How To Get Your Baby Into A Proper Naptime Routine
Babies learn to self-pacify and fall asleep by themselves, but only if you let her. Some parents think that letting their baby cry will hurt him or her. Fifteen or twenty minutes of crying will not hurt your child physically or mentally.
If you baby is not sleeping well during her first few months of life, you may want to try to cut back on the time she is awake by 15 minute increments. If she is getting overstimulated, then she will resist sleep and be hard to get to nap.
The way to prevent this is to observe her “sleepy” cues to be certain that you put her down when she is starting to get drowsy.
It is very important that babies learn to fall asleep by themselves so that they can self-soothe if they stir in the middle of the night. Otherwise, you may have a child that will not snooze through the night for a long time.
Normal sleep patterns are intermeshed with habitual eating patterns, so let us look at the stages of a baby’s life:
Newborn:
Your newborn will sleep somewhere from 16 to 20 hours a day, counting the naps that he takes between feedings. When your baby has been fed, let him remain awake for a short while and then put him down before he becomes overstimulated.
Two months:
At two months and older, your child should be permitted to try to self-soothe during their naptimes and bedtime. Crying is typical when you put your baby down, but it is okay. If he cries for longer than 10-15 minutes, then go in and check on him. Don’t get him up, but pat his bottom or lightly rub his back until he calms down.
3-6 months:
At around 3-6 months, your baby will cease taking one of his naps. Generally it is the third nap or late afternoon nap that they do not need as much. He may be a little fussy and may want to take a little nap, but you ought to try to keep him up if you want him to go to bed at a right time and sleep well through the night.
16+ months:
When your child is between 16-20 months, they commonly stop taking the morning nap in place of a longer nap in the afternoons. Babies this age regularly sleep between 10-12 hours a night and take a 2-3 hour afternoon nap.
Ground Rules about Naps
1) You determine when the nap starts and ends, not the baby.
2) When your baby is older than 4 months old, she will wake up crying if she hasn’t slept enough. She might have a soiled diaper, be in a position that is not comfortable, or cold/hot. Fix the problem and encourage her to go back to sleep. Babies that have enough rest wake up cheerful and in a good mood.
