Baby naps – daytime sleep tips

Baby naps - daytime sleep tips

• Do – make daytime naps a priority.

• Don’t – expect your baby to automatically fall asleep when they’re tired, often the opposite occurs and they get ‘wired’ instead.

• Do – create a napping schedule so you’re aware of your child’s general nap times.

• Don’t – expect every day to go exactly like clockwork (babies have bad days too).

• Do – watch for tired signs like yawning, rubbing the nose or eyes, pulling at the ears, etc.

• Don’t – ignore your child’s tired signs, it often means they’re ready for a nap.

• Do – have a nap time routine to cue your baby that it’s time for sleep.

• Don’t – make the routine too long (2 or 3 steps is fine).

• Do – keep an eye on the recommended time awake for your child.

• Don’t – wait until your baby is getting fussy as often that’s too late and they’re probably already overtired.

• Do – schedule baby classes around naps.

• Don’t – expect your baby to skip a nap and still enjoy the class or outing.

• Do – make sure you’re home for daytime naps around 80% of the time.

• Don’t – expect your child to get a good sleep in the car between outings/activities.

• Do – make sure the room is very dark for naps.

• Don’t – expect your baby to sleep well in a bright sunlit room.

• Do – put your baby down in their cot or bassinet awake.

• Don’t – put your baby down already asleep or you’ll find they’ll likely to wake earlier.

• Do – feed your baby when they wake up.

• Don’t – include feeds in their naptime routine.

• Do – work on nap length if your child only ever naps for less than an hour.

• Don’t – expect nap changes to happen overnight. Nap length is one of the hardest things to change, and often takes longer than night sleep to fall into place.

• Do – lie your child down for daytime naps.

• Don’t – rely on upright motion sleep, like in the car or their stroller, as this will not let them fall into the deeper restorative stages of sleep.

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