When Do Babies Drop to 2 Naps? 6 Key Signs

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Don’t you just wish babies came with an instruction manual?

I mean you bring them home from the hospital and you’re supposed to have this motherly intuition but no one really talks about how challenging it is to know what your baby actually needs.

You’ve made it through the newborn stage and your babies taking about three naps today but you’re beginning to wonder if it’s time to switch to 2 naps and drop that third nap.

Most babies dropped down to 2 naps anywhere from ages six months to 10 months.

Of course, there are always outliers and it’s important to remember that babies are not robots they are their own people with their own unique needs.

So how do you know if your child is ready to drop down to 2 naps per day?

That’s what we’re gonna chat about. I’m going to share with you some key signs to be looking for with your baby so you can decide whether or not they are actually ready to drop their third nap.

I’ve gone through this three times. We’re well out of the baby stage but I still remember how challenging those transitions can be.

Make sure you read right down to the end because I have a frequently asked question section that will also be very helpful.

When Do Babies Drop to 2 Naps? Here are Some Key Signs

So what exactly does it look like when a baby is ready to drop their third nap?

Not all babies are gonna look the same or behave in the same way so if your baby does not show any of the signs it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not ready to drop their third nap.

We will talk about that further on but for the sake of keeping things simple, these are six of the most common ways to know that your baby is ready to drop their third nap.

#1 They Stop Napping Well

Now I mentioned this with caution. The reason that I don’t want to just say to you that as soon as your baby stops sleeping well it means they need to drop their nap is because babies stop sleeping well for all sorts of reasons.

We’ve got teething, we’ve got sleep regressions, we’ve got sickness, and we’ve got the change in temperature.

There are a plethora of reasons that babies can have disrupted sleep.

So with all that said, just use this as a cautious way of going in and deciding whether or not your baby needs to drop their nap.

I would actually recommend that you use this sign along with at least one other sign in this list to really confirm if this is the issue that you’re dealing with.

However, if your baby was previously sleeping very well and taking three great naps and is all of a sudden no longer sleeping well, then it can be a sign that they are ready to drop down to 2 naps.

Short naps are a real pain but there are ways to extend them.

Caveats

Something that can happen is that they were taking nice long naps but they start to take very short cat naps that are only about 45 minutes to an hour in length. Sometimes they’re only 20 minutes to 30 minutes in length.

If this sounds like your baby then it may mean that they need to drop their third nap. Shorter naps are often a sign of needing to drop the third nap.

What else can happen is that they shorten their third nap into a cat nap.

This can be something that is totally normal. They take two long naps during the day and then one short catnap in the evening which just get them through until bedtime.

This, to me, is not a sign that your baby needs to drop their third nap.

If they are very happy with those three naps, and they are sleeping well otherwise, then I would just continue with how things are going for the time being.

However, if they are not napping well for their other naps, especially their second nap, then I would consider whether they need to drop that third nap entirely.

#2 They Stop Falling Asleep at Bedtime

Is there anything worse than getting to the end of a very long day and then having a child or a baby that just will not settle down to sleep?

If your little baby has stopped falling asleep easily at night time, then it could mean that they need to drop their third nap.

I wouldn’t jump straight into dropping that third nap just yet. First, I would see if this is a consistent thing. Wait several nights before making any changes.

If it has been at least three nights, then I would start to evaluate whether or not it’s time to transition down to 2 naps.

#3 They’re Between the Ages of 6-9 Months

Now, there are always going to be outliers so I don’t like putting a very hard and fast age range on this. However, if your child is between the ages of 6 to 9 or 10 months, then it could be time to transition down to 2 naps.

Sometimes kids need to transition down to 2 naps even when they don’t necessarily show any of the signs.

My daughter was one of these babies. She would have taken naps all day every day for a very long time if I didn’t make the decision to transition her down to fewer naps.

Sometimes as parents, we have to force the issue a little bit.

However, this isn’t really the norm but I wanted to mention it just in case you’re a baby so happens to be one of these babies.

If your baby is within this age range and showing any of the other signs listed on the blog post then it’s very likely that they are ready to transition down to 2 naps.

Related: 6-Month Baby Schedule

#4 Waking in the Night

Another sign that your baby is ready to drop their third nap, is that they start to wake up in the night.

The joy that you feel when your baby finally starts sleeping through the night is amazing!

It is so good to fall asleep in bed and wake up in the morning and not have been woken up.

However, along the way, your baby will wake up at night again for whatever reason. Sometimes it’s because they’re having too much sleep during the day.

This isn’t always going to be the case. Sometimes the cause is teething, temperature change, or sickness.

For that reason, wait several days to make sure that those aren’t the reasons that your baby is waking up at night.

Once you’ve ruled out sickness, teething, or anything else like that then you can look at transitioning from three naps down to 2.

#5 The First Two Naps are Long

Sometimes baby shows that they are ready to transition down to 2 naps when they start to elongate at least two of the naps during the day.

Sometimes what can happen is that one of the naps is particularly long while the other two are quite short.

Transitioning down to just two naps can solve this.

