The No-cry Sleep Solution (37 page)

Mother-Speak

“Now that I am more aware of the importance of naps I try very hard to make sure she has a good nap every day. She really does then sleep better at night. It’s amazing what a difference naps make!”

Tina, mother of twelve-month-old Anjali

Babies differ in their needs for nap length and number of naps—but Table 4.1 is a general guide that applies to most babies.

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Table 4.1 Average Number and Length of Naps for Babies Age

Number of naps

Total length of naptime (hours)

4 months

3

4–6

6 months

2

3–4

9 months

2

21⁄2–4

12 months

1–2

2–3

2 years

1

1–2

3 years

1

1–11⁄2

4 years

0

0

5 years

0

0

When Should Your Baby Nap?

Timing of naps is important, too. A nap too late in the day will negatively affect nighttime sleep. Certain times of the day are better for napping because they suit your baby’s developing biological clock; these optimum periods balance sleep and wake time to affect night sleep in the most positive way. Again, all babies are different, but generally, best times for naps are as follows:

• If baby takes three naps: midmorning, early afternoon, and early evening

• If baby takes two naps: midmorning and early afternoon

• If baby takes one nap only: early afternoon

If you want your baby to welcome naptime, use the general guidelines already described and watch her signals. Naps should happen
immediately
when she shows signs of tiredness. If you wait too long, she becomes
overtired
, “wired,” and unable to sleep.

Once you are familiar with your baby’s nap needs, you can plan for your nap routine to start the wind-down process. If consistent naps are new to you, look more for your baby’s signs of tiredness and scrimp on the routine until you settle into a predictable

Review and Choose Sleep Solutions

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pattern. In other words, don’t begin a lengthy prenap routine if your baby is clearly ready to sleep.

Watch for these signs of fatigue; your baby may demonstrate one or more of these:

• Decreasing activity

• Quieting down

• Losing interest in people and toys

• Rubbing eyes

• Looking “glazed”

• Fussing

• Yawning

• Lying down on the floor or on a chair

• Caressing a lovey or asking for a pacifier, a bottle, or to nurse

This timing is very, very important! You have probably experienced this scenario: Your baby looks tired and you think, “Time for a nap.” So you wash her hands and face, change her diaper, answer a phone call, put out the dog, and head for your baby’s crib, only to find that she’s suddenly wide awake and eager to play! What happened? She has moved through her window of tiredness and gotten that “second wind” that buys her another hour of two of alert time before she reenters her tired state. This can often happen later in the day. Suddenly your baby is (finally!) ready for a nap at dinnertime, and the plot thickens—do you put her down for a late nap and thus extend bedtime, or keep her awake and deal with a tired, fussy baby? Rather than face this ordeal, respond earlier to her signs of fatigue and get her in for her nap right at that time.

Once you have watched your baby carefully for a week or so, you should be able to create a nap schedule that works with her daily periods of alertness and tiredness, thus making your nap schedule easy to adhere to.

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The Nap Routine

Once you’ve established a nap schedule for your baby, create a simple but specific nap routine that is different from your nighttime routine. It can have similarities that signal sleep, for example, the presence of a lovey or special sleep-inducing music.

Follow your nap routine the same way every day. (Except, as I mentioned before, if your baby is showing clear signs of being tired and ready to sleep. Then abbreviate or even eliminate your routine for that day.)

For a reluctant napper, your routine may include some relaxing motion (rocking, relaxing in a swing, or walking in a sling or stroller) or gentle lullaby music.

A nap routine doesn’t have to be long and involved to be effective. If your baby’s nap occurs about the same time every day, many subtle cues—such as the timing of his lunch—will tell your baby that nap time is nearing.

Mother-Speak

“Our nap routine includes reading two books, then nursing, then rocking with our sleep music playing. It’s short, but it works.”

Amber, mother of nine-month-old Nathaniel

Important: If you are working on solving a frequent night-waking problem, do
anything
and
everything
that works to get your baby to nap during the day; a well-rested baby will respond better to the nighttime sleep ideas.

Getting the Short Napper to Sleep Longer

Some babies will show you their tired signs and go down for a nap rather easily, but then, twenty minutes or so later, they’re up again. Most parents resign themselves to this short nap routine.