Dropping from two naps to one

This guide is general information only and isn't a substitute for medical advice. If you're concerned about your child's health, or they're unwell, please see a doctor.

The two-to-one nap transition is one of the trickiest changes of the first two years, mostly because of timing. Move too early and you get an overtired, cranky toddler; wait too long and the morning nap starts eating into night sleep. Here's how to read the signs and make the switch stick.

When it usually happens

There isn't a firm published age for this. Raising Children describes toddlers settling into a single daytime nap but doesn't pin it to a particular month. As a rough guide from sleep consultants rather than a rule, most children make the move somewhere between 14 and 18 months, with healthy children varying considerably, and earlier than about 12 months is uncommon. So if a young toddler suddenly fights the morning nap, it's often a passing regression rather than a real readiness signal. Give it a week or two before you conclude the nap is done.

Signs your toddler is ready

• They consistently refuse or take ages to fall asleep for one of the two naps.
• Taking both naps pushes bedtime late or causes early-morning waking.
• The morning nap gets longer while the afternoon nap shrinks or disappears.
• They're generally happy and coping on the days a nap is missed.

How to make the switch

Look for the pattern to hold for one to two weeks, not just a rough day or two, before committing. When you're ready, shift the single nap to early afternoon so it breaks up the day evenly.

Start the nap a bit earlier at first (late morning), then gradually push it towards 12 to 1pm over a week or so. On rough transition days, an earlier bedtime is your safety net: bringing bedtime forward a little covers the gap while your toddler adjusts.

Expect a bumpy fortnight

The change rarely happens cleanly. Some days one nap is plenty; other days your toddler clearly needs the old second sleep. It's fine to flex: offer a short catnap or an early night when they're falling apart, and hold the new pattern on the days they cope. Consistency over a couple of weeks usually settles it.

Keep the early bedtime as your safety valve throughout, since it's the simplest way to stop a short or missed nap turning into an overtired, restless night. Once the single midday nap is established, most toddlers settle into a longer, more predictable sleep that actually makes the whole day easier to plan around, so the messy fortnight is worth pushing through.

Sources

• Raising Children Network, Toddler sleep

Last updated: July 2026. Sources include Red Nose Australia and Raising Children Network where cited above. This guide is general information only. For individual concerns, see your GP or child health nurse.