adjusts, especially during teething, illnesses, or other developmental changes.
7. Stay consistent with daily routines, even on harder days, to support your baby’s internal clock.

The bottom line

The move from two naps to one nap schedule is a big milestone, and like most milestones, it rarely happens overnight. Some days will feel smooth, others may feel messy, and that’s completely normal. What matters most is protecting your child’s total sleep, watching their cues, and making gradual adjustments instead of abrupt changes. And if it doesn’t feel right yet, you can always pause and try again later.

You may also like:

• The science of purple crying: Why your baby won’t stop crying even when nothing’s wrong
• Rediscovering intimacy and sex after birth: A guide for new parents
• Do babies really snore? When it’s sweet and when it’s a sign to check in

Sources:

1. Brain development in babies during nap time. NCBI. 2018. “Spotlight on daytime napping during early childhood.”
2. White noise and baby sleep. NCBI. 1990. “White noise and sleep induction.”