If your baby is taking short naps, it’s hard to have time to do chores, never mind get some me-time for parents! Today, I’m sharing three ways you can help your baby nap longer — so you can get some downtime to do what you have to do, or what you want to do!
1. Watch the Wake Windows and Baby’s Schedule
One of the most important factors in helping your baby take longer naps is to make sure you are putting your baby down for sleep when they are tired, but not TOO tired. Being over-tired can make it harder for many babies to fall asleep and, more importantly, stay asleep. Therefore, finding the right baby schedule is an important piece of the puzzle. Even if you don’t want a rigid schedule, just having an idea about when your baby should sleep can do wonders for their sleep! In fact, many babies sleep best based on their wake windows, not the clock.
Depending on your baby’s age, they need 2-4 hours of daytime sleep, on average. And, at naptime, a baby’s sleep cycle is around 30-45 minutes long. If your baby can’t go into another sleep cycle, this routinely leads to short naps.
Having realistic expectations is also essential. Some parents believe their baby should be taking multiple 2-3-hour naps, but that isn’t the case for all babies. Depending on the age of your baby, they may only sleep 2-3 hours the entire day. In fact, if your baby sleeps too much during the day, you may have nighttime sleep problems — so be cautious.
2. Don’t Rush to Your Baby
One thing that surprises parents is that when a baby wakes up after a short catnap, they want to go back to sleep. Parents sometimes rush in too quickly to get their baby up. If your baby wakes up fussing or crying, that is a clear signal they likely need another sleep cycle. On the other hand, keep in mind that it might take 5-10 minutes for your baby to go back to sleep, even if they are cooing and playful. So, one technique is simply to try not to rush into the room right away if you are confident your baby needs a longer nap. Oftentimes, waiting just 4-5 minutes can make a big difference in short naps … and help your baby take longer ones.
3. Help Your Baby Sleep Independently
A common reason babies take short naps is that they don’t know how to sleep! In other words, if babies “need” a parent’s help to fall asleep, such as rocking or feeding to sleep, they may not know how to go into their next sleep cycle. This means that they can’t go back to sleep.
The first step you can do to help your baby sleep without your help is to create a sleep routine for naptime. Many parents have bedtime routines, but they don’t realize a routine around nap time can also help. The routine can be a short five minutes that includes closing the blinds, reading a book, rocking them for a few minutes, and then putting them down. Ideally, you put them down drowsy but awake, so they can fall asleep the rest of the way the same way they will after their sleep cycles. Some babies will need gentle sleep training to help them learn how to fall asleep without your help. While sleep training sometimes has a negative connotation, in my 15+ years as a pediatric sleep consultant, I’ve seen many families successfully teach their babies to sleep better using gentle methods.
To help your baby nap better, you’ll want to concentrate on routine, schedule, and independent sleep the most. Also, learn 7 Common Napping Mistakes and avoid them. With your dedication and consistency, your baby will nap longer in no time!
Nicole Johnson is a married mother of two wonderful boys and owner of The Baby Sleep Site. When her eldest son was born, he had many sleep problems – he would wake every one or two hours, all night long! She got busy and thoroughly researched literature and scientific reports until she became an expert in sleep methods, scheduling routines, baby developmental needs, and more. She overcame her son’s sleeping issues in a way that matched her own parenting style, and knew it was her mission to help other tired parents “find their child’s sleep”. If you have your own sleep issues, Nicole and her team at The Baby Sleep Site® can help! Download the popular free guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night, to get started today.
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