5 Proven Tips to Help Naps

Cat naps are common in young babies, especially between the ages of 8 weeks -16 weeks. Here are some techniques + tips to help your baby sleep longer than that 30-40 min cat nap!

1. BLACK IT OUT. Make sure your baby's room they are sleeping in is pitch black. I am talking can barely see your hand in front of your face dark. Also, if there are any lights in their room like a light from the monitor, sound machine light, etc, get some tape and cover it, the older baby gets, the more distracting everything will be

2. NOISE MACHINE. I LOVE brown noise, but white noise is good as well! When picking a noise machine, it is important to make sure It is loud enough. When it is on, it should sound as loud as a running shower. I love the Hatch (first generation). There are also great options on Amazon. The second generation Hatch doesn't seem to get loud enough for the larger rooms, especially if the sound machine is far away from where baby sleeps. A white or brown noise machine is very beneficial because It drowns out the noise of clanking dishes in the kitchen, or siblings playing down the hallway.

3. REPETITION. One of the best ways to help baby wind down & get ready for sleep is doing the same thing every time before nap or bed. It can be as simple as book, sleep sack, bottle (awake) or nurse, twinkle twinkle little star as you walk baby to their sleep space, dimmed lights in a white noise filled room, then in the crib. If you do this every time their brains will get the hint once you are on step 2 that it is time to wind down & get ready for rest. I bet you will even see some yawns half way through the book!

4. PAUSE. I am just going to say it, SHORT NAPS SUCK for everyone! Babies 4 months old usually wake at the 30-40 minute mark. This is because that is 1 sleep cycle. When a baby falls asleep they are in a light sleep, then call into a deeper sleep, then as they are getting near the end of a cycle, they are back in that light sleep where a bright light, or a loud noise can wake them up. At that 30-40 minute mark, you will most likely see baby open their eyes, or turn over on their tummy, or even babble a little. It is important you pause, and wait and see if they will put themselves back to sleep. I recommend 10-15minutes. Even if they start to fuss or whine, still give them that 10-15min to see if they can figure it out on their own before going in and ending the nap.

5. TEMPERATURE. This is an important one! Just like you and I, if it is too hot, we will wake up uncomfortable. If we are too cold, we will wake up searching for our blanket. This is why I recommend baby's sleep space to be 68-72 degrees, with an appropriate sleep sack TOG (here in California I use a 1.0 TOG year round with my toddler). Let's do everything we can to make baby's sleep be as uninterrupted as possible!