You end up with two nice long naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

#6 They’re Ready for Longer Wake Windows

If you find your baby just isn’t settling for their morning nap after their regular amount of awake time, then it may also be a sign that they need more awake time before that first nap.

Ultimately, this eventually leads to needing more awake time before the afternoon nap and the 3rd nap becomes an issue.

A schedule change may be necessary if your baby doesn’t need as much daytime sleep as before.

2 Nap Routine Examples

Here are a couple of 2-nap sample schedules:

7:00 AM Desired waketime
9:00 AM Nap
11:00 AM Feed
12:00 PM Solids
1:00 PM Nap
3:30 PM Feed
4:00 PM Solids
6:15 PM Bath
6:30 PM Bottle
6:45/7:00 PM Bedtime

6:45 am Wake + Bottle
8 am Breakfast
8:45 am – 10:15 am Nap #1
11 am Bottle
12 pm Lunch
12:45 pm Bottle
1 pm – 3:15 pm Nap #2
3:30 pm Bottle
5 pm Dinner
6:10 pm Bottle
6:30 pm Bath
6:45 pm Bed

Tips for Making the 3-2 Nap Transition

Understanding that your baby needs to transition down to 2 naps is one thing but knowing how to do it without a miserable, crying baby is another.

Here are some basic tips to help you with a 3 to 2 now transition.

#1 Always wait before jumping in

Make sure to rule out other things before taking away a nap. If the three naps or not the issue then you’re gonna end up with a very miserable, overtired baby.

#2 If your baby is still taking three long naps start to shorten the third nap

You can do this over a couple of weeks and gradually shorten it over time until they’re ready to drop it altogether.

#3 Gradually extend wake times

It takes time for babies to get used to staying up for longer periods of time.

It is wise to do this gradually in order to avoid a very overtired baby.

#4 Allow for an early bedtime

Babies get overtired very quickly and an overtired baby is a baby who is very difficult to get to sleep.

It is better to put your baby down for an early bedtime than to keep them up later just for the state of sticking to the schedule.

Over time they’ll be able to make it to their regular bedtime, but don’t be afraid of using an early bedtime during the transition phase.

#5 Get out of the house

Distractions are very welcome during the transition phase. Your baby may be agitated and grumpy if they’re not given good distractions. Getting out of the house and doing chores can be very helpful.

#6 Allow at least two weeks for the transition period

It can be a big change for some babies to move to a 2-nap schedule. Longer naps can take time to regulate and it’s important not to immediately switch back to a 3-nap schedule should everything not fall perfectly into place immediately.

Keep a good bedtime routine and allow for an early bedtime as much as necessary.

If your baby is still having a really hard time with their sleep patterns after two weeks then you may need to adjust baby’s sleep schedule to something of a hybrid.

Otherwise, go back to the third nap of the day being a cat nap until your baby is ready to make the switch for good.

#7 Be alert for overtiredness

Early morning wakings, night wakings, short naps, and a generally grumpy baby can all mean that your baby’s sleep needs are not being met.

Early wake-ups were a very common sign that my babies were not quite hitting the sweet spot of daytime sleep or nighttime sleep.

Don’t be afraid to let your baby have more day sleep if they’re just not coping with the change. The new schedule can wait a bit while they catch up on sleep.

Young babies who are overtired become incredibly difficult to get to sleep at all. Allow for an earlier bedtime and shorter wake times when necessary.

When Do Babies Drop to 2 Naps? FAQs

Is 6 months too young for 2 naps?

No six months is not too young for two naps. There’s a really broad range for when a baby is ready to drop down to 2 naps.

You need to know your baby and what their normal routine is. If you feel that they are ready, drop down to 2 naps and try it. If not you can always go back to having three naps.

Should a 1-year old have 2 naps?

Of my three children, two out of three of them still had two naps well into their first year. The age when a child drops from two naps to one nap varies hugely.

This is not a transition that I would encourage hurrying along with unless you’re having major sleep issues.

Which nap do babies drop first?

Overall, babies drop their fourth nap first which is usually a catnap in the evening. When we’re talking about the 3 to 2 nap transition, a baby will typically drop the evening catnap and leave the remaining two daytime naps.

What is a 2 3 4 nap schedule?

A 2-3-4 nap schedule is referring to a type of schedule where your baby wakes up and after two hours you put them down for another nap. After that nap, they’re awake for three hours before their next nap. And after that nap, it is four hours until bedtime.

This is a common routine that many parents adopt when their babies are dropping down to 2 naps.

Which nap should be longest for baby?

The nap which is longest for your baby is really up to you and what their body naturally does.

I typically found that my babies would nap the longest in the afternoon but there are definitely babies that like to have a longer nap in the morning.

Is 6 pm too early for a 7-month old bedtime?

Absolutely not. I’ve even put my babies down at 5:30 for bedtime on the days that they were really really struggling.

Final Thoughts

This nap transition can be a tricky one, but with these tips, I really hope that you’ll be set up to tackle it well informed, and with good tools.

The first two years of our babies’ lives are full of many changes and transitions. It certainly keeps us on our toes, right?

When Do Babies Drop to 2 Naps? 6 Key Signs