Baby Only Napped for 1 Hour All Day

Does your baby take (frustratingly) short naps? As in baby only naps 30 minutes at a time?

Immature babies may be fine with frequent, short naps. But one time they plow 6 months onetime, babies can frequently turn into little crab cakes if only napping twenty or 30 minutes at a time.

You may accept heard that babies 6 months and older demand naps that are longer than 40 minutes to restore their free energy and stabilize moods. That'south more often than not true, considering baby sleep cycles are nigh fifty minutes long. If your baby wakes early on from a nap, and hasn't completed a sleep cycle, he may feel groggy and grumpy.

Sometimes it simply takes a bit of "nap training" to get baby taking long, restful naps each twenty-four hours.

This article has nine nap training steps that show y'all how to go your baby or toddler napping longer so that baby naps more than 30 minutes.

Steps one-half dozen below are "beginner" nap training steps and tin can be washed at all ages. Steps 7-nine are "advanced" nap training steps for six months and older.

(If your toddler has suddenly started fighting nap time, check out When Exercise Toddlers Stop Napping? )

9 Nap Training Steps to Lengthen Your Babe'southward Curt Naps

Fix infant'due south nighttime sleep
Keep an middle on baby's awake times
Fill the belly
Create a nap-friendly infinite
Start a calming pre-nap routine
Proceed your infant'due south nap schedule consistent
Go your babe falling asleep independently
Brainstorm a "nap power hour"
Stay consistent

Step 1: Fix baby's dark slumber

"Wait, what? What's night slumber got to do with my infant's naps?" Let me explicate.

When helping babies sleep amend, we always start with night sleep. We practice this because nighttime sleep is usually easier to fix than naps.

This is considering your infant'southward drive to sleep is the strongest at nighttime, and then he'due south more likely to comply with changes to his slumber routine. During the twenty-four hours it's unlike. The bulldoze to sleep comes and goes.

If your baby is overtired and cranky from being up during the nighttime, this will make nap training nearly impossible. That'due south because a well-rested babe naps ameliorate than a sleep deprived i. When your baby sleeps well at night and is a rested and happy baby, information technology'southward much easier to become him napping longer too. Seems counterintuitive, just it'south true!

In general, "sleeping well" ways that your baby spends the majority of the night sleeping! For 6+ month olds, this means your baby either sleeps through the dark or has 1-two night feeds where he chop-chop falls back asleep and sleeps long stretches. Younger babies may need more night feeds, simply they settle easily after.

If your baby is awake and hard to settle for long periods of time at night , I recommend you lot break nap training and instead work on night sleep. My Wearied Mom'due south Starter Kit guides you through the essential steps of setting your baby up to sleep well at night.

Pace 2: Keep an heart on babe'south awake times

"Awake times" are simply the periods of fourth dimension that your baby is awake throughout the day. (For example, in between naps.)

If awake times are too short , your baby may not be tired enough and ready for a nap.

If awake times are too long , your infant may become overtired / overstimulated.

This causes your baby'due south body to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, to keep baby awake and focused. In one case these hormones are released, it's very difficult for baby to relax and nap well.

An essential step of nap training is following age-appropriate awake times. Sometimes, just a chip of tweaking babe'south awake times helps him nap longer!

Baby Awake Times:

Newborn: 30-90 mins

vii-xv weeks: 1-2 hours

4-5 months: ane.five-2.5 hours

half dozen-8 months: 2-three hours

ix-12 months: 2.5-3.5 hours

Toddler taking 2 naps: iii-4 hours

Toddler taking ane nap iv-5.v hours

RELATED: How to Get a Resistant Toddler to Nap

Footstep 3: Fill up the belly

Babies sleep longer when their bellies are full. You don't want your babe waking early on from a nap due to hunger. Then brand sure your baby has eaten within xx-thirty minutes of putting her down for a nap.

[Important note] I'm not encouraging you lot to feed your infant to sleep, as that may contribute to short napping (meet Step seven.) Instead, try to separate feeding and falling asleep by more than 10 minutes.

Step 4: Create a nap-friendly space

For older babies and toddlers, the most restorative sleep is non-move sleep away from the distractions of the day .

Most babies younger than 4 months can nap anywhere. Your bright living room, a crowded buffet or an hour in the infant carrier doesn't seem to bear upon their ability to nap well.

But around 4 months old, your baby goes through a big developmental phase. And function of this development results in a change in sleep patterns. (My four month sleep regression guide explains this more.)

Suddenly your babe becomes pickier about where and how she'll autumn asleep . She may wake up early from naps, fight naps or seem restless in full general. So if you've found yourself wondering "Why does my infant suddenly take short naps or fight naps?" here's what to practise.

This is the classic sign that information technology's fourth dimension to brand her daytime sleep space like to her dark sleep space in order to aid her nap well. All of the elements that help her sleep at dark will aid her nap better also.

My Exhausted Mom's Starter Kit walks you through exactly how to set your baby's bedroom for sleep, and gives you lot applied tips y'all can commencement tonight!

Offer your child a nap-friendly space for every nap. This will (somewhen) help her nap better and longer, because it provides the best quality and well-nigh restorative sleep.

