The transition of moving from two naps to one and then finally giving up a nap altogether can be very difficult. For a few weeks or months, until they get used to their new sleep schedule, kids can be very tired, extra sensitive, and irritable, especially in the late afternoon and early evening.
Make sure your kids get enough sleep, including daytime sleep from their naps and don't give up their naps before they are supposed to. Keep in mind that most 2 and 3 year olds won't take a nap if you give them a choice...
If you’re older toddler has given up taking naps, but then quickly falls asleep in his car seat or his fussy late in the day, then you likely let him give up his nap too soon. You might have to change the time of when you were putting him down for the nap, be more consistent in your daytime routine, or simply have some afternoon quite time if you still aren't able to get your toddler or preschool age child to take a nap and you think he needs one.
Most children switch from two naps to one between ages 12 and 24 months. Here’s how to tell if your child is ready to drop his morning nap:
When you put him down for a nap, he plays or fusses for at least 30 minutes before falling asleep. Then, he takes only a short nap.
He can go for car rides early in the day without falling asleep.
He can miss a nap and remain cheerful and energetic until his next nap, or bedtime.
He naps well for one of his naps, but totally resists the other nap.
How to move from two naps to one
Instead of thinking in terms of “dropping a nap,” it’s better to think in terms of a schedule change. In most cases, the new singular nap is really a melding of the two naps into one nap in the middle of the two previous times. Often this one nap is longer than either of the two previous naps, but not quite as long as the two combined.
The switch to one nap is rarely a one-day occurrence. Most often there will be a transition period of several weeks when your child clearly needs two naps on some days, but one nap on others. On some days you’ll have no idea if it’s a one-nap day or a two-nap day. Here are a few ways to cope during transition time:
1. Go with the Flow
Watch for your child’s sleepy signs, such as rubbing his eyes, and put him down for a nap when those indications first appear.
2. Move to one nap
Choose a single naptime that is later than the usual morning nap, but not as late as the afternoon nap. Keep your child active (and outside when possible) until about 30 minutes before the time you have chosen. Then, give your child a healthy snack and begin a wind-down period and pre-nap routine. It may help to break lunch up into two parts, serving half of his lunch before nap and half when he wakes up. For a few weeks he may be fussy or whiny that last hour or so. Just be patient as he adjusts to the new schedule.
3. Earlier bedtime
On days when a nap ends up being early in the day, move bedtime earlier by 30 minutes to an hour to minimize the length of time between nap and bedtime..
