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Blog » Those Pesky Naps - so hard to solve!

Those Pesky Naps - so hard to solve!

Posted September 23, 2010

Overnight sleep becomes easier for many babies and children in the fall because the days shorten and the dark comes earlier.  Naps, on the other hand, can be difficult for some babies and toddlers all year long.  Research has been unable to determind why some young children sleep easily in the day for 2-3 hours at a time while others have to work hard to get to sleep in the first place -- and then wake up angry after 45 minutes, seemingly unable to return to sleep and finish off a good nap.

Naturally, I hear more often from parents whose babies resist napping than from parents whose babies slumber easily throughout the day.  And of course we must admit that sometimes it is a lifestyle issue in that during the first year many mothers do not wish to feel "homebound."  To be fair, though, I've worked with several parents lately who have spend seemingly endless days at home trying to help their baby learn the art of good daytime sleep.

Here are some of the general guidelines you may consider as you do nap-work with your own child.  Remember all the while, though, that YOU know your baby best and you never want to lose track of your own intuition in favor of mine or anyone elses sleep advice.  You make decisions that fit for your family; if you feel your are not successful, then you can make new decisions and experiment with those.  You are the person on the ground, so to speak, and you'll know - through careful observation - whether the changes you make are helping your child and your family - or not.

• A nap of 1.5 hours of continuous sleep is sufficient for some babies to wake up refreshed, able to stay awake to feed and remain happy through a short playtime. For some, it takes being in bed for 2 hours before they can master getting to sleep and staying asleep for 1.5 hours.  This is why I recommend naps last approximately 2 hours.  Also, I like the caregiver to have a dependable break.
• A nap of 2-3 hours is easy for some babies, once they've designed their self-calming strategies.
• Extra crying and restlessness at bedtime or throughout the night is most often a sign of inadequate daytime sleep.  Good daytime sleep begets good - and longer - night sleep.
• Babies will nap much better if the room is cool, about 18'.
• If a baby is waking inappropriately for feeding during the night (over 12 lbs.), this can create problems during naptimes, as well. It's time to stop night feeds.
  
• Schedules will vary a bit during the day if your baby sleeps on unexpectedly  at some point.  Try to make adjustments accordingly rather than wake the baby up just to stay on schedule.
  
• It never pays to keep a baby awake who is showing you she is tired.  Put her to bed earlier and adjust your schedule expectations.
• Often babies who go to bed earlier...will sleep later in the morning.  The reverse of this usually seems more logical to parents, but is untrue.

I'm available for one last Monday of Telephone Counseling on September 27.   Appointments resume on November 8.

If you have continuing problems helping your child become a good sleeper, there will be a Sleep from Now On seminar held on Tuesday, November 9, 2010.

If you have immediate questions regarding your child's sleep habits, please purchase an email question (Ask Kitty) from the store at http://www.raymondparenting.com  Through October, I'll be able to answer your questions within about 3-5 days.  When writing a question, be sure to include your child's age.  If your question requires you to give me a lot of detailed information, it is appreciated if you purchase two email questions to cover it.  Thank you.

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