Development

Baby Milestones 13-18 Months: Baby's Sleep Schedule

How to transition your infant from two naps a day to one

By Mindy Berry Walker, Babytalk
 
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Lately, when the 9:30 a.m. nap rolls around, your babe is wide-awake. What gives? Around 15 months, he's likely ready to go from two naps a day to just one, especially if he's sleeping through the night, says Kim West, the "Sleep Lady" and author of Good Night, Sleep Tight. Use this schedule for a fuss-free transition:

Days 1 to 3: Push his morning snooze to 11 a.m. (Host a playdate to keep him up.) Ideally, he'd rest for two hours or more.
Days 4 to 7: Each day, push naptime back 15 to 20 minutes to get closer to a noon siesta.
Days 8 to 10: Continue to push naptime back until it starts at 12:30 p.m. or 1 p.m. (soon after lunch). You don't want it to get stuck at 11 a.m., because then your toddler will be awake too long before bedtime, triggering crankiness. Four to five hours is the ideal amount of awake time between nap- and bedtime, says West. The good news: He may stay in this nap routine until he's 3 or even 4.



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