Is Your Baby Taking Super Short Naps?

If you are struggling with super short naps then you’re reading the right article. That’s because you’re about to discover my easy three-step method for longer naps.

And the good news is that you can start trying from today!

Read on…

Step 1: Look at the routine (Aka wake windows)

Many of us don’t even realize that we need to do this step before we can even implement tips for longer naps. And that’s why a lot of people who try to jump on fixing naps end up failing – they’re simply missing this crucial step.

So, the first thing you need to do is find out recommended wake windows for your child. Wake window is the amount of time a child can be active before going down for naps. Look at the figure below:

Step 2: Look for the sleeping cues

The next thing you need to do is to make sure the child is not overtired or under tired.

When I first started with my daughter I made a lot of mistakes. And now that I’ve helped others do it, I see a lot of people tend to make the same mistakes. So let me share with you the top 3 mistakes and how to avoid them:

We believe a tired baby will nap better. - Look for the sleeping cues, if the baby is happy, calm, and has been up for a while it’s our cue to put him/her down for a nap.

We wait too long to put the baby down to bed- When the baby starts rubbing the eyes, pulling his/her ears, or starts gazing baby is getting overtired and we should put the baby down immediately.

When we put baby too early for naps, and baby has not been very active during wake time then he/she is just bored and under tired which will make naps shorter.

We feed right before putting them down for a nap. So, this works more for 4 months or older babies who try to break the association of food with sleep. For newborns also it’s recommended to have an EAT PLAY SLEEP routine.

Step 3: Prepping the environment

I still remember when I used to try to get my daughter to nap I missed this step completely, I provided her the same environment as mine. No prizes for guessing here the outcome ..haha, So do not skip this step. Set the stage for your kid’s naps the same as nighttime, follow a routine. An example of environment would look like this:

Change of diaper, Pjs
Darkroom with blackout shades
White noise machine
Cool temperature 68 to 72 F
No screen stimulation

Bonus tip: At the end of nap time duration, go to the room, open the curtain, praise the child for the nap even if he/she didn’t nap at all

And there you have it – a simple 3 -step method for longer naps. Now that you know how to get longer naps, there’s just one thing left for you to do: take action and be consistent.

So get to it, and soon you too will enjoy these sweet long naps.

- Neha B., Your Certified Pediatric Sleep Consutant

*Still needing sleep help? Consider booking a free consultation with me so we can discuss your child’s sleep struggles, and how we can make sleep happen.

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