Daily schedule with clock for kids4/4/2024 Your baby regularly takes two naps but their naps are short and inconsistent.Your baby has gotten into a pattern of early bedtimes and therefore early wake-ups and you can’t seem to get out of the cycle.Your little one has transitioned to two naps and you want to go by the clock!. The short answer is no! If you have been following awake windows and it’s working well for you, you can absolutely keep doing so.īut here are the scenarios where I encourage parents to make the switch from solely focusing on awake windows to following a clock-based schedule: We essentially help set your little one’s circadian rhythm around the clock, and this schedule is formed around what awake windows are developmentally appropriate at your baby’s age.Īnd then they can be on a set schedule from here on out, which is amazing!ĭo I have to move to a clock-based schedule? Now, however, rather than focusing so closely on awake windows, the end goal is that you will be able to look at the clock and know that at the same time every day, your baby should be napping. Which is, in essence, a “clock-based schedule,” but your baby will certainly not be napping at the same time and for the same length each day. An “ideal” early bedtime is around 6:30 pm, though I’ve been known to put my girls down as early as 6:00/6:15 during nap transitions.įinally, one of the most exciting pieces of this 3 to 2 nap transition is you can now get your baby on a set schedule! So let’s chat about what that looks like… “When can I get my baby on a clock-based nap schedule?”Īt some point in their parenting journey, most parents ask this question – they’re craving that by-the-clock nap schedule! The answer: once they transition to two naps!!įor newborns and young babies, awake windows will dictate the entire schedule and routine of the day. This will help bridge the gap between nap and bedtime without too much overtiredness.Īs your baby adjusts to just two naps a day they will likely need an early bedtime as they’re not quite ready for wider awake windows, and/or their naps haven’t fully lengthened yet. stroller or car) and plan for a short 20-30 minute nap. There may be a few days at the beginning of the transition that you still need to offer a third little cat nap to make it to bedtime, so in that case I would plan on making it a nap on the go (i.e. The “end goal” of awake windows for a consistent two-nap schedule is 2.5 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the afternoon, and 3.5 hours in the evening, but it might take some time to get there! And we’ll dig into that more soon. It’s okay if your child can still only handle around 2.25 hours of awake time in the morning, but we want to see that afternoon awake time stretching closer to 2.75 hours or so. The most important consideration for the transition from three naps to two to be able to happen is the schedule and how much awake time your baby can handle. How to make the switch from three naps to two naps Similarly, if your little one is around 7 months old, is still taking three naps, and is napping fairly well during the day, but regularly wakes up before 6:00 am most mornings, it’s also likely time to transition to two naps, as they may not have enough built up sleep pressure to fully make it through the night!įinally, if your baby is starting to refuse that third nap, and no matter what you do you just can’t seem to make that cat nap work, it’s likely time to transition to two naps. So if you’re finding that with 3 naps bedtime is regularly getting pushed beyond 8:00 pm, it’s likely time to switch! The most common sign your baby is ready to transition to two naps is that there’s just not enough time in the day to squeeze in that third nap without pushing bedtime too late. At this age, a bedtime between 6:30-8:00 pm is ideal, and we’re looking for around 11-12 hours of nighttime sleep. Signs babies are ready to transition to two naps
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