Nap transitions

Children's schedules change constantly! Just as you think you are on to a winner and have a predictable schedule to your day, they will want to drop a nap. As frustrating as this is, it is all part of the parenting package and can be easily navigated if you know what to expect and when to expect it!

This blog can be used as a guide to nap transition. You child may be ready at a slightly different time to those mentioned by a month or so, but generally speaking the time frames for nap transition below are usually spot on. My advice is to try to stick with this to avoid dropping a nap too early.

Dropping from 4/5 to 3 naps:

At around 4-6 months your child's sleep will become more predictable and you should see those pesky and frustrating cat naps become more irregular. Blow is a sample scheule to aim for at this age to ensure they avoid overtiredness and get enough daytime sleep in:6.30am- wake up

9am- first nap- 1-2 hours

11.30am- second nap- 1-2 hours

3pm- third nap- 1-2 hours

bedtime- between 6.30 and 7pm with at least one if not 2 night feeds to be expected through the night.

You little one should be getting between 4-5 hours of daytime sleep until the 6 month mark. If you are struggling to get this much then use an early night for any lost sleep during the day.

A good thing to do at this age is to anchor your wake up time to help to regulate their circadian rhythms. I normally recommend a wake up time of around 6.30am.