There’s one thing parents dread when it comes to their little ones and that\u2019s short naps. There are lots of things actually but those 20-30 minute naps can be tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We love our babies but sometimes, mama (or papa) needs some rest. That certainly won\u2019t happen if your munchkin doesn\u2019t allow it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, turn on parent investigator mode and let\u2019s dissect the question, \u201cwhy is my baby taking short naps?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A baby\u2019s sleep cycle is usually between 50-60 minutes and a nap should be at least 2 sleep cycles.(1)<\/sup><\/a> So anything less than that is considered a short nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than the age, it\u2019s okay to see some occasional short naps with your little one. In reality, there will be times when you can\u2019t predict the sleep time of your little one. And it\u2019s normal to see occasional sporadic changes in your little one\u2019s sleep pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cause for worry arises when your little experiences frequent short naps. At about 5 months, my baby would sleep for 25 minutes and then make a fuss all through her wake time. Trust me when I say, tough times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the days she took 2 hour long naps, it felt like I had hit the jackpot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should know that what is considered a \u201cshort nap\u201d mostly depends on your little one\u2019s age. It’s developmentally normal to see those 20-minute naps when your little one is a newborn and a lot frequently too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing I\u2019ve noticed with lots of parents is that they throw an unnecessary fuss about their baby taking short naps. Don\u2019t get me wrong, it is a thing. I mean, I experienced short naps with my baby a lot of times but in some cases, your baby is having adequate sleep even with 20-minute naps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve curated a list to help you decide whether or not your baby is experiencing short naps as per their age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t need anyone to tell you that your 5-month-old taking 30-minute naps counts as cat napping. You\u2019ll need to do something to lengthen their sleep time so they don\u2019t get overtired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a couple of reasons why your baby may be experiencing short naps and you need to determine this before you try to extend sleep times. These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know you\u2019re probably wondering what on earth that means. Well, take a trip down memory lane, do you rock your baby to sleep? Do you cuddle them and sing them to sleep on your arms? If yes, then there you have it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I earlier stated, a baby\u2019s sleep cycle takes 50-60 minutes so to take a long nap, they\u2019d have to go through two sleep cycles. They are likely to partially wake in between sleep cycles and when you\u2019re not there to put them back to sleep, they would stay awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I used to do this all the time, I\u2019d rock my baby to sleep in my arms then transfer her into her crib for the nap. Like I said, 25 minutes later she wakes. Sometimes, that happened because she woke up in a different environment than she slept in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good rule of thumb is to place your little one in their crib right before they fall asleep when they are just drowsy enough to still be aware of their surroundings. That way, a sense of familiarity hits them when they wake and they can go back to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A major reason why your baby may be short napping is that they get hungry halfway through the sleep session. This arouses them and will most likely lead to a break in their sleep cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can be hectic planning feeding and sleeping schedules for your baby, especially when they barely stick to the sleep schedule. Still, I would suggest you take your time to prepare a schedule that works well with their feeding schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environment your baby sleeps in plays a major role in whether or not they would have short naps. In this case, I\u2019m referring to any disturbances that may be present while your little one naps in their crib.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like adults, babies can be light sleepers and a short neighborhood dog bark or squeaking door can cause your baby to wake in the middle of a nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have to be as precise as you can when it comes to your baby\u2019s wake times and sleep schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As weird as it sounds if your baby doesn\u2019t get enough sleep they would get over tired and take only short naps. That\u2019s because extended wake times cause the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol which can cause your baby to stay up and make a fuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like over-tiredness will cause your baby to take short naps, under-tiredness will cause the same. Under-tiredness is basically when your little one hasn\u2019t built up enough sleep pressure to nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing with this is that your baby will fall asleep because there\u2019s just enough sleep pressure for that. But when it comes to staying asleep, it\u2019s not sufficient. When this happens, they may even wake before a complete sleep cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its time for the part you\u2019ve patiently been waiting for. Let\u2019s look into some of the ways I tried to extend my baby\u2019s short naps. Some worked on some occasions and didn\u2019t on some and it may be similar for you. Or not but it\u2019s worth trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You see the last two the reasons I listed that may cause your baby to take short naps? This is where we solve them. Babies tend to be awake for short times before napping again during the day, this is what is called wake time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t want their wake time to be too long or they\u2019ll end up overtired and you don\u2019t want it to be too short or reverse will be the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What works for one mama may not work for you, so you\u2019re going to have to observe your little one\u2019s sleep patterns to establish an appropriate wake time. But before you do that, you may want to take a look at this chart for a good guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNap Duration for Different Ages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Age<\/td> Nap length<\/td> Nap frequency<\/td><\/tr> Newborns<\/td> 20-120 minutes<\/td> <\/td><\/tr> 3-month olds<\/td> 30 minutes to 2 hours<\/td> 3-4 daily<\/td><\/tr> 4-6 month olds<\/td> 1 to 2 hours<\/td> 2-3 daily<\/td><\/tr> 7-12 month olds<\/td> 1 to 2 hours<\/td> 2 daily<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Why Do Short Naps Happen?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Your Baby Needs Your Help To Sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2.Your Baby Is Startled By A Change In Environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3.Your Baby Is Hungry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4.Your Baby\u2019s Sleep Environment Is Not Conducive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5.Your Baby Is Over Tired<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6.Your Baby Is Under Tired<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How To Extend Your Baby\u2019s Short Naps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1.Allow Age Appropriate Wake Times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n