Nailing Nap Time
Naps were one of the main reasons for me wanting to train in infant sleep. They blew my mind. I unashamedly found them really challenging and the amount of guidance online and variety in it, made me super confused. Like I needed that on top of being knackered.
Now every sleep coach/parent or carer will have their own views on what works when it comes to naps. No-one is right and no-one is wrong. This however is what I recommend to all parents. 3 key points when we work on naps (4+ months old). It’s very simple however takes commitment, consistency and resilience from you to see that positive and sustainable change occurs.
Our little one’s need guidance and support to nail naps sometimes. They don’t have sleep science on their side like they do at bed time and sometimes, it takes a little bit of work to get to a good place nap wise. Some little ones smash naps from the get go. They all have their own unique journey. Try not to compare.
Here are the 3 focus points I almost always focus on when working on naps.
Aim for at least 1 nap to be in their cot at home most days. Your goal is to make your little one fall in love with their own sleep space so that they want nothing more than to snooze in it when they’re sleepy. Moving most naps when at home to their cot will allow their relationship with their cot to deepen, give more quality sleep as motion (pram/car) naps, can often result in quite broken & disturbed sleep as they get older and especially for little ones who struggle with longer naps & give mum/dad some much deserved time to themselves.
Get in tune with your little one’s wake windows & sleepy cues. Watch your little one at nap time & look for the tell tale signs that they are getting sleepy. They may be very subtle however they will be a powerful tool in helping you nail nap/bed times. You will find multiple wake window guides online (download my Wake Window guide here), use these as a guide, not mandatory, to get to your little one’s unique wake windows. Doing this right takes time and effort. It will pay off and there is no Instagram post or book that will guide you any better than your baby.
Maximise Wake Periods. Little one’s are constantly going through developmental changes & in turn, often require more “active time” during the day to help practice & learn all of their new skills. Not having enough playtime/time to explore their new skills can make naps challenging as they have not used up enough energy/built up enough sleep pressure (the only driving force for naps) to go to sleep. Use playtime to your advantage when wanting to encourage day sleep.
