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Hi Pav,
It’s great to hear from you!
You’ve done such a great job navigating the 3-to-2 nap transition and moving!,
From everything you’ve described, Rohan’s sleep is actually in a really solid place—especially with those consistent 12-hour nights. Given the big changes he’s recently experienced (moving, teething, and developmental leaps like crawling), it’s completely normal for naps to be a bit unpredictable. During times of transition, babies often prioritise night sleep over naps, and it’s not uncommon for the second nap to be shorter, especially if he’s waking happy and handling his wake windows well.
Right now, the total amount of sleep he’s getting (around 14 hours in 24 hours) is within a great range, so if this current pattern is working for him and you, there’s no need to change anything. However, if you’d like to encourage a more balanced nap structure, there are a couple of things you could try.
Based on what you’ve shared, Rohan’s current nap schedule looks something like this:
- 7:00 AM – Wake-up
- 9:45/10:00 AM – First nap
- 11:30 AM – Wake
- 3:00 PM – Second nap
- 3:45 PM – Wake
- 7:00 PM – Bedtime
A more typical 2-nap schedule at this age often follows this pattern:
- 7:00 AM – Wake-up
- 9:00 AM – First nap
- 10:00/10:30 AM – Wake
- 1:00/1:30 PM – Second nap
- 2:30/3:00 PM – Wake
- 7:00 PM – Bedtime
On a two-nap schedule, wake windows typically lengthen throughout the day, often following a 2-3-4 pattern—a 2-hour wake window before the first nap, 3 hours before the second nap, and 4 hours before bedtime. You could try shifting his naps slightly to align with this rhythm and see how he responds. If you do, I’d recommend giving it at least 3 days to allow his body clock to adjust.
If you think he will struggle with these wake windows, you could try:
- Shifting his first nap slightly earlier (by about 15 minutes).
- Capping the first nap at ~45 minutes (one sleep cycle) to ensure there’s enough sleep pressure for a longer second nap.
- Scheduling the second nap around 1:00 PM, which aligns with the natural circadian dip in the early afternoon, making it easier for babies to fall asleep.
- Capping the second nap at 3:00 PM at the latest (if he sleeps that long).
If you try this approach, I’d recommend sticking with it for 3–4 days to see if it helps create a more balanced nap structure.
That said, if he’s waking happy, handling wake windows well, and continuing to sleep solidly overnight, this may simply be his natural rhythm for now. Some babies naturally prefer one long nap and one shorter one, and as long as he’s well-rested, there’s no need to force a change.
And if you’re wondering how this might affect his future transition to one nap, don’t worry! When the time comes, we’ll simply gradually shift the first nap later until it consolidates into one midday nap. His current pattern won’t make that transition any harder when the time comes.
I hope that helps!
Emma