The 1-0 Nap Transition
- Laura Thompson | 19th February 2021 -
Okay, so this nap transition is a tough ride but once it’s over you’re all done with the nap transitions!
0-1 Naps
The final nap transition your child will go through is the 1-0 transition. This means they will be dropping their final nap so need to be able to last all day without any sleep!
When will it happen?
This transition can happen any time after about 2.5 years of age but many children still take an occasional nap all the way up until they start school at 4 or 5 years old.
Let’s talk nap refusal …
Many parents mistakenly assume their child is ready to drop their naps far sooner than they really are! Around the 2 year mark it is really very common for there to be some nap resistance but just because they don’t want to nap doesn’t mean they don’t need to.
My daughter is now 26 months old but in the few weeks running up to her second birthday she fought naps hard! As soon as I began to talk about going upstairs to read stories she would shout ‘Nooooo! Me play!’ At this age life is all really exciting, they want to explore, learn, play and don’t want to miss out on anything. The fact they have so much going on actually means they need that nap even more though!
During that nap refusal phase continue to offer the nap every single day. You may need to offer them a little extra help to fall asleep and you may need to resort to a motion nap in the pram or car once in a while to ensure they get some rest. I did all of these things to help my daughter through! It’s exhausting, of course, but the good news is it should only last a few weeks. It really did almost feel as if a switch flipped and she started to happily run over and say ‘night night’ and give him a cuddle before coming upstairs and settling down well for her naps.
How will I know when they are ready?
Some time after 2.5 - 3 years your child may start to go the odd day here and there without a nap. On these days watch their mood carefully. If they are able to last into the afternoon and still able play independently, not become grumpy, fractious, whiny, hyper, extra silly or clumsy as the afternoon wears on they may be ready If not, it’s likely they are becoming overtired and a sleep debt is forming. When you start to see this happening I would continue to offer a nap daily as this transition takes some time.
How to handle the transition
Keep ‘no nap’ days chilled!
When your little one starts to drop their naps it can be a big adjustment for them so try to keep the afternoons fairly uneventful. This is not the time to go for a big day out as the extra stimulation is likely to tip them over the edge.
2. Use an early bedtime
Like MUCH earlier! If your child has had a ‘no nap’ day or is at the beginning stages of the transition they are missing out on up 2-3 hours of sleep. So get them to bed EARLY …. seriously!
3. Introduce Quiet Time
Your child may no longer need to sleep in the middle of the day now but they could still really benefit from some quiet time to give their body a rest. Screen free activities such as reading books, colouring, Lego or small world play are all great options. You can encourage independent quiet time too so that you still have that precious down time during the day! (Blog on implementing quiet time coming soon!)
4. Don’t panic if they suddenly take a nap again!
Children can go for months without napping and then fall asleep in the car on a day out or crash out of the sofa in the afternoon. It’s OK! If they are falling asleep it means they need the sleep so let them have it. It doesn’t mean naps are coming back for good but maybe there’s been a big life change like starting school and they need a top up. So long as you avoid long late afternoon naps it shouldn’t have too much of an impact on bedtime.
Need more help?
I have a comprehensive PDF guide to making this transition in my resource shop, including step by step how to approach the change, sample schedules and all your ‘what if’ questions answered! Take a look here
