Five ways to help your baby nap better

Naps are well-needed breaks in the day; they help babies process the world around them and lock in new experiences and memories. Naps are vital, but having said that each baby is different and their nap needs are different too. Some little ones may take short naps and feel rested while others may take good long naps. When a baby takes short naps its so much harder for us as the parents as there just isn’t a break to the day.

What you can do is to set your baby’s nursery up for optimum sleep.

1.Make your little one’s room dark – light stimulates our eyes to tell us its time to wake up, so it will be a lot easier for your him/her to stay asleep and transition into their next sleep cycle.

At around four months sleep begins to consolidate so expect short, inconsistent naps anywhere up to around 4/5 months where sleep settles in and becomes a little more consistent.

2.Use white noise– this helps keeps the outside world out. Daytime sleep is a lot lighter than night time sleep and babies are awakened much more quickly (just as we adults are). A siren tearing passes, a child crying on the road outside, a dog barking, or even just you trying to tidy up and prepare a quick sandwich is enough to rouse your little one and wake him up from his sleep.

3.Keep baby’s room cooler, and instead, dress baby warmer – babies do much better in a cooler room and being dressed warmer in the cold months, than a warmer room and dressed cooler. So keep the heating off or to a bare minimum and keep baby warm by using a gorgeously warm sleeping bag and warm pjs.

4.Check in on the energy of your baby’s room– My dear friend Denise O’Dwyer, author and Feng Shui specialist ofFind out more about Feng Shui for baby’s nursey’s here from my dear friend, author and Feng Shui specialist Denise O’ Dwyer fengshuielement says ‘One of the main places Feng Shui affects you is in the bedroom, the place you spend around one-third of your life. The bedroom is directly connected to how well you recharge your personal energy, or Qi, during the night. In any home, the bedroom is one of the three most important Feng Shui areas after the front door and kitchen. So understanding the Feng Shui of your baby’s sleeping place is fundamental to her rest and wellbeing’.

The energy in your baby’s room is vital, I’ve seen it over and over many times in my work with children. For more tips and info get in touch with Denise at fengshuielement.co.uk, there’s no one better to advise you on how to set up your baby’s nursery for optimum sleep energy.

5.Have a nap routine– To help your little one settle down more quickly for his/her naps use a little nap routine before putting your baby down to sleep. Having a nap routine is so important, will help baby settle to sleep more quickly and it works just the same way a bedtime routine does, helping to show baby what comes next, (watch this video on how to set one up).

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To find out how I can help get your little one sleeping well, book a free call with me here