By Emily Pitcock, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant
If your baby has suddenly started fighting a nap they used to take easily, you are probably wondering whether it is time to drop it, and when babies drop naps in the first place. Maybe a friend’s baby the same age is already on fewer naps, or the chart you found online says your baby should have switched a month ago.
Nap transitions are one of the most confusing parts of the first 18 months, and one of the most common questions I hear from parents. In this post, I’ll walk through what the research actually shows about when each transition happens, how to tell a real transition from a rough few days, and what to expect when your toddler moves to one nap.
A nap transition is a process, not a date
As babies grow, they can comfortably stay awake for longer stretches, so their daytime sleep starts to fit into fewer naps. That shift happens gradually. In the largest study of infant naps so far, which followed more than 175,000 babies through a sleep-tracking app, the average number of naps fell from about four a day at 3 months to one a day at 18 months (Paavonen & de Bie, 2026).
What I find most reassuring about that study is how much babies varied at every single age. Two babies born the same week can be on different nap schedules and both be completely typical. The researchers concluded that this variation is exactly why families are better served by guidance tailored to their own child rather than one-size-fits-all averages. I agree. I always say to look at the baby in front of you, not the chart.
One more thing worth knowing: fewer naps does not automatically mean less sleep. In that same study, babies on fewer naps got nearly as much total daytime sleep as babies the same age on more naps. When a nap drops, the remaining naps usually get longer and make up for most of it.
When do babies drop naps? Typical ages for each transition
These are the ranges most babies fall within. Think of them as a general map, not a deadline.
| Transition | Typical age range |
|---|---|
| Random newborn naps start to follow a pattern | First 3–4 months |
| 4 naps to 3 | Around 4–6 months |
| 3 naps to 2 | Around 7–9 months |
| 2 naps to 1 | Around 12–18 months |
| 1 nap to none | Usually between ages 2 and 5 |
The early months
Newborn naps are short, frequent and unpredictable, and that is normal. Their sleep is still spread across the day and night while their internal clock develops. A recognizable rhythm usually starts to show up around 3 to 4 months. Some babies go from five naps to four around then, too.
Four naps to three
In the large app study, most babies were on three naps by 5 months, and the typical switch happened between 5 and 6 months.
I remember this one well with my third, my daughter. Dropping that fourth nap upset her whole routine. On days she skipped it, her wake windows were still pretty short, so bedtime moved up to 6:30, sometimes even 6:15, well before her usual bedtime of around 7:30 or 8. It was honestly stressful. I kept reminding myself that this was a short season. And it was. It took a couple of weeks, but she settled into her new three-nap rhythm, and we didn’t look back.
Three naps to two
In the large app study, two-thirds of babies were on two naps by 8 months, and the typical switch happened around 8½ months. Some babies drop to two naps closer to 6 months, and others hold on to a short third nap until about 9 months. Both are within the normal range.
Here is what that change can look like for a 7½-month-old whose late catnap keeps pushing bedtime later:
| Three-nap day | Two-nap day | |
|---|---|---|
| Wake up | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. |
| Nap 1 | 9:15–10:30 a.m. | 9:30–10:45 a.m. |
| Nap 2 | 1:00–2:15 p.m. | 2:00–3:30 p.m. |
| Nap 3 | 4:45–5:15 p.m. | none |
| Bedtime | 7:45 p.m. | 6:45 p.m. |
| Total daytime sleep | 3 hours | 2 hours 45 minutes |
These times are an example only, not targets. Every baby’s day looks a little different. Notice that dropping a whole nap only cost about 15 minutes of daytime sleep here, because the other two naps stretched. That matches what the large app study found for the early transitions.
Two naps to one
This is the transition with the widest range, and the one where sources disagree the most. In the large app study, about half of babies had moved to one nap by 13 months. In older data from pediatrician Dr. Marc Weissbluth, about half had switched by 15 months, and 77% by 18 months. The studies tracked different families in different ways, so it makes sense that they land a little apart. The takeaway is the same: anywhere from about 12 to 18 months is normal.
One nap to none
This one comes well after 18 months. A large review of napping studies found that fewer than 2.5% of children stop napping altogether before age 2 (Staton et al., 2020).
Ready to drop a nap, or just a rough patch?
One hard nap does not mean it is time to drop it. Babies have off days, just like we do. Before making a change, I look for a pattern that repeats over several days. Here is how I tend to tell the difference:
| More likely a real transition | More likely a temporary rough patch |
|---|---|
| Your baby resists the same nap day after day | One or two hard nap days |
| The current schedule keeps pushing bedtime later | Naps change during illness or teething |
| Your baby handles longer awake stretches and stays content | Your baby falls apart when a nap is skipped |
| The other naps are still going well | Every nap has suddenly become very short |
| Overall mood and night sleep are holding steady | Night sleep is falling apart too |
A few signs I pay particular attention to:
- Taking much longer to fall asleep. A baby who used to drift off easily and now lies awake for a long stretch at the same nap may be outgrowing it. I usually say if they are fighting a nap for about 15 minutes, just move on with the day rather than turning it into a battle.
- A nap that crowds out bedtime. When the last nap keeps pushing bedtime later and later, the day may be ready for one less nap. (If you want to understand how awake time fits into this, I walk through it in Baby Wake Windows by Age: What the Ranges Really Mean.)
- Making it to lunchtime. For the switch to one nap, a toddler who stays happy and alert through the morning and then takes one midday nap is showing readiness.
Two 8-month-olds, two different stories
Imagine Ava and Leo, both 8 months old and both suddenly fighting their third nap.
