With having twins who share a room, we always need to be cautious when making changes to their sleep routine. So how did we drop from two naps to one and know it was time? Similar to how we knew when it was time to go from three to two, although slightly more challenging due to new growth and different milestones.

-It was taking longer to fall asleep and more play was happening during nap time. V was the first to experience this, but, for awhile, it wasn’t consistent. There would be a few days she would’t take a second nap–just quietly play in her room while her sister slept–and then she would go back to napping twice a day again for a few weeks. Once missing naps became a regular occurrence for weeks at a time, it was time to officially drop it.

-Bedtimes were starting to become a little difficult. Normally when the girls are put to bed, they may play for a moment, but they will fall to sleep shortly thereafter. When their bedtimes caused tears and distress, multiple nights in a row (realizing that teething or illness was not the culprit) we soon recognized that they just weren’t tired enough. They were getting too much sleep during that day.

-Ruling out sleep regression and getting outdoor time. Providing enough movement during wake periods is one way we help with sleep regression. It isn’t always a foul-proof solution as sleep regression is just a natural process of growth and development, but it does help. We also make sure they are receiving enough time outdoors as we have noticed a correlation between the two–the more time outside, the sooner they are able to fall asleep. A win-win.

-Well fed. This may seem like a no-brainer, but between nursing, eating solids, and teething there always seems to be some change to meals going on that leaves us wondering if they got enough calories. This also helps them sleep through the night because if they get all the calories they need in during the day, they are less likely to wake.

Once we observed the signs and ruled out other potential causes, it was officially time to drop the second nap.

So how long do the sleep during the day? They were taking two-2 hour naps. Now, their single nap will last anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 hours (a bit of a range, haha). They generally take quite time .5-1 hour. What’s quiet time? It’s the time they spend in their room immediately after waking from their nap. This time allows them to wake gently, play and chatter away with each other while giving me a little more work time. They will knock on the door when they are ready for me to get them. Quiet time will be what they continue to have once they are done taking naps altogether. T would take his quiet time after lunch, similar to how the girls take their nap and quiet time now.

Quiet time is a great way to encourage independence and allows us all to practice our own hobbies and interests. This is something that will continue for years to come and I’m glad that the girls already treasure this time, especially together.

When did you drop from two naps to one? Does your household have a quiet time?

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