Short Naps and What to do About Them
One of the most common questions I’m asked repeatedly is how to get baby to nap a little longer. Short naps are really common, especially in younger babies, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it. In this post, we’re going to look at what potentially causes short naps and what you can do about them.
What is a short nap?
Firstly, knowing what we class as a short nap is essential because it could be that my idea of a short nap differs from yours, and there might not be a problem at all! A short nap is generally a nap that lasts less than one sleep cycle or just the length of one sleep cycle. A sleep cycle is around 45 minutes, so if your baby is napping for less than that, I’d say that is a short nap. A good length for a nap is anything over one hour- so if your baby tends to nap for longer than an hour, you have nothing to worry about!
What can we do to lengthen naps?
We can do things to lengthen naps, even with younger babies, so don’t despair! Be mindful that short naps are very normal for babies under the age of at least four months. Naps tend to develop after night sleep, which develops around twelve weeks. Of course, every baby is different, so this will vary, but it’s fairly accurate as a general guide. So naps tend to lengthen out and settle down between four and six months of age, initially starting with the first nap. That said, there are still things that you can do to lengthen naps before then.
• How long is your baby awake for during the day?
The first thing I’d recommend you do if your baby is taking short naps is to take a really good look at the daytime routine as a whole. How long is your baby awake for during the day? The average nine-month-old baby should follow the 2-3-4 routine- awake for two hours, nap, three hours, nap, awake for four hours, and bed. Does your day look anything like that? If your baby is awake for less time, that could affect her naps’ length.
Similarly, being awake for too long can cause your baby to become overtired and unable to settle for a good nap too. So being mindful of awake times is an essential place to start lengthening out the naps. The 2-3-4 routine is great for babies over the age of six months, up to the point where they drop down to one nap. Read more about the routine here.
Under six months, babies will most probably fall into the ‘four-hour routine,’ where they are awake for two hours sleep for two hours. So again, naps that are shorter than one hour for younger babies are also not good! It’s worth noting here, though, that many babies won’t sleep for the whole two hours you might expect them to. Just as babies on the 2-3-4 routine won’t necessarily sleep for the 90 minutes, you want them to either.
• Stay in the room while your baby sleeps.
Hopefully, this idea doesn’t fill you with dread! At first, all you need to do is be in the room as your baby naps. This is an excellent opportunity for you to observe your baby as she sleeps, but don’t forget it’s a chance for you to rest too. So make the most of it! As your baby begins to make a noise and stir, she begins to move out of her first sleep cycle. Make a note of the time and how long she’s been asleep, and then you can start to become a little more ‘hands-on.’ Pat, stroke and soothe to help your baby to move into her next sleep cycle. Your patting, shushing, etc., may last for around ten minutes, so be prepared. But it will mean another 45 minutes of sleep, so it’s worth doing!
It’s also worth knowing that however long that first sleep cycle lasts, it will be the same for each nap, so the next day, you know that she will need you after the same length of time. So what you can do next is leave her to nap, only entering the room when you know she is about to move into the next sleep cycle. You may need to do this for a few days before your baby learns that it’s ok to move into the next sleep cycle by herself, lengthening out the nap.
Let me know if you try this technique and if it works for you.
