Guest Article. The fourth of a series of articles written for Baby College all about Baby Sleep
Understanding Sleep Changes in Babies: How to Manage Your Baby’s Nap Transitions🌙
(This article was written for Baby College by Emma Gawne, Sleep Consultant with Help Baby Sleep and Resident Baby Sleep Expert for Inspiring Parents UK, our national Facebook Support Group)
Every baby is unique, and this uniqueness extends to their nap patterns. While it’s tempting to rely on sleep books and Google searches, it’s important to remember that guidelines are just that—guidelines. Your baby might not follow them perfectly, and that’s okay.
Some babies are robust, chunky nappers, while others are catnappers. Neither is wrong, but catnappers require more frequent nap routines, which can be demanding for you as the parent/carer.
Before we dive into managing nap transitions, let’s look at the typical number of naps at different ages:
- 0-3 months: Sleep is spread out evenly throughout the day and night.
- 3-6 months: A more defined routine emerges, often with 4 naps and 4-5 hours of sleep.
- 6-9 months: Usually 3 naps a day, totalling 3-4 hours.
- 9-16 months: Naps often drop to 2, lasting around 2-3 hours.
- 16 months to 2 years: Many children shift to one nap a day, totalling 2-3 hours.
- Beyond 2 years: Naps may continue, up to 2 hours, but often shorten as sleep needs change.
Please remember that these figures are just a guide. Babies of the same age can vary greatly in their sleep needs. Cultural, seasonal, and geographical differences also play a role. For instance, in China, reception-age children often nap during the day on a specially designed desk that turns into a bed as part of their school routine. In France and Italy, long lunch hours often include naps.
Why Do Babies Drop Naps?
Naps are essential for babies. Night-time sleep is driven by the circadian rhythm and sleep pressure build-up. Daytime sleep, however, relieves the build-up of sleep pressure, otherwise known as adenosine.
It is very likely that catnappers experience a dramatic drop in sleep pressure with short naps, whereas longer nappers have a slower drop, leading to longer naps.
As babies mature, their daytime sleep needs decrease because sleep pressure rises more slowly. This leads to longer awake windows between naps until eventually, they might go through the entire day without a nap.
It’s crucial to understand that naps are not an exact science. The length of naps, the number of naps, and total daytime sleep will vary. Even though nap transitions are a normal part of sleep maturation, it can feel challenging. Change is hard, and it can be unsettling.
Drivers of Nap Dropping
There are three main drivers behind the dropping of naps and nap transitions:
- Parent-led: You might shape daytime sleep based on your observations, balancing your needs with your baby’s needs.
- Circumstance-driven: Nursery or daycare schedules, siblings with different nap schedules, school pick-ups, and work commitments can all influence nap patterns.
- Baby-driven: As their sleep needs decrease, so do the naps.
Signs of Dropping Naps
Dropping a nap is not an on/off switch—it’s a slow process. You might see nap resistance, where your baby isn’t tired at their usual nap time. This resistance is due to lower adenosine levels and longer awake windows. Subsequently, this leads to a longer sleep latency—they end up fighting sleep because they don’t feel tired. What worked before does not work so well.
You might find that your winning strategies to support them to sleep have stopped working. However, it is not that the strategies do not work anymore, it is that they are not coupled with tiredness—so there is essentially a conflict between your baby’s sleep needs and your expectations.
Other signs include:
- Longer awake windows: More time between naps.
- Longer bedtimes: If daytime sleep is too long, sleep pressure isn’t high enough for easy bedtime. Remember, bedtime is a time of separation—your child is hardwired to resist it. If there is nothing physiologically pulling them to sleep naturally, you will end up with a lot more resistance.
Making It Easier
There’s no quick fix for managing nap transitions. It’s a long process, often spanning three to four years. Here are some tips to make it easier:
- Prepare for change: Know that there will be times when your baby is cranky and off-routine.
- Be flexible: Nap needs will vary. Bedtime might need to be adjusted depending on whether your baby napped that day. Picture bedtime as a floating dock—if your baby has a nap, the dock goes up—bedtime is going to be later. If they do not have a nap, bedtime is going to be earlier. Be prepared for bedtime, but expect that it might be later.
- Adapt bedtime: If sleep pressure hasn’t built enough, move out of the sleep space, go for a walk, or get some fresh air. Red light from sunset helps with melatonin production.
- Trust yourself: You know your baby best. Experiment and find what works for you.
Remember, nap transitions is a balancing act. Leaning into what works rather than fighting your child’s biological needs will make things easier. Take what’s useful, leave the rest, and know that you’re doing your best.
Emma Gawne
HelpBabySleep
www.helpbabysleep.co.uk
Message from Emma
Help Baby Sleep, baby sleep consultant, is here to help guide you and your baby to a better night’s sleep.Â
My goal is to give parents back their confidence and wellbeing. I support you by finding gentle and well balanced solutions to help you with your little one’s sleep.
So that you can get some too.
Message from Baby College
New parents: Remember, you’re not alone in this journey! Join our supportive community at Inspiring Parents UK or join us at a Baby College class near you where you can seek advice from fellow parents and sleep experts
