The Short Nap Dilemma
Tired moms tell me all the time that their baby will only take 30 minute naps. Naps are crucial for your baby’s physical and mental development.
A nap that is only 30 or 40 minutes long does not let your child get “restorative” sleep. Restorative sleep allows the brain and body to repair, heal and grow.
A short nap is enough to “take the edge off” the exhaustion and give your child some rest, but it also means that they will probably be overtired for their next nap or bedtime.
So, how do we extend your child’s short naps and allow them to get some good restorative sleep?
Here are a few reasons why your little one’s nap may be short…
baby is overtired
baby is not tired enough
baby does not know how to self-soothe
the room is not dark enough
outside noises are waking baby
baby is hungry
there was no nap routine
Typically, around 4 to 6 months, your child’s naps will begin to extend a bit longer. If this isn’t happening yet, let’s take a closer look at why your baby’s naps are short!
Baby is Overtired or Baby is Not Tired Enough
Believe it or not, a baby should be just the right amount of sleepy in order to have a wonderful nap. You may use a “wake window”, which is the time between the last wake up or nap and the next time your child will be sleeping, to gauge when your baby might be tired. (My previous blog - Wake Windows and Schedules - can help you find an idea of how long your baby or toddler should be awake). Every child is different, but this is what we typically see for these age ranges.
It is important to put your child to sleep when they are ready for sleep!
The body makes melatonin (a natural sleep hormone) when it is getting prepared for sleep.
If the wake window is missed, the body will push away the natural melatonin and begin to create cortisol (a stress related hormone) to help keep that babe awake longer! It gives an extra boost of energy, and it makes it even harder to fall asleep.
Overtired children do not sleep better – they often wake up in the night or have shorter naps. Then, the cycle can repeat itself.
Baby Does Not Know How to Self-Soothe
If your baby is unable to go to sleep on their own, they are most likely using a sleep prop or sleep crutch to help get them to sleep. Maybe mom is nursing the baby to sleep or dad is rocking the baby to sleep.
If your little one happens to stir or wake up in the middle of a nap, they may completely wake up. This can happen A LOT at the 30-40 minute mark because a baby’s sleep cycle is about 40 minutes long. The end of a sleep cycle is where very light sleep takes place and a child can slightly wake up at this point before going back into another sleep cycle.
Chances are, if mom, dad, or another sleep prop helped them get to sleep, they will need that same sleep prop to help them get back to sleep. We teach independent sleep skills so that your child can self-soothe and go back to sleep on their own without your assistance.
Baby’s Room is Not Dark Enough
Your baby’s room should be extremely dark, even during nap time. There should be no night lights. Black out shades or black out curtains are perfect to make the room as dark as possible. The room should be SO dark that you can’t even see your hand if you were to put it out in front of your face!
Outside Noises are Waking Baby
This one can sometimes be hard to avoid - dogs, siblings, a package at the door :), etc.!
I think that a sound machine is the best invention! It is great for all ages. It mimics the sound of the womb for infants. For toddlers, it creates a sound barrier to any noise outside the room and can help get them into a deeper sleep. Your child’s sound machine should be on all night long and during nap time. Putting an extra sound machine in the hallway is helpful too!
I was sharing my favorite sound machine with a client and Amazon notified me that I had purchased the same sound machine 8 times! Clearly, my family loves sound machines. We have one in each bedroom and two in the upstairs hallway!
Baby is Hungry
It is so important to make sure that your little one is taking in a FULL feeding of milk at every feeding. Lots of “snacks” throughout the day will not fill them up. A full feeding every 3 or 4 hours (depending on the age of your baby) will keep your baby sleeping longer and keep them on a feeding schedule. Feeding your baby when they are fully awake and alert will ensure that they are getting all that they need.
For older babies, giving meals, or “solids”, three times a day is helpful for full bellies and sleep too!
There was No Nap Routine
Yes, you need a nap routine! A nap routine should be just like your bedtime routine, but a bit shorter. A nap routine should be around 10-15 minutes long. This may involve changing your baby’s diaper, putting on a sleep sack, reading a story or two, and singing a song.
Doing a shortened bedtime routine before naptime really helps your little one know that sleep is coming soon. It will help them relax and begin to unwind. Your child will start to associate putting on a sleep sack, or listening to a story, with sleep. They will be prepared and ready for their nap!
I hope these tips help if you have a short napper! If you want to talk more about your child’s naps or nighttime sleep, I’d be happy to help!