6-9 months · 4 min read
Dropping from 3 naps to 2
The signs it is time, how to stretch the windows, and how to survive the 5pm meltdown.
The three signs
The third nap starts taking 25 minutes to achieve and lasts 20 minutes. Bedtime keeps sliding later because your baby is not tired. Or the third nap ends after 4pm and bedtime becomes a fight.
When two of those three show up for more than a week, you are ready to drop to two naps - usually somewhere between 6 and 8 months.
How to stretch the windows
Add 15 minutes to the first window every three or four days rather than jumping straight to a 3-hour morning. Go outside, change rooms, offer a snack - novelty buys you 20 minutes more reliably than anything else.
Aim for a first nap around 9:00-9:30, a second nap around 13:00-14:00, and bedtime around 18:45-19:30.
Handling the early bedtime
During the transition, bedtime often needs to move 30-45 minutes earlier for a week or two. An overtired baby at 6:30pm will sleep better than a wired one at 7:30pm. This is temporary and it protects nights.
Stretch the morning window first. The second nap follows on its own.
Guidance only, not medical advice. Every baby is different — adjust to your baby's cues and talk to your pediatrician about any sleep concern.