Is your baby between 6 to 9 months old and you’re wondering when and how to transition from 3-to-2 naps? Then I’m glad you’re here! You’ve made it through the 4 month sleep regression. You rocked the 4-to-3 nap transition. Maybe you’re starting with solid foods and your baby is definitely starting to get busier and needing more stimulation to keep them entertained… but maybe your baby is now protesting their 3rd nap, taking shorter naps or bedtime is feeling too late for your family routine. Let’s dive a bit deeper into the second big nap transition you and your baby will encounter.

As a little disclaimer, this blog is meant to guide your sleep journey if you’re looking for ways to make change. If your babe is cruising on a different nap schedule for this age range and everyone is living their best life, onwards! Think of blogs like a buffet; take what you need, leave what doesn’t look good for you. Your baby has unique sleep needs that may not align with the general information shared in a blog and this is ok!

mom zipping baby sleep sack up laying in crib

What you’ll learn from this blog:

  • Signs your baby is ready to drop a nap
  • How to make the 3-to-2 nap transition smooth
  • Problem solving on short nap days
  • Next steps for solid daytime baby sleep

Signs your baby is ready to drop a nap

Besides being in an age-appropriate range for this nap transition, here are a few additional signs your baby may display when they are communicating it’s time to drop a nap.

  • Wake windows are lengthening easily and baby is happy with a bit extra awake time
  • Nap length is consolidating making it easy to make it to 6/6:30 pm bedtime after 2 naps
  • The 3rd nap has been a constant struggle the last 1-2 weeks
  • If they do take a 3rd nap, it pushes baby’s bedtime later than what works for your family
  • You are frequently considering not offering a 3rd nap and just offering an early bedtime
  • Unusual night wakings or early mornings for your baby’s unique sleep pattern are beginning to occur

baby sleeping in crib with pacifier in mouth

How to make the 3-to-2 nap  transition smooth

Dropping a nap can be tricky for many babies so if you feel like it’s a wild ride, you’re in good company. When dropping from 3-to-2 naps, or any nap transition throughout your baby’s life, bedtime may be as early as 6:00pm. 

On a personal note, during this transition, my daughter would take a micro-nap for her 3rd nap (e.g., I’d wake her after 20 minutes) and with that, it would give her a little reset but also not push bedtime to 9pm. We dabbled with 3 naps (using the micro nap) and 2 naps for a few weeks until she was more consistent and comfortable with nap length and longer awake time. Then offered 2-naps and a bit of an earlier bedtime than previous. 

For some babies, after 6-months old, nap length begins to consolidate and chunky naps may be in their repertoire. If  chunky naps are not in your baby’s repertoire, and this works for your family, then there is no reason to make a change. If your baby is not taking chunky naps, and potentially struggling with connecting sleep cycles during the day, and you’re looking to change this pattern, book a support call and let me guide you through this. 

Easy sleep tips

One way to help ‘schedule’ daytime sleep and encourage the body clock rhythm, is to wake your baby in the morning within a 30 minute range. For example, if your baby is usually waking around 6:30 am and then one day is still sleeping around 7am, it’s ok to wake them (exception to this would be if they were sick!). By striving for a more consistent wake time, your baby’s internal clock will begin to regulate and sleep can become more predictable. 

During the 3-to-2 nap transition, you can continue to follow wake windows to guide your baby’s sleep schedule. Some babies are better signallers for sleep (e.g., showing you cues they are tired), than others. By evaluating the wake window, evaluating HOW baby is falling asleep (e.g., calmly or protesting?), and evaluating how long the nap was, this can help determine if you’ve found their sweet spot. Following a set schedule (or by-the-clock) can be helpful once your baby has made the transition to 2-naps. 

The last component to consider when it comes to making a smooth transition is to evaluate how your baby is falling asleep. If your baby is being supported to sleep somehow and it’s negatively impacting their sleep (which ultimately means your sleep too), then you may consider gently guiding them to independent sleep skills. Independent sleep skills often means longer consolidated naps for many babies which will make any nap transition easier since they will have chunky daytime sleep occurring already. 

baby sleeping in crib

Problem solving on short nap days

In the event your baby has 2 shorter naps, you have options! Yay! 

  1. Offer a micro 3rd nap (e.g., maybe it’s a stroller, carrier or car nap) to help bridge them to bedtime, which will be bumped out a bit later to accommodate for the micro nap.
  2. Opt for an earlier bedtime, if you’re thinking they can push their awake time by 30 minutes to make it to 6pm, this is a reasonable choice!

Next steps for solid daytime sleep

There is no set timeline of how long the transition will take. For some babies, they may dabble in 3 or 2 naps for a few weeks until they are confidently on the other side of the transition. Once your baby is on the other side, their daytime sleep needs will be balance across 2 naps. This may look like 1 chunky morning nap and 1 shorter afternoon nap. It could also look like 1 shorter morning nap and 1 chunky afternoon nap, or it could also be 2 equal naps! Your baby will decide what works best for them.

If daytime sleep is a dumpster fire for you, check out this blog on short naps. If that doesn’t support your sleep journey  and you’re looking for guidance to chunky quality daytime sleep, book a free discovery call here to get your sleep journey started!

Stay tuned for a future blog on the big 2-to-1 nap transition – one I am currently navigating with my 17-month-old! If you have a friend with a younger babe, here’s a blog on the 4-to-3 nap transition that they may find helpful. 

Wishing you a smooth sleep journey!

Chelsea

mom with 2 young kids

Chelsea is Mom of 2 young kids and a Certified Baby Sleep Consultant supporting families within Hamilton and beyond using gentle, effective, evidence-based strategies. She has a Master’s of Professional Education and over 10 years of professional experience in parent coaching. She works collaboratively with families to empower them with the confidence and tools they need to reach their unique sleep goals. Hear what other rested families are saying about the process and Book a free call with Chelsea to discuss how she can support your family’s sleep journey. 

By Published On: October 21, 2023Categories: Baby Sleep, Naps