Late Naps: What to Do
I always focus on first and foremost when meeting a new family is what the entire daily routine looks like. From there, we can work together to fine-tune whatever needs adjusting to make changes to whatever sleep issues are occurring.
A good nap routine is essential, and this can vary from family to family. It’s so important to find a schedule that works for the individual unit and never more so than when it comes to naps. Your baby’s nap routine might be vastly different from the next baby’s nap routine, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This week we’re looking at late naps in particular. Do they work for you? Are they a complete no-no? Read on to find out my thoughts.
What defines a late nap?
The time that your baby goes to bed is up to you, and for some families, it can be as early as 6 pm or as late as 10 pm. What works for you might not work for another family, so the actual time is irrelevant. But what makes a late nap is the time left between that nap and bedtime. So a late nap takes place very close to bedtime- usually around 2-3 hours prior. Again, this will depend on your baby- their age and their tendency to need a smaller cat nap before bedtime. Some babies will thrive on this routine; others will not. We can define a late nap as one that occurs too close to bedtime for that individual child for this post.
Why do some babies nap late?
Again, it goes back to the entire daily routine, which is one reason why I always ask families to keep a sleep diary for at least a week. It’s easier to spot patterns this way, and the ‘problem’ often becomes very obvious very quickly. The reason why some babies nap late could be:
- Bedtime is too late
- The first nap of the day is too long
- Your baby is transitioning from two naps to one
If your baby cannot make it to bedtime without falling asleep before you’ve started the bedtime routine, it could be time to adjust the time you put them to bed. The awake time between the last nap of the day and bedtime is really important and cannot be too long; otherwise, your baby will be too exhausted. If this stretch of awake time is too long, your baby is likely to become overtired and frequent waking could occur through the night. It might be that you move bedtime forward by an hour and that late nap disappears altogether.
If your baby is taking extended naps, particularly in the morning or during the first nap of the day, this could be the reason for the late nap just before bedtime. A longer nap gives the illusion of staying awake for longer during the day before bedtime, but it can also leave you with a shorter window for the next nap, and the temptation then will be to skip that second nap altogether. Alternatively, you will put your baby down for the second nap after the usual length of awake time, and this will then impact what time your baby wakes from their second nap. This will then push bedtime back, which leads to the situation above. If this is the case for you, then take a look at the length of your baby’s first nap, and if it’s stretching beyond 2-3 hours, then you may need to wake your baby earlier.
When children transition from two naps to one, it can be exhausting for all involved. It can take a little while to get used to just one sleep, and some babies will settle into this new routine a lot easier than others. If you think that your baby is struggling to cope with just one nap, but you know that two are too much, then you’ll need to tweak your routine for a few days to allow for this. It could mean bringing bedtime forward a little and then pushing it back by 15 minutes every other day. Find an adjustment that suits your family, and take the steps you need to avoid that late nap!
If you’re a Slumber Academy Member, check out the 2 – 1 Naps Masterclass, you’ll find the easiest way to transition your child to one nap.