If infant needs to occasionally nap in the stroller (lying apartment, non upright) that's ok too. Some babies nap better with motion, so this is a practiced pick if your baby is stuck in a short napping design.

Step 5: Start a calming pre-nap routine

The purpose of a bedtime routine is to send behavioral cues to your baby that it's time to settle down for sleep. Doing the aforementioned activities, in the same order, at the aforementioned fourth dimension every day is a proven style to aid your baby relax and fall asleep without fighting it.

Your pre-nap calming routine should be similar to what you lot exercise at bedtime. Considering it'south familiar, this signals to your baby that information technology'southward time to relax and sleep.

Take a few elements from your bedtime routine and contain them into a short, relaxing pre-nap routine. Your little i will recognize this familiar design and understand that sleep follows.

Learn how to create a calming sleep routine in my Wearied Mom's Starter Kit.

Step 6: Keep your infant'southward nap schedule consistent

Children thrive on routine. Having a predictable nap schedule helps your baby nap longer because his body clock is set to sleep at the same time each day.

Babies 6-7 months and older will be able to follow a by-the-clock nap schedule, while younger babies nap best by following awake times.

Nap schedules don't have to be complicated! Your platonic daily schedule should be easy-to follow and allow for some flexibility, while meeting your baby's sleep and nutrition needs.

The all-time function of having a consequent nap schedule is that y'all'll have fourth dimension each day for You fourth dimension.

If your infant goes to daycare, keep your nap schedule the same every bit theirs. Having a regular rhythm to each twenty-four hours helps your baby nap easily, because her body is used to sleeping at that time.

My Daily Schedules & Developmental Activities Guide has case nap schedules for 6 months – 4 years former. Plus, it has artistic play ideas and developmental toys to utilise at every age.

Hither's a preview

Steps vii-9 below are "advanced nap preparation" steps for half-dozen months and older.

Stride 7: Go your baby falling asleep independently

Wondering why your babe'southward naps are too short? Let me explain. Baby sleep cycles are around fifty minutes long. If your baby consistently wakes 45 minutes after falling asleep, information technology'south because she's finished one sleep bike and needs your aid starting a new i.

"Sleep associations" are the props or conditions that nosotros need in order to relax and fall comatose. If your baby is used to beingness rocked or nursed to sleep, so she assembly these activities with falling asleep. She's gotten used to you helping her autumn asleep.

There'due south nothing wrong with this! Information technology'southward just that she'll demand your assist to first a new slumber cycle when she wakes early on from a nap. And information technology can be hard for babies to autumn dorsum comatose later a short nap. They've gotten some slumber, so their bulldoze to sleep is weak. They may feel refreshed and set up to be awake!

If this is the case for your piffling one, then it'south time to teach her how to fall asleep on her own. Introduce new slumber associations that don't require you, likea lovey (for older babies & toddlers) and falling asleep in her bed (rather than in your arms.)

That style, when baby stirs after only twoscore minutes of napping, she won't need your help falling back asleep. She knows exactly how to practise it on her own. This step works magically with extending your baby's curt naps!

My nap training program shows you exactly how to get your baby falling asleep independently for naps and taking long, restful naps.

Step 8: Begin a "nap power hour"

This is the cloak-and-dagger weapon for lengthening your baby's short naps! But information technology works just when you're doing the to a higher place steps also.

Information technology goes like this: when your baby goes down for a nap she'll stay in her bed one hour, even if she wakes early .

This teaches your baby that nap time doesn't end just because she's woken, and encourages her to fall back comatose. How you help your infant resettle when she wakes early from a nap depends on several factors.

My nap training program walks you through the "nap ability hour" and picking a nap preparation method that is a perfect match for your little one.

Pace 9: Stay consequent

In one case your infant is a rock star napper, do your best to keep his nap routine consistent everyday (yes, fifty-fifty on weekends.) Babies can unlearn good napping habits just every bit quickly equally they larn them!

Prioritize your baby's need to sleep during the day. Rather than going out and risking your hard-earned nap time, invite people over. You may have to brush upward on your blistering skills (and clean the bathrooms). But here'due south the surreptitious: when your infant naps well, yous actually have fourth dimension to melt and make clean.

Bonus tip: Recollect the big flick

If yous're feeling stressed most your baby'southward curt naps, information technology can help to take a look at the big picture.

Track your baby'south sleep (day and night) for one calendar week. How much sleep does he get in 24 hours? If naps are on the curt side, merely babe sleeps a full of 14-xv hours each day (and he's happy and thriving) it may be that your infant prefers to sleep longer at nighttime.

Keep in mind

Nap preparation takes fourth dimension. Information technology'southward perfectly normal for parents to spend a few weeks trying to get their babies taking longer naps. If you tin practice the above steps consistently everyday, your baby will acquire to nap well.

Also, your infant needs to sleep well at night in order to nap well during the mean solar day. So if your baby's night slumber ever gets off track, focus on nighttime sleep grooming instead.

Get my nap grooming programme here.

Good luck!

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Source: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/how-to-extend-your-babys-naps/