Sleep-training your newborn might be difficult, but it is inevitable for their health; they should receive the rest they need. Infants need to sleep to develop and flourish. You may have spare time during the day to complete your task when the baby is sleeping. Parents can rest and revive the energy they need when their baby sleeps long. As a mother, I love naptime because it gives me time to do tasks on my list. It also means that we can finally get the rest we need. But how to get the baby to nap longer?

Every kid has a different sleep set; some sleep at night, and some sleep day and awake at night. It is among the best practices for getting babies to sleep training at different times. Daily a nap also helps newborns and kids learn and pay attention more readily while awake rather than complain. That little brain needs rest to process, repair, and rejuvenate. So in this article, we will discover how to get the baby to nap longer.

How To Get The Baby To Nap Longer?

Most parents are anxious to know how long their children should have naps, but giving children an infinite supply of sleep isn’t in their best interests. Let’s start with the suggested totals of daytime sleep that we prefer to see based on the kid’s age to give you a sense of what you should truly be striving for.

For kids 0-3 months

we mothers should provide 14 and 17 hours of total sleep to their newborn each day, with four to six hours of nap. You may notice time will see extremely irregular napping.

3-6 months for babies

Your child’s nap will become more consistent once they have beyond the newborn stage. The ideal nap time for an infant is three to five hours per day, divided typically into three to four naps.

7-9 months for children

Your child’s total sleep time will drop to around two to four hours as they progressively move towards two naps.

For kids 10 to 14 months

Once your child is consistently on a two-nap schedule, as they grow, their desire for daytime sleep diminishes a little bit, and their naps may get a little bit shorter. While there’s no need to be alarmed, you should ensure the baby gets between 2.5 and 3 hours of sleep every day throughout two naps.

The advantages of nap for infants and toddlers

Growth

Young babies grow and develop quickly. Have you ever wondered why it happened as though your child gained an inch overnight? In the process of Newborn care and safety Babies require a lot of sleep to fulfill their maximum development potential. It also covers consistent, protracted daytime nap. Growth and tissue healing occur during the deep sleep stages. Your baby or toddler is missing out on this crucial development period if they only receive brief naps.

Learning

Like adults, newborns’ brains accumulate and process information when asleep. It has been shown that kids and adults perform better on exams after a nap. The same idea applies to memory. According to research, babies between the ages of 6 and 12 months performed better on exams the following day when allowed to sleep right after getting new material. Even more convincing that the babies in both control and test groups slept well the night before. The babies that performed well on exams had a nap lasting at least an hour during the day, which is the only apparent difference.

Behavior

The kid who lacks sleep will be irritable. Adults also follow the same rule, so this discovery is not shocking. However, if your baby is shrieking and wailin’ in the middle of the store, that’s not simply an indication of tiredness; it’s a sign of overtiredness.

Short naps make your child grumpier, but you’ll also notice that insomnia-deprived children don’t react as strongly to positive situations. Make lengthy sleeping times a priority to ensure you and your small baby enjoy life’s wonderful moments to the fullest.

Rest

Keep in mind that your child is a stranger in this world. They must use mental energy to absorb and cope with the various new situations, stimuli, and problems they encounter daily.

Tips for Longer Baby Nap

1. Know Your Baby’s Sleepy Cues
2. Listen to your child’s signals. If they seem tired (yawning, rubbing their eyes, or appearing drowsy), it is time for them to take a nap.
3. Keep a Balance Between Noise and Silence
4. Regulate Your Baby’s Sleep Training. Babies have shorter sleep cycles, around 50-60 mins, and sleep more.
5. Create a naptime routine to help your baby learn to sleep.
6. Avoid Factors That Could Wake Him Up. Noises such as sirens or loud televisions can disrupt a child’s sleep schedule.
7. Offer a Snack or Meal Before Nap Time because they are growing rapidly, and sometimes, their stomach is a bottomless pit.
8. Avoid screen time before a nap because young minds are active. This stimulus is likely to keep them awake, even turning off.
9. White noise machines can be a great way to soothe your child. It produces a whooshing sound similar to a baby’s womb experience.
10. Balance Between Light and Dark, Bright lights can make your baby feel groggy, but the darkness makes waking up from sleep difficult.

FAQS

When do babies begin to take a longer nap?

Although every infant is unique, you will start to see a longer nap between the four and six months. If your child is over six months old and wakes up even after a 30-45 minute nap, it’s time for some sleep hacks.

During the day, where should your baby take a nap?

Your infant should sleep in the same place both during the night and the day. Otherwise, sleep training is even more challenging. Move them to their usual sleeping location as soon as they nod off.

How many a nap does the baby need?

Once your child reaches the age of six months, you’ll find that they need two to four longer naps every day. When your child is 12 months old, you may start reducing their meals, and by the time they are 18 months old, you should only be giving them one a day.

Conclusion

For your baby’s development, learning, behavior, and general well-being, ensuring they receive enough sleep and take a longer nap is essential. A Longer nap supports healthy development and tissue repair, boosts learning and memory retention, enhances behavior, and fosters a contented and well-rested infant. Pay attention to your baby’s tired cues, create a sleep-friendly atmosphere, eliminate interruptions, offer a snack or meal before naptime, avoid screen time, utilize white noise, and balance the amount of light and dark to promote a longer nap. Remember that as your child gets older, their sleep pattern will vary, and they will ultimately start taking fewer naps each day.