Nap Transitions: How to know when your baby is ready to drop a nap

Nap transitions are one of those stages of baby sleep that can feel both inevitable and so confusing (and let's be honest, sometimes frustrating). One day everything is humming along, and the next day naps are a battle, bedtime is pushed later, and everyone feels off. Many parents assume something is “wrong,” when in reality, their baby may simply be growing out of their current schedule.

What’s important to remember is that nap transitions are a normal part of development. They don’t mean you’ve done anything incorrectly, and they don’t need to feel chaotic or rushed. With a little understanding and patience, you can move through them with confidence rather than stress.

Why Nap Transitions Should Be Readiness Based

One of the biggest misconceptions about sleep is that naps should be dropped strictly by age. In reality, babies don’t read calendars, and their sleep needs don’t shift on a fixed timeline. Some babies are ready to drop a nap earlier, others later, and both are completely within the range of normal. Case in point: my youngest baby transitioned to 1 nap at 14 months, while my twins didn't show readiness and transition to one nap until closer to 20 months old. As you can see, there's a wide range of normal even with siblings.

When working with famlies I ncourage parents to focus on readiness rather than rushing the process. Forcing a nap transition before your baby is truly ready can backfire, leading to overtiredness, crankiness, night wakings, early mornings, split nights and all kinds of disruption. On the flip side, holding onto a nap too long can also also create this same set of sleep issues. The sweet spot lies in reading your baby’s cues and responding thoughtfully.

The 5 Key Signs Your Baby May Be Ready to Drop a Nap

To make this easier, I created the “5 Signs Your Baby Is Ready to Drop a Nap” graphic as a simple guide for parents. These signs don’t mean you must drop a nap immediately, but they do signal that a transition may be on the horizon.

If your baby begins resisting their usual nap or skipping it entirely, that can be one of the first indicators that their sleep needs are shifting. A nap that used to be reliable suddenly becomes a struggle, even when nothing else has changed in your routine.

You may also notice that naps are consistently shorter, even when you’re using age-appropriate wake windows. If your baby used to take long, restorative naps and now they’re regularly waking after 30 to 45 minutes, it can be a sign that their daytime sleep needs are decreasing.

Bedtime behavior can also offer clues. If your baby is suddenly taking much longer to fall asleep at night, or bedtime keeps creeping later despite your best efforts, it may mean they’re getting too much daytime sleep. Longer wind-downs and more bedtime battles often point to this imbalance.

Night sleep itself may begin to feel disrupted. Fragmented nights, frequent wakings, or split nights where your baby is wide awake for a stretch in the middle of the night are common when a schedule is mistimed around a nap transition.

Finally, you might start seeing earlier morning wake-ups become a pattern. When your baby’s total sleep needs are changing, their internal clock can shift, leading to those early mornings that feel far too early for everyone involved.

What to Do When You See These Signs

Seeing these signs doesn’t mean you should abruptly eliminate a nap. A gentle first step is often to cap one of the naps slightly, rather than dropping it completely. You might also lengthen wake windows by small increments, giving your baby a bit more awake time between sleep periods. This helps build sleep pressure without pushing them into overtired territory.

It’s also important to stay consistent with your routine during this time. Babies thrive on predictability, especially when their sleep is in flux. Keeping wind-downs, sleep environment, and expectations consistent can make a big difference.

A Gentle Perspective on Nap Transitions

Nap transitions can feel tricky, but they are also a sign that your baby is growing and developing. Instead of seeing them as a problem to solve, try to view them as a normal evolution of sleep.

Some days will feel easier than others, and that’s okay. There may be a bit of back and forth before things fully settle. This doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that your baby is “bad at sleep.” It simply means you’re in a transition period.

If at any point you feel unsure, overwhelmed, or stuck, you don’t have to navigate this alone. My role as a sleep coach is to help you read these signs, fine-tune your schedule, and guide you through transitions with clarity and confidence.

Because when naps work, everything else in your day tends to feel a little lighter, calmer, and more manageable. And that’s something every parent deserves.

If you find that you need professional help, and you are interested in working with me then complete this form to schedule a FREE 30 minutes discovery call.