By Marc Courtiol
Napping seems like such an ordinary thing, but to parents ofyoung children it is a constant concern and often a source of anxiety. We knowthat getting the maximum amount of sleep possible is good for a child, yet thechild is obviously not aware of this, and many seem to naturally resist beingput down for naps. Some babies fuss, wake up frequently, and are unpredictablein when and how they like to nap. These are all simple facts of being a parent.And while you cannot stop nap troubles entirely, what you can do is minimizethe difficulties.
1. Babies cannot nap too much. Many parents, especiallythose on their first child, worry that their babies are napping too much, andthey make an effort not to overdo it. But there are a few points to keep inmind here. First, it is perfectly acceptable for babies to sleep anywhere from14 to 20 hours a day, and it is normal for them to get tired one to two hoursafter waking up, even if the previous nap was a good one. And do not worryabout daytime naps ruining nighttime sleep. It does not work that way withbabies. In fact, good napping during the day often leads to less fussiness atnight, which makes a good night�s sleep easier.
Also keep in mind that, again, the more sleep your babygets, the better. Crucial development happens during those naps. So do not feelbad about encouraging your baby to sleep as much as possible. It does not meanyou are selfish or that you do not enjoy your baby�s company. It is just goodparenting. And yes, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the break while yourbaby sleeps.
2. Monitor your baby�s sleep. Babies� sleep patterns canfluctuate wildly from day to day, but if you keep track of how often and howlong your baby naps, you may begin to notice a pattern emerging. For instance,one common pattern for babies aged three to six months is to nap for an hour ortwo, eat, play for an hour and go back to sleep. In this pattern, the day isroughly divided into three-hour chunks. If you keep track of these patterns,then you will get a better sense of when your baby will be getting sleepy,which helps you be prepared.
3. Control the conditions. Whether your baby naps in aseparate room or simply on a sofa or other piece of furniture wherever you are,control the conditions to optimize the quality of sleep and the length of thenap. Make the room bright whenever the baby is awake and feeding or playing,and dim the lights when she shows signs of being ready to nap. In the dimmerlight, she will be put down to sleep more easily.
4. Keep noise soft. Parents of newborns typically get usedto their babies being able to sleep through practically anything, but after amonth or two the pendulum swings the other way. By around three months of age,many babies are liable to wake up at the slightest sound. Obviously, thehousehold should be quiet during nap time. But if you want to be able to goabout your business without worrying that every squeak of the floor will wake yourchild, run some white noise in the background. This will help make other soundsless jarring.
5. Take preemptive action. When a baby moves past sleep andgets into a state of fussy irritability, initiating sleep becomes mostdifficult. Try to learn to recognize the signs your baby will be ready for anap, and begin going through the motions before the irritability kicks in. Ofcourse, some babies do not respond well to having a nap time routine (even atso young an age they resist sleep), so you may have to change things upregularly.
6. Be flexible. During the first couple years of yourchild�s life, you can expect things to change continuously, and the pace ofchange is extra fast during the early months. So be aware that any nap timestrategies that work well today may not work in a couple of days. This can befrustrating for parents, but the key is to experiment with different things asmuch as possible. You cannot force your baby to sleep, but you can always findways to make it happen more easily.
7. Take wake-ups in stride. Babies tend to wake up beforetheir naps are over. Sometimes they do it multiple times. For a parent, it isbest to have a sense of how much sleep the baby needs, and if she obviously hasnot finished her full nap, try to help her finish her sleep. Older babies cansometimes get themselves back to sleep, but younger ones often need to be held,rocked, snuggled, or whatever works for your child.
About Marc Courtiol: Marc Courtiol is an accomplished healthresearcher in the field of natural wellness. A graduate from Cornell, Marc is acontributing author for several onlinejournal sites and believes in the many uses of gripe water.
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