Nap transitions

As parents, we all know the challenge of nap transitions. It can be stressful, exhausting, and downright frustrating to figure out what’s best for our babies when it comes to rest time.

Knowing when and how to transition from sleeping during the day to being awake is one of the biggest challenges that parents face today – but help is here!

In this post, I will share my top tips for making a successful nap transitionGlossaryA nap transition describes the period during which an infant or toddler moves from a higher number of daytime naps to a lower number, reflecting increasing wakefulness capacity and consolidation of sleep into fewer, longer periods. Most…Read the full definition → with your little one so that everyone can enjoy a peaceful sleep. So, grab your coffee (or wine – no judgements here!) and let's get started on conquering nap transitions once and for all!

Gradually lengthen wake windows

Let's stretch those wake windows! The best way to do this is by pushing your child’s awake time by 10-15 minutes for each nap. So, if a nap is due at 10 am, push it to 10:10/10:15. The trick is to push without your child becoming too overtired to sleep. 10-15 minutes is generally enough to make progress without causing a meltdown. I work predominantly with total sleep in 24hrs, but I do believe that the last wake windowGlossaryA wake window is a term used to describe the period of wakefulness between one sleep and the next for an infant or young child. The concept rests on the observation that babies have a limited capacity to remain awake comfortably before s…Read the full definition → of the day is really important to get right, and prevent common issues, such as false starts.

Activities

If it’s coming up to nap time and your little one is getting sleepy, switch up their activities. Have something planned for the last 15 minutes of a wake window that's different to your usual routine – but nothing over stimulating. We used to race cars across the kitchen floor so that my little one could run and catch them. Anything to get them through that extra time you’re introducing!

Sunlight...

Sunlight helps with the production of melatoninGlossaryMelatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body. According to the NHS, "at night, your levels of melatonin rise, before returning to normal during the day," and this pattern "helps to control how and when you sleep." It is produ…Read the full definition →, which is sleep's best friend! So get your child out and about. A walk round the garden or to the local shop will help.

...and darkness

I talk about it all the time but it's so important. When nap time arrives, make sure your child's room is dark. Biology is not on your side for daytime sleeps, so it helps to trick your small person into thinking it's night-time. We use these portable blackout blinds when we travel

Routine

Keep bedtime routine consistent, and have a ‘mini-version’ of the bedtime routine for nap times. This helps your child wind down from ‘yay, playtime!’ to bedtime/nap time. For example, we have bath, pyjamas and three stories for 'full' bedtime but at nap time we just change nappy, have one story and straight into bed.

Nap rescuing

Nap rescu is when your child wakes up at some point during their nap, usually vastly earlier than you would like them to! When this happens, there's usally always a reason for it, and I would suggest looking at their schedule initially. In the moment, if you know that your little one REALLY needs that nap, then do whatever you can to 'rescue' it. This could be something like patting and shushiing until they go back to sleep, popping them quickly into the pram and having a motion contact napGlossaryA contact nap is a nap a baby takes while in physical contact with a caregiver, such as being held in arms or resting against the chest, instead of being laid down in a cot or Moses basket. Contact napping is very common in the early mon…Read the full definition →, or even going for a short drive. We've all been there!

Be flexible

You may have a desired bedtime of 7 pm, but whilst your child is transitioning down the naps, they may need a slightly earlier or later bedtime. Be flexible – you won’t be putting them to bed at 6 pm forever!