Nap timing can make or break a short nap vs. a long nap. Your baby should be fatigued enough to fall asleep in a timely manner and stay asleep long enough.
A “short nap” is a nap that is under one hour.
Your goal for naps should be to figure out your baby’s sweet spot.
The majority of the time, parents are waiting too long to put their baby down for a nap. Waiting too long between naps can lead to overtiredness, which will make it harder for your baby to settle down to sleep, and frequently leads to short naps. In this case, try to put your baby down 20 minutes earlier for at least three days and see if that helps lengthen the nap.
On the other hand, if you are putting your baby down too soon, before he has built up enough sleep pressure, it can take a while to fall asleep and can also lead to a short nap.
Tracking your baby’s naps, whether it be simply jotting it down with a pencil and paper or using a baby tracking app, can help you figure out this nap puzzle to get to your baby’s nap times sweet spot.
Naps should lengthen for most babies around 4-6 months when their circadian rhythm matures.
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