For many parents, naptime can feel like a battleground. Babies need plenty of rest, but actually getting them to sleep during the day can be a real challenge. From fighting sleep to waking up too soon, there’s a wide variety of naptime struggles that can arise.
Fortunately, there are plenty of practical solutions that can help ease the process and ensure that your little one gets the rest that they need. Here are some of the most common naptime problems and how you can solve them:
Baby Won’t Nap in the Crib: How to Encourage Independent Sleep
It’s a fairly common scenario: your baby falls asleep in your arms, but immediately wakes up when you try to transfer them to their crib. While it’s positively heartwarming to see that your little one loves being close to you, it isn’t always practical.
The Solution:
In this case, the goal is to help your baby feel comfortable and secure in their crib. One of the things that you can try is to make their crib environment as cozy and sleep-friendly as possible. Using a fitted sheet made out of a soft, breathable material can help, as does wrapping them up in a baby sleep sack for warmth.
A great place to shop for baby sleep sacks is Little Unicorn. Their selections are made out of super soft and breathable cotton muslin fabric, keeping your baby feeling warm and nestled without overheating. Using a baby sleep sack over a loose blanket also eliminates the risk of strangulation or suffocation.
Baby Fights Naptime: How to Get Them to Sleep
Few things are more frustrating than your baby fighting sleep, even though they’re clearly tired. This resistance to sleep can be attributed to several factors, including overstimulation, hunger, or even simply missing their optimal sleep window.
The Solution:
A consistent pre-nap routine can work wonders in terms of getting your baby to go down for a nap. Just like bedtime, your baby’s naptime should have a set routine which will serve as a signal to your baby that it’s time to wind down.
Your pre-nap routine may include a feeding, a diaper change, dimming the lights, and a short lullaby. It’s also a good idea to watch for sleep cues, such as rubbing their eyes or yawning. When you spot these signs, move quickly to put them down before they become overtired. If you miss that window, it can lead to your baby fighting sleep even more!
Short Naps: Why They Happen and What to Do
Babies sleeping for only 20 or 30 minutes at a time is also a relatively common occurrence that can mystify parents. These short naps, also known as “cat naps”, can happen a lot during the early months, but they may leave your little one feeling cranky and overtired.
The Solution:
Babies typically have shorter sleep cycles than adults, often waking up when they should be transitioning to a deeper stage of sleep. The key to extending their naps is teaching your baby how to transition between sleep cycles.
You can help by ensuring they fall asleep independently. When a baby relies on being rocked or held to sleep, they may wake up when they realize the conditions have changed (i.e., they’re no longer in your arms). Try putting your baby down when they’re drowsy but still awake, so they learn to fall asleep on their own.
Naptime struggles don’t have to last forever. With a bit of patience and the right strategies, you can create a sleep routine that works for both you and your baby.
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