Transition from Two Naps to One Nap

My girls are teething and crawling and pulling themselves up on everything and I really thought that they would want to nap more than ever, yet it seems like napping is the last thing they want to do.  We end up fighting to try to get them to get even just a little bit of a nap.  They used to take a morning and afternoon nap about 1 - 1.5 hours each.  Today we are living on the wildside and trying to go through the morning nap because they are still playing and are not fussy and try life with just 1 nap a day.  Is it too early for them to make this transition?  Should we fight the good fight and keep them napping twice a day even if it is just for a little bit?

Most children drop down to one nap a day between 12 to 15 months. These transition times are tough. If your girls get two naps they often won’t fall asleep at bedtime. If they one get a single nap they are often crabby.

I would recommend you go with the one nap a day option. On the two nap a day a schedule, our kids typically slept at 9AM and 2 PM. When you adopt a single nap a day schedule begin it after an early lunch around 11AM to noon. In the Gordon home, these naps often lasted longer (2 to 3 hours) and shifted the bedtime a little earlier.

Read all nap related questions - naps

Written December, 2010 by
Dr. Gordon, Orlando Pediatrician