Dropping Naps Ages {Poll Discussion Post}

For so much of your baby’s first 18 months of life, you spend time wondering if it is time to drop the nap yet. A great way to keep on top of when is best to drop the nap is to know what the average age is. It is also very helpful to know what the outliers ages were and how that worked out (for example, if a child dropped a nap months earlier than usual, did the child still sleep well for naps and night).

 

Please take a moment to answer the questions below. Doing so will help other parents now and in the future. It is very helpful for me when compiling answers if you at least number the answers you give. You can also copy the questions and answer them. If the question does not apply to you, simply put “N/A.”

 

1-What age did your baby move from 4 naps to 3 naps each day?

2-What age did your baby go from 3 naps to 2 naps each day?

3-What age did your child go from 2 naps to 1 nap each day?

4-What age did your child go from napping most days to to not napping most days (whether doing rest time instead or just not napping)?

5-What age was your child done napping consistently?

6-Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there?

5 thoughts on “Dropping Naps Ages {Poll Discussion Post}”

  1. 1-7 months2-11 months3-Still 2 naps at 18 months; not ready to drop to one.4-N/A5-N/A6-We found that what worked well for our daughter was to extend wake time incrementally until there just wasn't time for the last nap of the day. That's even working now at almost 18 months. She's now awake usually 3.75 hours for each wake time, meaning that she naps right up until lunchtime, and sometimes her evening nap goes later than is usually recommended. However, she still sleeps fine at night, so we go with it. At some point we'll have to bite the bullet and not nap before lunch and do the one nap right after lunch and make bedtime earlier, but at this point, she has not shown that she's ready for that change to happen. I think because her naps have always been 1-1.5 hours each (and now they are usually just one hour each), she is on the late side for dropping naps since she needs the sleep. If she napped longer, perhaps she would have been ready to drop earlier, if that makes sense.

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  2. 1-What age did your baby move from 4 naps to 3 naps each day? I don't remember….2-What age did your baby go from 3 naps to 2 naps each day? 8 months3-What age did your child go from 2 naps to 1 nap each day?15 months (This didn't go well. We dropped her paci and she just wouldn't nap for the morning nap anymore but her one nap was only 2 hours max, waking up crying, for months until it was consistently 3+ and waking happy)4-What age did your child go from napping most days to to not napping most days (whether doing rest time instead or just not napping)? 4-4.55-What age was your child done napping consistently? 56-Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there? My daughter struggled with naps so her nights were always longer to make up for it and it worked for us. Even when she was 3 and 4 we would do earlier bedtimes if she skipped naps because she would be overtired otherwise. This might be really off topic, but she started napping again at age 5 and we realized she was really struggling to breathe. She had a tonsillectomy and her sleep has improved so much! (no napping and no night terrors!)1-What age did your baby move from 4 naps to 3 naps each day? 12 weeks2-What age did your baby go from 3 naps to 2 naps each day? 6 months3-What age did your child go from 2 naps to 1 nap each day? 13 months – This was the best decision ever! His once consistent naps were all over the place, early waking, etc. Once we jumped to one nap, he consistently napped over 3 hours!4-What age did your child go from napping most days to to not napping most days (whether doing rest time instead or just not napping)? Still napping consistently at 35-What age was your child done napping consistently?6-Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there? If your baby's sleep is off for a few weeks, it's probably time for a change. Also, we wanted to preserve bedtime, so we probably dropped naps earlier because we were okay with earlier bedtimes for awhile.1-What age did your baby move from 4 naps to 3 naps each day?15 weeks2-What age did your baby go from 3 naps to 2 naps each day? 6 months3-What age did your child go from 2 naps to 1 nap each day? still on 2 naps at 13 months4-What age did your child go from napping most days to to not napping most days (whether doing rest time instead or just not napping)?5-What age was your child done napping consistently?6-Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there? We are in the midst of dropping to one nap at 13 months. It is definitely on the young side, but he has always dropped early and is well rested. Doing 2 naps every day makes for early mornings and a cranky baby but doing one nap for more than 2 days in a row ALSO results in early mornings and crankiness 🙂 Alternating days keeps him happy and well rested.

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  3. 1-What age did your baby move from 4 naps to 3 naps each day? I think it was between 3 and 4 months.2-What age did your baby go from 3 naps to 2 naps each day? Between 7 and 8 months.3-What age did your child go from 2 naps to 1 nap each day? N/A4-What age did your child go from napping most days to to not napping most days (whether doing rest time instead or just not napping)?N/A5-What age was your child done napping consistently? N/A6-Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there? We knew it was nearing time to drop a nap when she started to struggle against the last nap of the day. She eventually would just not go to sleep. At first her bed time would be earlier, but we would progressively lengthen her wake times to compensate. And she made up for the missing nap with the extra sleep from the early bed time.

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  4. 1-What age did your baby move from 4 naps to 3 naps each day? 3 months2-What age did your baby go from 3 naps to 2 naps each day? 6.5 months, dropped the catnap3-What age did your child go from 2 naps to 1 nap each day? 13 months4-What age did your child go from napping most days to to not napping most days (whether doing rest time instead or just not napping)? n/a5-What age was your child done napping consistently? n/a6-Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there? Waketime needed to increase because naps lengths were shortening due to undertired. As waketime increased, naps were dropped naturally because there wasn't time in the day for a nap to occur. We used Sleepwise Consulting's method of dropping to one nap, which can be found on their website. It worked seamlessly.

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  5. 1. 4 months approx. 2. Currently trying to drop nap at 8months. I think she will have successfully dropped by 8.53-5 N/A6. No real advice but interested to hear what others said. We went from 4-3 gradually as it was in the middle of leap 4 so I was happy to be getting any naps out of her. By the end of the leap she went from 4-3 with no hassle.

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