Napping is a hot topic around The Baby Sleep Site®, and it’s no wonder: most of us count nap time as our favorite time of the day! Of course, naps are essential for the health and development of your baby, but don’t count yourself out — you need a little downtime during the day, too! And naps offer the perfect opportunity for you to get a little breather.
One of the most popular questions we get around here (aside from “How can I get my baby to nap longer?”) is “How many naps does my baby/toddler need each day?”
All babies are different and your baby will develop at a different pace than other babies the same age. Even twins develop at a different pace, sometimes! Just like some babies will walk first and some babies talk first, the age at which your baby will transition to fewer naps will vary, too.
Newborns and Naps
In those first few months after your baby is born, it’s best not to worry much about a napping schedule. Your baby’s brain is developing, central nervous system maturing, and sleep is organizing. As we’ve previously shared:
In the beginning, your newborn sleeps most of the time and you don’t usually have to worry too much about naps. Your newborn’s sleep schedule and patterns are highly unpredictable, usually, so it’s hard to tell if she will have 5 naps or 8 on any given day. You’ve just given birth (or partnered the birth), so as long as she sorts out the difference between day and night, you probably won’t stress too much about it unless she isn’t “sleeping like a baby.”
Once your newborn has become more social, you may begin to have more napping challenges. You may also want more predictability in your day. This won’t come easily for some babies, depending on age, but you can begin focusing on getting your baby to nap better and get on a schedule, especially if your baby won’t nap at all. No naps or short naps can lead to fussiness (for you and baby!) and make it difficult for your baby to sleep through the night.
How Many Naps Do Babies and Toddlers Need?
Here are some guidelines for how many naps your baby or toddler likely needs:
- From 1-4 months, the number of naps your baby takes will be variable but will hover around 4-5 naps per day, depending on how long his naps are and how long he can stay up between naps.
- By 3 or 4 months old, she will lean towards just 4 naps, rather than 5.
- From 5-8 months, most babies will have three naps per day (though my son had four until after 7 months). They will start to resist the fourth nap, no matter how tired they are. There are a few babies who will only have two naps at a very young age, but those naps are usually long.
- From 9-15 or 18 months, on average, your baby will nap two times a day. Although many people believe most babies can transition to one nap at 12 months, the average age is actually 15 to 18 months.
- From 18 months to 4 years, toddlers nap once a day. The age to transition away from all napping varies a lot, from 2 to 5+ years old, but the average age is between 3 and 4 years old.
Remember, these are general guidelines and all babies are different. We have seen a few 10 month olds taking just one nap while others are taking three naps, still. Your baby’s sleep needs will vary. You should also know that a nap should be at least an hour to be considered restorative, except for any third or fourth nap of the day, which are almost always catnaps of about 30-45 minutes each.
For even more nap and schedule help, check out these members-only resources, found in our VIP Members Area:
- Mastering Naps and Schedules e-Book (unlimited member access at no extra cost!)
- Custom Schedule-Maker (unlimited access – make as many schedules as you’d like! Includes meal times)
- Nap Transitions tele-seminar with Nicole Johnson
- Short Naps tele-seminar with Nicole Johnson
- How To Put Your Child on a Schedule tele-seminar with Nicole Johnson
- 5 Tips To Manage Nap Transitions [EXPANDED VIP MEMBER-ONLY VERSION]
- 5 Tips For Handling Tough Daycare Nap Schedules [EXPANDED VIP MEMBER-ONLY VERSION]
- Day-by-Day Nap Training Plan
- Downloadable Sleep/Nap Coaching Plan Workbook (learn how to create your own nap coaching plan!)
- Printable Sample Schedule Shifts Forward (great for daylight saving time changes)
Not a member? Not a problem! Join today, and you’ll receive instant access to our vast online library of sleep coaching resources.
Personalized Baby and Toddler Nap Help That Works – Guaranteed!
Don’t feel up to working on your baby or toddler’s nap challenges on your own? While our Members Area is great for DIY parents who prefer to tackle sleep challenges on their own, we know that other moms much prefer to go straight to one-on-one help. Well, good news – we offer that, and you can start getting the personal help you need TODAY!
Browse our list of consultation package options here.
Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to log in and get started right away – it’s that simple!
My Baby/Toddler Won’t Nap — Help!
Short or non-existent baby naps can be so frustrating – but you don’t have to suffer through them! We have a ton of nap resources – and one of those nap resources is our free guide, 7 Common Napping Mistakes. Are you making any of these common nap mistakes? If so, they may be the cause of your baby’s non-napping. So download your free guide today, and start putting the tips to use as early as your baby’s next nap!
Is your child a champion napper? A no-napper? Something in between? Share your story!
Baby and Toddler Sleep Resources That Work – Guaranteed!
If you are tired of wading through stacks of baby sleep books that just aren't working, if you are beyond exhausted and just can't solve your child's sleep problems on your own...then personalized sleep consulting is for you. We have been around since 2008 and invite you to tap into 10+ years of experience. Our team of expert consultants will create a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for your family and then support you through every step of implementing your plan. We encourage you to consider our personalized, one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultation packages if you want to see real, meaningful results now. Your consultation package also includes ample follow-up help, designed to help you troubleshoot problems and tweak your plan as needed.
