😩Stop stressing over naps!😩
So you have opened this post thinking, what is this about? Especially when Nights with Nat plans involve naptime routines and discussions around total day sleep including naptimes! In fact, it’s a strange post for me to write because I’m all for routines, balancing day and night sleep and ensuring your little ones are well rested through good quality naps.
However, I’m here to change the way you think about naps. Because once you change your thinking about them, things should get easier!
Think of your baby waking up in the morning around 7am and going to sleep for the night at 7pm. In those 12 hours, they probably need to nap at some point (age dependent). Maybe they need 1,2 or 3 naps. If they need to nap and don’t nap at all, they may be cranky, unsettled and generally quite unpleasant to be around 😅 All the sleep pressure has built up with nowhere to be released!
Naps alleviate that sleep pressure. That is the purpose of naps. To recharge your little one so they can carry on with their day.
We want sleep pressure to build constantly during the day so that they fall asleep easily at naptime and bedtime.
However, by trying to either force your child to have more sleep or giving them too much day sleep, the sleep pressure can’t build up enough to allow them to fall asleep and stay asleep overnight.
I like to think of naps as taking the edge off that sleep pressure without depleting it completely. If your child does short naps and they’re happy – crack on! The lovely long 2 hour lunch nap? Dreamy for us as a time to sit down and rest but it may be too much for them.
Don’t be scared by shorter naps – sometimes it’s all that is needed to alleviate the sleep pressure and help them sleep through the night! Think of any nap as ‘ahh at least they’ve relieved some sleep pressure’ and you should feel calmer about the day ahead.
Working out nap times can be confusing. Feel free to get in touch and see what I can suggest about your little one’s sleep ❤️
