All About the Four-to-Three Nap Transition
Throughout your child’s first few years of life they are going to experience a number of sleep transitions. A sleepy newborn baby requires much more rest than a rambunctious 3 year old. The constant nap transitions and wake window adjustments can make you feel like your head is spinning and like you never quite have a handle on your child’s sleep routine.
The 4-to-3 nap transition is the beginning of these transitions. Luckily for you, this is often the easiest transition and helps your days feel less like they revolve around your child’s nap schedule. The 3 nap schedule leaves more time for you to interact and play with your little one and to leave the house without worrying about missing a nap. So how do you know when your child is ready? When should you make the switch? Here are some signs to watch out for:
Your baby is between 4-5 months old. Keep in mind that every baby is unique and may be ready for this transition at different times. 4-5 months is the average range. Babies who are sleeping better at night may be ready for this transition sooner than babies who are frequently waking at night and reliant on sleep props such as feeding or rocking to sleep. Read on for other signs to watch for.
Wake windows are about 2 hours. If your baby is able to stay awake for about 2 hours without becoming overtired, they are likely ready to move to 3 naps. At this age you should still be keeping an eye on your baby’s sleepy cues. Watch for big yawns, fussiness, and rubbing eyes. These are signs that your little one has come to the end of their wake window and is ready for a nap.
But remember to keep on eye on the clock as well. Not every little yawn or fuss means it’s time for a nap. These can also be signs of boredom! Switch up activities and stimulation in order to stretch baby another 15 minutes for a better nap.
It is starting to take more than 20 minutes to fall asleep for naps and/or naps are very short. Short naps are common at this age, but if it is starting to become a pattern then it may be time to transition. Oftentimes the final nap of the day is the one that babies will begin to protest. Rocking or contact napping may become necessary in order to achieve this final nap.
Your baby is fighting bedtime. If your baby previously went to bed without much fuss and suddenly starts to protest it may be due to lack of sleep pressure. Sleep pressure builds throughout the day and if your baby has not built enough sleep pressure they may struggle to fall asleep at bedtime. This can be a sign that it is time for longer wake windows and fewer hours of daytime sleep.
Your baby starts to experience early morning wakings and/or frequent night wakings. If your little one is suddenly waking at 5:00 am or earlier and will not go back to sleep, or if they begin waking in the night for reasons other than hunger, this again could be due to lack of sleep pressure. This is a clear sign that your baby is ready for a 3 nap schedule.
Do not assume your baby is ready for this transition after just one or two bad nights or naps. Sleep can still be quite erratic at this age. However, if you are consistently noticing these signs for 1-2 weeks then it is likely time to make the transition.
How to Make the Transition:
Your baby is showing all the signs of readiness, but how do you actually go about making this transition?
To start the transition you will begin to gradually add more awake time into your child’s day until eventually there is no more room for a 4th nap. You should do this slowly by extending the 2nd or 3rd wake window by 15 minutes. Stay there for several days and then add 15 minutes to another wake window. Making this transition slowly will allow your child to adjust to longer wake windows without becoming overtired. As mentioned earlier, this is one of the easier transitions to make because with so many naps, there are lots of opportunities for flexibility. If one nap wasn’t so great, you can make up for it with the next one or do an earlier bedtime. Below is an example of what your days might look like during this nap transition:
As you add wake time to your baby’s day, you will eventually reach the point where your baby is able to stay awake for 2 hours. Now you are ready! You can drop the 4th nap and officially move into a 3 nap routine. Keep in mind that you may go back and forth between 4 naps and 3 naps for a little while and that is ok. Short naps are still quite common at this age so a 4th nap may be necessary in order to make it to bedtime without becoming overtired. Earlier bedtimes can also be utilized during this transition. Take a peek at sample 3 nap schedules:
Tips for Success:
Early bedtimes can be quite useful during this transition. A bedtime as early as 6:00 pm may be appropriate. Oftentimes babies are more willing to accept an earlier bedtime rather than attempting a 4th nap. Keep in mind that this early bedtime is temporary - you will not be tied to such an early bedtime forever!
Short naps can be a common pitfall of this transition. In order to encourage long, restful naps, double check your child’s sleep environment. It should be pitch black, a comfortable temperature (68-72 degrees), and white noise should be utilized. It is also helpful to remove any potentially uncomfortable clothing (team no pants for naps!)
If you haven’t already done so, creating a quick 5-minute nap routine may also help your baby settle easier and sleep more soundly. A nap routine could be as simple as diaper change, sleep sack on, lights off, sound machine on, lullaby, and lay down. This consistent, repetitive routine helps signal to your baby that it is time for sleep.
At this age most babies are not yet sleep trained so you do have the option to attempt to extend a short nap in your arms. If you have been attempting to lengthen the nap for 15-20 minutes with no success, end the nap and try again at the end of your baby’s next wake window. There is no need to force long naps at this age.
Babies with independent sleep skills tend to make this transition sooner and more smoothly. Babies who are chronically overtired and reliant on a lot of sleep props may still require 4 naps at 5 months old. Teaching independent sleep skills can be the key to improving nights and lengthening naps in order to make this transition successfully.
If you are struggling with nighttime sleep, short naps, or you are ready to teach your little one independent sleep skills, book a free 15-minute sleep chat with us. We can tell you all about our sleep programs and have your little one sleeping like a champ in no time!