For a full week, Ava has rolled around happily in her crib for 20 minutes at her late-afternoon nap before falling asleep, if she falls asleep at all. Her bedtime has crept from 7:00 to almost 8:15. Her morning and midday naps are still going well, and she is her usual cheerful self. That is a pattern, and it looks a lot like a baby who is ready for two naps.
Leo fought his third nap on Tuesday and Wednesday. His other naps were short too, he has been drooling and chewing on everything, and he woke up more than usual overnight. That looks more like a rough couple of days, possibly a new tooth, than a transition. For Leo, I would keep his schedule the same for now and watch what the next few days bring.
When it might be something else
Early waking or night waking on their own do not prove a nap needs to go. Illness, teething, a new skill like crawling or walking, travel or a schedule that just needs a small adjustment can all look similar for a few days. If you are seeing those, these posts may help you think it through: Why Is My Baby Waking at 5 A.M.?, Baby Waking Every 2 Hours Again? and Overtired or Undertired Baby? And if every nap has suddenly gotten short, start with Why Does My Baby Only Nap for 30 Minutes?
If your baby’s naps are consistently shorter than expected, you might relate to my own experience in I Wanted a Schedule. My Baby Gave Me 36-Minute Naps.
If you are unsure, give it a little more time. When the same pattern keeps showing up, that is useful information.
Please check in with your pediatrician if sleep changes come with signs of illness, pain or feeding trouble.
The move from two naps to one
Of all the transitions, this is the one parents tend to find hardest, and there are good reasons for that.
It usually takes weeks, not days
Many toddlers bounce back and forth for a while: one nap one day, two the next. That stage often lasts several weeks. It can make planning your day feel impossible, but it is a normal part of the process. It does not mean you are doing it wrong.
Here is what a week of that back-and-forth might look like for a 14-month-old:
- Monday: One long nap after lunch and an easy bedtime. You think, “We did it.”
- Tuesday: One nap, but it ends after 50 minutes. By 4:00 p.m. they are rubbing their eyes, so you offer a short catnap or move bedtime earlier.
- Wednesday: Back to two naps, and they take both without a fight.
- Thursday and Friday: One nap each day, a little longer each time.
That zigzag is the transition. If a two-nap day comes back here and there, that is your toddler telling you they still need the extra rest on some days.
The nap moves toward midday
On two naps, babies typically sleep mid-morning and again mid-afternoon. As they shift to one nap, it usually lands around lunchtime or early afternoon. Most families find it easier to move the morning nap later bit by bit rather than dropping a nap overnight.
Some daytime sleep really does go away
With earlier transitions, the remaining naps stretch to cover most of the lost sleep. The switch to one nap is different. In the large app study, the single nap grew from about an hour to a little over an hour and a half, but it still covered only about 80% of the daytime sleep from two naps. On days when the one nap runs short, a second short nap or an earlier bedtime can help bridge the gap while your toddler adjusts.
Here is one way the days might look as a toddler moves from two naps to one:
| Two-nap day | One-nap day, early in the transition | One-nap day, once settled | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake up | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. |
| Nap | 10:15–11:15 a.m. and 2:30–3:45 p.m. | 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m. | 12:15–2:00 p.m. |
| Bedtime | 7:30 p.m. | 6:45 p.m. | 7:15 p.m. |
| Total daytime sleep | 2 hours 15 minutes | 1 hour 45 minutes | 1 hour 45 minutes |
Again, these times are an example only, not targets. An earlier nap and an earlier bedtime can make the first few weeks easier, and the nap usually drifts later as your toddler gets used to the longer morning.
Childcare can set the timing
For babies in daycare, the switch often happens when they move to a classroom with one set nap time. If your little one makes the change at daycare before they seem ready, it is okay if home days look different for a while.
Refusing the only nap rarely means it is time for no nap
A 16- to 18-month-old who suddenly fights their one nap is almost never ready to give up daytime sleep altogether. Remember, fewer than 2.5% of children stop napping before age 2. A rough stretch at this age is far more likely to be a phase, a new skill or a schedule that needs a small tweak.
You know your baby best
Charts and studies are helpful for knowing what is typical. They can’t tell you exactly what your baby needs this week. If your instinct says your baby is ready for a change, that instinct is worth listening to. And if a transition is not going the way you hoped, that does not mean you did something wrong. How your baby responds is useful information for deciding what to try next.
Sometimes it just helps to have another set of eyes. If you’re in the middle of a nap transition and can’t tell what your baby is showing you, a Sleep Clarity Session can help you make sense of your baby’s sleep and decide what to try next.
Not sure which kind of support fits? Book a free 15-minute call, and we’ll figure it out together.
Sources
- Paavonen, E. J., & de Bie, K. (2026). Circadian rhythm maturation in infancy: A large-scale analysis of sleep-wake pattern development from 3 to 18 months based on longitudinal data. Sleep Medicine, 149, 109276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2026.109276
- Staton, S., et al. (2020). Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0–12 years. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 50, 101247. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9704850/
- Weissbluth, M. (2012). Nap Facts (blog series). Dr. Weissbluth’s blog
- Dartmouth Health Children’s. Is your child ready to drop that second nap? Article
- ParentData. How do I prepare for fewer naps? Article
- Bruni, O., et al. (2014). Longitudinal study of sleep behavior in normal infants during the first year of life. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 10(10), 1119–1127. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4173090/
This post is for general education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always follow safe sleep guidelines, and talk with your pediatrician about any health concerns.
