Short Naps - Solutions to the Parental Frustration of Poor Daytime Sleep
One of the biggest concerns I find with clients regarding their children’s sleep, is the frustration they feel about short naps. Did your child nap for only 40 minutes for their first nap, or take 30 minutes to be rocked to sleep? You thought you had time for a quick shower during nap time, but lo and behold, your little one has woken up after 35 minutes when they slept for 90 minutes yesterday and you thought you’d have more time?
Here are some of the reasons your little one might be sleeping just enough to take the edge off at naptime:
Room Darkness – Any sunlight that comes into a room can make it tough to fall asleep, and stay asleep, just like with adults. Using blackout curtains, a blinds and curtains combo, making the room as dark as you can helps in creating more consistent daytime sleep.
Overtired or Undertired – Overtired babies can fight sleep or can struggle to settle for a good nap because of higher levels of cortisol. This stress hormone can make it difficult for baby to be soothed to sleep. Undertired babies can struggle to fall asleep and then wake after only a short time!
Sleep Associations – If your little one needs to be rocked or nursed to sleep, as they move through different stages of sleep they may wake enough to realize you’re not there anymore to soothe them, causing a short nap.
Response Time – How quickly do you go to tend to baby when they stir or seem to wake during a nap? Babies are noisy sleepers, and sometimes hearing coos or even some crying happens when they’re still asleep and your quick intervention may cause them to wake up. Wait a few minutes to respond to their nap “wake up” and you may be pleasantly surprised to see them fall back asleep!
Hungry? – If you think your little one is waking up hungry after only a short nap, try nursing or giving a bottle or snack before starting your sleep routine.
Sleep Train – One of the best ways to support you little one to longer and ore consistent naps, is to help them fall asleep independently – and if they wake after only a short time, they can put themselves back to sleep!
Having more predictable daytime naps can be life changing. Being confident that your little one is going to get the sleep they need, and that you can plan your day knowing you’ll have some time to yourself during naptime has made a huge impact on my life with my young kids, and I see it making a big impact on my clients’ lives as well. If these quick tips don’t give you the improvement you’re looking for, please reach out for a free call where we can discuss options and support!
Sweet Dreams,
Katie
