5 Simple steps to better naps

When I do a home consultation I always do at least one nap with the little one I’m working with. Very often naps are a struggle and naps form a big part of our work together. Doing a nap helps me get a feel of the baby and his/her personality, allows me to see and hear the room as he sees/ hears it and I get to guide my lovely clients every step of the way, showing them how gentle getting their babies to sleep can be, that the technique works and that there are no tears needed in the name of sleep.

Establishing positive sleep associations or cues are fantastic and make yours and baby’s life easier. Having a great nap time routine in place will not only help your baby fall asleep easily and more quickly while at home but will also help on the occasions where you need to be away from home for a few days at a time such as on holiday, special occasions such as Christmas , or visiting friends and family. By setting up a nap time routine you will be able to go through the same steps, keep to your same nap routine ( including everything you need to make this happen eg: your baby’s lullaby, blackout blinds, sleeping bag, comforter, White Noise etc) and your baby will know what to expect next (sleep).

There are 5 things I encourage when helping a family with naps.

1. Measure the temperature of baby’s room and dress baby appropriately
2. Establish a nap routine
3. Set the ambience
4. Feed before a nap
5. Reassure baby

1. Measure the temperature of baby’s room and dress baby appropriately

This step is important and very often overlooked. The ideal room temperature is 18’C – 20’c, too much warmer or cooler than that, and it could affect your little one’s sleep. Dress your baby according to the temperature of the room and make sure she is dressed comfortably, (not in the little jeans she was out wearing in the park). For a better quality of sleep use the correct tog sleeping bag and clothing to match the temperature of your little one’s room.

2. Establish a nap routine

There are only a small handful of parents who I’ve been to visit who have a nap routine in place and fewer who have one that works. Establishing a nap routine is the very first place you need to start in order to help your baby nap better. It sets the scene for sleep and marks an end to play/ awake time and the beginning of settling down to sleep time. It has the same effect a bedtime routine has, only a nap routine is much shorter. It signals to baby that sleep is near and helps prepare their bodies in for sleep.

A nap routine consists of

Closing the blinds and putting on a dim lamp:

Create the soothing/ calm ambience you want to create by turning off the main light in your little one’s room and use a dimly lit lamp instead while you preparing your baby for her nap.

Light stimulates our eyes to tell us it’s time to wake up. Keeping your baby’s room dark will help them stay asleep for longer. A baby’s sleep cycle is about 45 mins long. It is at that point in which babies tend to wake from their naps and seem not to be able to sleep for any longer.

Once a baby gets to the lightest part of their sleep cycle (the end of the sleep cycle), and her room is not pitch dark, baby gently prepares to wake by opening her eyes, light hits the back of her eyes and gives her the signal that it’s time to wake up. You have a better chance of your baby connecting her sleep cycles and falling back asleep if the room is very dark and if no external cues are saying ‘it’s time to wake up!’.

After sleep times open the blinds and curtains allowing natural light to saturate the room. Allow fresh air to circulate through your baby’s room by opening a window even if it’s just for a few minutes a day.

Playing White Noise and a putting a lullaby on:

Just like us, noise affects babies’ sleep. If you were trying to take a nap and you heard doors banging, dogs barking, sirens blaring and children riding their bicycles on the street below, how likely is it that you would stay peacefully asleep? Probably highly unlikely.

I highly recommend using White Noise for your little one’s room to help keep them asleep for longer. White Noise replicates the sound of the womb, which helps not only to calm and soothe babies but also to mask sounds by blocking out inside, everyday household noise, which is enough to wake a baby, as well as uncontrollable outside noise such as cars, aeroplanes, sirens, children, dogs, etc.

A lullaby helps to form a positive sleep association and within a very short time, your baby will associate the lullaby you use at sleep time, to going down to sleep. Invaluable for day to day use but even more so when travelling or visiting family or friends for the day.

A nappy change:

Where possible time a nappy change for before nap time, if a nappy change was done just before nap time and there is no need for a new nappy, do a little ‘nappy check’. This just adds a few seconds to your routine, all helping to set the scene and prepare baby for sleep.

