Hey- I have a question for you! Do you know the signs that your baby needs to drop a nap? It's tough sometimes to figure out the signs that your baby is showing you, and sometimes...we second-guess what our gut says! So to help you out, here are a few things to look for when it comes to dropping a nap! Sign #1: Baby is protesting a nap Is your baby protesting a nap? Specifically, the last nap of the day? Then your baby is probably needing to drop that last nap (soon-ish). Sign #2: Naps are getting shorter all of a sudden If your baby is taking 3 naps, and for example, naps 1 & 2 are over an hour, and the third nap is 30 minutes, but now nap 1 or 2 is under an hour, that's a sign that: Your baby's wake windows need to increase (add 15-20 minutes)! And then there's probably no time for your baby to have a third nap.. So what can you do? Action Step #1: Move bedtime up by 30{ish} minutes! If you haven't figured this out yet, moving bedtime up can solve a lot of sleep struggles (multiple wake-ups before midnight, early mornings, etc.) Actions #2: How to increase wake windows! The first wake window of the day tends to be the slowest to stretch, and I don't typically push for that one to stretch too quickly. {The second wake window is where the stretch happens!} Add 15-20 minutes of awake time, and see how your baby does with the added awake time. *Most wake windows stretch by 30-minutes per age group/nap transition* Signs you know it's their sweet spot:
They fall asleep in under 10-15 minutes
There's less protest/crying before falling asleep
They sleep longer than an hour
What about that last wake window? The last wake window of the day tends to be the longest of the day, and it can often be longer than what a chart will recommend. When it comes to dropping a nap, some key things to remember is:
Your baby's mid-day and end-of-day wake windows need to be longer
Their bedtime will need to be earlier
Use things like outside time, a bath, and changing up the afternoon activities to help your baby cope with the longer wake windows
Nap transitions can take 2-6 weeks!
For reference, here's a chart that outlines wake windows and typical nap transitions! {Do you have a friend that would find this helpful? Hit the little forward arrow and send it along!} Is your baby not napping well despite troubleshooting? I help families like yours every day with issues like short naps, minimal naps, or other sleep struggles. Hit reply to find out more!
Here for you,
Melody Patton
Related blogs: