Is your baby between 3 to 5 months old and you’re wondering when and how to transition from 4-to-3 naps? Then I’m glad you’re here! You’ve made it to the other side of the 4th trimester, your baby likely has their days and nights sorted out and now you’re ready to tackle some more predictable daytime sleep… but maybe your baby is protesting naps or bedtime is feeling too late for your family routine. Let’s dive a bit deeper into this first big nap transition you and your baby will encounter.
As a little disclaimer, this style 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.
What you’ll learn from this blog:
- Signs your baby is ready to drop a nap
- How to make the 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 6/6:30pm bedtime after 3 naps
- The 4th nap has been a constant struggle the last 1-2 weeks
- If they do take a 4th nap, it pushes baby’s bedtime later than what works for your family
- You are frequently considering not offering a 4th nap and just offering an early bedtime
- Unusual night wakings for your baby’s unique sleep pattern are beginning to occur
How to make the 4-to-3 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 4-to-3 naps, or any nap transition throughout baby’s life, bedtime may be as early as 6:00pm.
On a personal note, there was days that my daughter went to bed at 5:30pm some times! This worked for her sleep needs and our family lifestyle and I also had confidence in that decision.
If that doesn’t align with you and your baby’s needs, that’s perfectly ok. You’ll see a variety of bedtime suggestions in the internet world, and truthfully, some baby’s don’t thrive off an early bedtime, especially if they have low sleep needs. You can read more about recommended sleep amounts here.
Short naps (e.g. 30 minutes) are developmentally appropriate for this age group and can continue until around 6-months old. Even beyond that, if your baby takes short naps and it works for them and your family, there’s no need to disrupt that. Don’t fix what isn’t broken is a good motto to follow when analyzing your baby’s sleep!
At this age, following wake windows and following your baby’s unique sleep cues will helpful tools to guide your baby’s daytime sleep and nap schedule. Following a set schedule (or by-the-clock) isn’t always successful since nap length can be variable still.
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.
Problem solving on short nap days during the 4-to-3 transition
In the event your baby has 3 shorter naps, it’s ok to offer a quick 4th nap to help bridge them to bedtime. Cat naps are your best defence on short nap days. 20-30 minutes will be a perfect little reset for them (and you, too!) A cat nap may be a carrier nap, stroller nap, crib nap, car nap. All are great options!
Optimizing your baby’s sleep environment (e.g. darkness, sound, cool temp) can also be helpful when navigating nap difficulties. More information about sound machines can be read here.
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 4-to-3 naps for a few weeks until they are confidently on the other side of the transition. Once they are on the other side, their daytime sleep needs will be balanced across 3 naps. This may look like 1 chunky morning nap and 2 shorter naps. Or 3 equal naps. Your baby will decide what works best for them.
Pro tip: consider waking your baby around the same time each morning as you make this nap transition to help gently guide their biological clock and provide you an anchor for your new nap schedule!
Stay tuned for a future blog on the 3-to-2 transition!
Wishing you a smooth sleep journey!
Chelsea
