Getting a good night's sleep

Solutions for the Short Napper

By Brooke Tseng

Have a bad napper? You are not alone! Read below for tips on extending your baby’s naps.

From about 6 weeks to 6 months my son would sleep for only 30 minutes at a time during the day, waking crying, crabby, and still tired. It was exhausting, frustrating and confusing. Our days consisted of putting him to sleep, frantically washing dishes, doing laundry, cooking meals and whatever else I could accomplish in 30 minutes. He was so tired he would only last for about an hour before he was ready to go down again. He took 5 of these min-naps a day. I was utterly exhausted and wondering what I was doing wrong to have such a poor sleeper. Would my little one ever take those nice long naps that other mommies brag about? Would I ever feel like a “normal” person again?

First of all, short naps are not as uncommon as you might think. There are many babies who become 30-minute nappers at some point in their babyhood, and most will outgrow this on their own. Almost miraculously, my own guy began taking longer naps (ranging from 1-2 hours in length) at about 6 months. So there is hope!

For those who dont want to wait it out (and I don’t blame you!), you may be able to tweak your little ones napping habits now. Caution- because babies are still establishing their circadian rhythms, drastic measures or using cry-it-out tactics are usually not recommended for little ones under 6 months. You simply cant expect too much out of a young baby. But that doesn’t mean you can’t gently encourage them to stay in dreamland a little longer. In my quest to find a solution, I have collected some tips for helping babies sleep longer. Note- I am NOT a physician or sleep therapist of any kind. Just a mommy with a wakeful baby and some advice I have picked up along the way. Please, talk to your pediatrician before starting any kind of sleep training.

The first step is figuring out why your baby is waking in the first place and what is preventing them from falling back asleep. The problem could be a combination of factors:

1. When babies wake up after 30 minutes, they may be having trouble transitioning between sleep cycles.
   • For more reading on sleep cycles, check out Marc Weissbluth’s Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.
2. Your baby could actually be rested. If he is not exhibiting any signs of sleepiness, then he may really have gotten enough sleep in that power nap (although according to many sleep experts, babies usually need at least 45 minutes for it to make any real difference).
3. They dont know how to put themselves back to sleep.
   • If you lay your baby down fast asleep, he could be waking at the transition in cycles and not know how to go back to sleep on his own.
4. Room too bright.
5. Environment too noisy.
6. Room too hot/cold.
7. Baby waking himself by startling (throwing arms out to the sides and hitting the mattress or crib).
   • Newborns are especially nortious for this.
8. Baby has acid reflux.
   • This could especially be true if baby also wakes a lot at night. Check with your pediatrician if you think this might be the case. There is medication for this.

Ideas to help babies sleep longer:

1. Darken the room by covering the windows with shades or curtains.
2. Use white noise to make consistent background sound that both comforts baby and drowns out distracting household noise. It could also serve as a cue that its time to sleep. You can buy a white noise machine or play a white noise cd on repeat.
3. Swaddle! It will keep your little one comforted, secure, and prevent his limbs from flailing and waking him. In the winter it also serves as a way to keep him warm without potentially-dangerous blankets. If you cant master a proper and tight swaddle (I never could), you can buy swaddling blankets with Velcro or ties.
4. Lay him down drowsy or awake. When a baby puts himself to sleep, he will be more likely to go back to sleep without fuss when he wakes between sleep cycles.
5. Keep baby’s room a comfortable temperature.
6. Dress baby in socks or footed-pants when sleeping. Cold feet could be the culprit.
7. Put him to sleep as soon as he is tired. Look for sleepy signs, before the crying begins. My guys signal was ear-pulling and eye rubbing. When babies get overtired, they are more likely to sleep poorly and wake often.
8. Try changing the venue. If you dont mind baby napping outside of his crib, you could try using a swing, stroller, vibrating bouncy seat, baby hammock, or anywhere else you think your baby may be more comfortable and apt to nap longer.
9. Use motion. Some babies love motion and are more likely so stay asleep if they are in a swing or being pushed in a stroller.
10. Nap with baby. Some babies sleep longer if cuddled next to their caregivier. Bonus is you get a rest too and more snuggle time!

How to get baby back to sleep after 30-minute waking. So your baby has woken at 30 minutes on the dot and is obviously still tired? Here are some tips I picked up that might help get your little one back to sleep.

1. Keep lights low or off.
2. Talk softly or not at all.
3. Try soothing your baby back to sleep without picking him up (hands on back, stroking hair, ssshhing).
4. Nursing back to sleep.
5. Rocking.
6. Bouncing on yoga ball while holding baby.
7. Leaving baby to fuss for a few minutes (only after 3 months) before going back in to see if him will settle himself.
   • Never do this to a newborn, and only to an older baby for a few minutes at a time or with advice from your pediatrician.
8. Waiting at door for 5 minutes BEFORE baby usually wakes and then going in at first sign of waking and soothing back to sleep before he is really awake and crying.

Personally, I think I only soothed my son back to sleep a handful of times, but I know others who successfuly used this method for every nap. Regardless of what you choose to do, know that your 30-minute napper will someday sleep longer (some sooner than later). The most important thing I have learned is dont stress too much. Most sleep problems, will solve themselves. Babies grow and change so quickly in the first year that much of what they do is only a phase. There is no one-size-fits-all sleep solution out there, so the important thing is that you find what works for you and your little one. Enjoy your babies while they are awake and relish the quiet moments when they are sleeping, as fleeting as those moments might be. Now go get some rest!

For more in-depth reading and advice on infant sleep issues, here are a few good books with different approaches.

1. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Marc Weissbluth
2. The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Elizabeth Pantley
3. The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer, Harvey Karp
4. Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition, Richard Ferber

Sarah Mullin says

Some things that always helped my son, now 18 months, was to let him take his naps during the day in his bouncer. He loved to fall asleep and stay asleep to the vibrations that the bouncer would make. Some babies are scared of this but ones that are not just love it. One thing I also did was to try to keep my son up a little longer. Again, some babies do not do well but some do great. I would see he is sleepy but waiting 10 minutes would have him sleeping an hour longer. I also would cover his curtain and blinds with some extra sheet or curtains during the day, if he was sleeping in his room. The sunlight can keep them from getting in a deep sleep, and some babies need deep sleep to get a good nap in.

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