Change of clothes:

I recommend dressing your baby in 100% cotton for sleep times. The best type of material to dress your baby in for sleep is 100% organic cotton or. It’s breathable and soft on baby’s skin and is passed through several processes to remove germs and bacteria helping to prevent dust mite growth.

100% organic cotton also helps absorb moisture from your sleeping baby, keeping them dry and comfortable, helps regulate their temperature and gives them a sense of comfort.
Cut off all the labels making sure they don’t irritate your little one whilst sleeping. This ensures baby is dressed comfortably for sleep and again adds a little time to your routine, helping prepare baby for sleep.

Put your little one’s sleeping bag on:

I love using sleeping bags because they ensure your baby stays warm and covered during nap times (and night time). They also act as a great sleep association or sleep cue.

3. Set the ambience

Setting the tone of your baby’s sleep environment is vital. Your baby needs time to transition from awake to asleep. You can’t just expect to pop your baby into his cot and magically expect him to fall asleep with no build up to nap time. Help set the scene and prepare your baby for nap time by dimming the lights, using your White Noise and Lullaby and keeping your energy calm.

4. Feed before a nap

After zipping your baby into her sleeping bag, sit on a comfy chair in your baby’s room, switch off the nightlight/ lamp and feed your baby.

Feeding your baby before sleep ensures her tummy is full and that she won’t wake out of hunger, a feed will also help your baby become sleepy and therefore go down to sleep more readily.

At this point you want the room to be dark. Having the room dark will contribute to making your baby feel even sleepier while feeding, but if you need light to see, then just adjust accordingly to what you need by either leaving the door a tiny bit ajar to help you see or leaving a very dim (red) night light on. Ultimately the darker it is in your baby’s room at this stage of the nap time routine, the easier it’s going to be for her to get sleepy while feeding and go down for her nap.

If you bottle feed, prepare your baby’s milk beforehand and bring it into the room with you so that you have it warmed and on hand when you need it.

5. Reassure baby

After the feed, gently place your (hopefully) sleepy baby into her cot. If you feel confident she is sleepy enough to finish falling asleep by herself in her cot fully, then leave the room and allow her the chance to do so.

If your baby needs help on going down into the cot, immediately put your hands on your baby and reassure her by stroking or patting her, you can also shush as you do this. Make your shushing/ stroking/ patting rhythmic and repetitive (think of the motion the buggy makes when lulling your baby to sleep and replicate that).

Ideally, you want to help soothe and reassure your baby in her cot as that is where you want her to sleep, but you may need to take smaller steps and build up to her falling asleep in her cot.

If breastfeeding, you may need to feed your baby again to help her get sleepy. Once she’s very sleepy, again place your hands on her as soon as you put her down into her cot to keep on reassuring her with your touch and presence.

If your little one is used to being rocked, you may have to rock her until very sleepy and then again put her down into her cot, placing your hands on her in the cot to help reassure her as she finishes falling asleep in her cot.

Babies younger than six months often need a lot more help in falling asleep, which is normal. Sleep is like a dance. Always be aware of when your baby needs your help and reassurance more and when she needs you a little less, in which case holding back a moment to see what she does, allowing her the chance to fall asleep with less intervention from you. Be gentle with yourself and your baby, respecting the pace at which your little one needs to go.

It’s important not just to assume that you ‘have to put your baby all the way to sleep’. Sleep is not black and white. The reassurance your baby needs will vary from day to day, nap to nap, night waking to night waking. Staying in tune and present to your little one is key, knowing when to help more and when to hold back and do a little less.

*A tip on your baby’s late afternoon catnap

Note that a baby’s late afternoon catnap, (the last nap of the day which typically happens between 4-5pm, is often easier when done out and about in the car, buggy or sling. This nap can often prove challenging to do in the cot at that time of day. I suggest making it your ‘out and about nap’, equalling a more peaceful end to the afternoon for you both. (Babies typically drop this nap anywhere between 6.5 – 9 months)