For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
Or, join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a VIP member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part - members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!
Traci says
Thanks Emily. I can’t handle much more of her being so grumpy all the time like this. I’m wondering if she might be going through her separation anxiety stage too. She won’t let anyone else hold her, even with me in the room, and she won’t sit on her own and play with her toys. She won’t even sit in her bouncer right next to me. The only time I can get -anything- done (cleaning, cooking, relaxation time, laundry, ANYTHING) is when she naps, and I can’t get her to nap hardly at all anymore.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Traci — yes, you could definitely try using the 7 month schedule at this point. Don’t let the numbers be too limiting to you; a baby who’s 7 months 2 weeks may respond better to the 8 month schedule than the 7 month one. So feel free to experiment a little bit! 🙂
Traci says
I put my child on the six month schedule and it worked for awhile, but she’s back to being unruly again and no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get her back on her schedule again. She just turned 7 months old today. Should I try the seven month old schedule instead and see if that works better? Or should I just keep trying with the schedule we’ve already had her on in the past? About at my wits end here…Thanks!
Emily DeJeu says
@ Katelyn — thanks for sharing the specifics of your son’s “schedule” (or should I say routine?) 😉 These are bound to be helpful to other moms who find this article.
Katelyn says
I never “scheduled” naps for my son. When a baby he would nurse to sleep when tired and thus nap. He gradually stayed awake longer between naps and dropped naps on his own when needed. He dropped his second nap a week before his 1st birthday. At 22 months he still nurses down for his one nap. We follow a fairly consistent routine, but I hesitate to call it a schedule. We get up for the day around 7am. He naps 4-5 hours later for 1.5-2 hours. He goes to bed 6.5 – 8 hours after waking from his nap. He still wakes briefly a couple times a night (we co-sleep) and a quick nurse or cuddle puts him back to sleep easily.
I’ve found that the biggest influence on my son’s naps is the length of night sleep he had the night before. My son only seems to need about 12-rarely 13 hours of sleep. If 11 of those are at night, the nap that day is shorter. If night sleep is only 9.5-10 hours, then he takes a longer nap. Only very occasionally do we get an odd out of routine day that this doesn’t hold true – those are usually traveling/visitors days where the environment is quite different.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Jenny — I can hear your frustration coming through, and I completely sympathize! When you have a young infant, it can feel like you’re trapped at home all the time, since the baby seems to always be sleeping! I remember that feeling well, especially with my first.
The good news is that (most likely), your baby will start to fall into a napping rhythm of 3 naps, and then 2 naps, and then 1 nap. That happens for most babies (although not all, of course!)
If you find yourself struggling to get her napping longer, or to get her into a “napping groove,” check out our free napping guide: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/ You may find some tips and strategies in there that’ll help you. Of course, if that doesn’t offer all the help you need, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] for more options 🙂
Jenny says
My 4 month old sleeps well at night. During the day she only seems to be able to stay awake for about an hour before she gets cranky or starts yawning. She is also a catnapper sleeping about 30 mins (45 if I’m lucky) leading to 6 or more naps a day!!! She falls asleep right away so I know she really is tired. If she misses any of her naps she gets over tired and sometimes hysterical. I’ve tried to get her to sleep longer and even to have her stay up longer but she just seems to need all of these naps. I just feel like I’m stuck at home with her napping all day long.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Lindsey G. — You’re definitely not alone 🙂 Lots of moms make themselves crazy trying to figure out how to extend their babies’ naps! Have you checked out our free napping guide yet? That may have some tips/ideas that you haven’t tried yet. You can find it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
If that doesn’t provide the help you need, you could consider purchasing our napping e-book: “Mastering Naps and Schedules.” Check it out here: http://www.babynapswell.com/
Hope these resources help, Lindsay! Don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you need more guidance. Or, you can start a chat with one of our live chat operators; they’re available M-F from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST.
Lindsey G. says
My 7 month old used to take 4 naps that were only 30 minutes each. She seemed to be tired after 2 hours of being awake. A friend suggested I only give her 2 naps and it will help her sleep longer. I tried that for 5 days, but she was getting more and more tired because I would keep her up 3-4 hours between naps and she would still only sleep 30 minutes (which means she was only napping an hour a day). I am not sure how to lengthen her naps. She does sleep 11-12 hours a night without waking though, so that is wonderful!!! I just cannot get her to take good naps.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Traci — thanks for sharing your own version of the sample schedule! It’ll likely be helpful to some of our readers, to see another variation on the 6 month schedule.
In terms of what to do when your daughter’s crying at night, but seems tired — you can certainly go in and console her when she seems upset. The goal would be to not pick her up, though, and rock/feed her to sleep. That, of course, would create some associations. You may want to start off with checking/consoling often, and then gradually extend the time between visits to her room.
For your friend with the newborn, tell her to check out these two links:
10 Tips to Help Your Newborn Sleep: https://www.babysleepsite.com/newborns/newborn-sleep-baby-tips-10/
Newborn Sleep Schedules and Patterns:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/newborns/newborn-sleep-schedule-patterns/
Those are both great articles on newborn sleep, and they’re probably the closest thing we have to a newborn “schedule” 🙂