Daytime sleep is one of the most underappreciated pillars of infant health and development. Naps are not simply a convenient break for parents—they are biologically necessary periods during which the infant brain consolidates the learning and experiences of the day, grows, and restores. Getting naps right (or at least workable) can transform both the baby’s mood and the parent’s ability to function.
But “nap training” is a term that trips people up. It sounds like a rigid process with a set protocol, and it isn’t—or at least, it doesn’t have to be. A better frame is understanding how nap needs change across the first two years and building a supportive environment for daytime sleep at each stage.
How Nap Needs Change by Age
Infant sleep needs—and nap structure—change dramatically in the first year. Understanding these shifts prevents parents from expecting a three-month-old to nap like a nine-month-old, and vice versa.
Newborns (0–3 months)
Newborns sleep a total of fourteen to seventeen hours per day, distributed across multiple short sleep periods. They do not have established circadian rhythms yet and cannot stay awake for more than forty-five to ninety minutes at a stretch. Naps in this stage are irregular, frequent (four to six per day), and often short. Do not try to schedule newborn naps—simply watch for sleepy cues and respond promptly. Our newborn essentials section covers the basics of the early weeks in helpful detail.
3–6 Months
By three months, most babies are taking three to four naps per day. A loose rhythm starts to emerge—typically a longer morning nap, an afternoon nap, and one or two shorter late-afternoon catnaps. Total daytime sleep is usually four to five hours. This is also when the difference between day and night becomes clearer and nighttime sleep consolidates somewhat. Our sleep routines section has guidance on building a sustainable sleep structure at this age.
6–9 Months
Around six months, many babies transition to two naps per day—a morning nap and an afternoon nap. Total daytime sleep is typically three to four hours. The two-nap schedule is often the most stable and predictable phase of infant napping, and many parents find this the easiest stage to work with. Awake windows at this age are usually two to three hours.
9–15 Months
The transition from two naps to one typically happens somewhere between twelve and eighteen months, though some babies do it as early as ten or eleven months. Signs of readiness include consistently fighting one of the two naps, taking a very long time to fall asleep at one of them, or early morning waking. This transition is notoriously disruptive—the one-nap schedule is often too short at first, leading to an overtired baby. A bridging strategy (temporarily moving the nap later and earlier bedtime) can help during the adjustment. The MedlinePlus newborn and infant care guide provides background on sleep development in the first year.
15 Months and Beyond
Most toddlers nap once per day until somewhere between two and four years of age. The length of this single nap varies—anywhere from sixty minutes to three hours is normal at this age. Dropping the last nap is one of the trickiest transitions in toddlerhood and often requires an earlier bedtime to compensate. The NICHD infant care resource covers sleep needs across the infant and toddler stages.
Signs That a Baby Is Ready to Drop a Nap
Forcing a nap transition before the baby is ready leads to overtiredness and worse sleep overall. Look for these consistent signs before making any nap changes:
- Consistently fighting a nap for two or more weeks
- Taking forty-five or more minutes to fall asleep at one nap
- Starting to wake earlier in the morning after the nap change begins
- Nap resistance coinciding with no other developmental disruptions (illness, travel, teething)
One week of nap fighting does not a transition make. Babies go through phases—teething, developmental leaps, illness—that temporarily disrupt sleep without signaling a permanent readiness for a nap drop. Give any apparent change at least two consistent weeks before acting on it.
Supporting Good Naps: Environment and Routine
The environment in which your baby naps significantly affects both how easily they fall asleep and how long they stay asleep. A few key factors:
Darkness: Even during the day, a dark or dim nap environment helps. The brain associates light with wakefulness; reducing light cues helps the baby stay in sleep mode. Blackout curtains are a worthwhile investment.
White noise: A consistent white noise machine at a safe volume (around 50 decibels, positioned away from the baby’s head) reduces the impact of household sounds that might cause early waking. This is particularly useful in city apartments where street noise is a constant. Some city families also find it worth checking the quality of their tap water around the same time they optimize their home sleep environment—a step that seems unrelated but reflects the same attention to a healthy home. For example, some Queens families have asked: how do I get my drinking water tested for lead? This concern about getting their Queens drinking water tested for lead is part of a broader picture of creating a safe, healthy environment for their baby to sleep and thrive in.
Consistent pre-nap routine: Even a brief three-to-five-minute wind-down before a nap—a song, a short cuddle, a diaper check, lights dimmed—signals to the baby that sleep is coming. This is especially important for naps that occur outside the home; a consistent pre-nap routine cues the baby to sleep regardless of location.
Temperature: A slightly cool room (68–72°F) supports better sleep onset and longer sleep periods. Avoid overdressing for sleep—a sleep sack rated appropriately for the room temperature is usually sufficient.
Nap Training Methods: What Actually Works
If a baby has a strong sleep association (nurse to sleep, rocked to sleep) and naps are consistently short (the dreaded forty-five-minute nap), parents sometimes want to “train” for longer, more independent naps. A few approaches exist:
Gradual retreat: Slowly reduce your presence during the nap transition over several days. If you currently hold the baby to sleep, move to rocking in the crib, then patting, then sitting nearby, then leaving the room. This is slower but gentler.
Extinction nap training: Allowing the baby to self-settle for naps after a brief routine. This tends to work faster but requires parental consistency and a baby who is developmentally ready (typically four months and older). It is not appropriate for newborns.
Scheduled awake windows: Structuring nap timing based on awake window research rather than the clock often produces better results than a fixed schedule. Our baby development resources help you understand what is appropriate at each developmental stage. Our postpartum emotions section also addresses the parental exhaustion that makes nap challenges feel particularly overwhelming. Visit our FAQ for common questions about nap training and sleep schedules. The MedlinePlus guide to good sleep provides broader context on healthy sleep across the lifespan that informs infant sleep research.
However you approach nap training, consistency is the single most important variable. Whatever method you choose, maintain it across at least seven to ten days before evaluating its effectiveness. Changing approaches every two days prevents any method from gaining traction.
Good naps grow good nights. When daytime sleep is well-supported, night sleep often improves in parallel. The investment in understanding and supporting your baby’s nap needs is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for the whole family’s wellbeing.