Sleep Equals Sleep

Do you keep your baby up during the day hoping it will help them sleep longer at night?

Do you feel your baby is just one of those babies that does not like to nap?

I hear parents tell me all the time that their baby hates to nap or is never tired.  Well, it may seem like you are doing the right thing and that your baby quite simply doesn’t need sleep BUT the truth of the matter is, your child does need sleep and plenty of it.

In fact, the more sleep your baby gets during the day, the better his/her nighttime sleep will be.  Sleep = Sleep!

If your baby isn’t napping during the day, chances are your baby is extremely overtired and you have kept them up too long and they are beyond tired.  This makes it even harder for them to relax and slumber.

Ensure that your child isn’t up for extended periods and make sure you do a nice short and sweet nap routine so you set some sleep “cues” letting them know that it is sleep time.  Something as simple as a diaper change, story, sleep sac and song- all with in 5 minutes.  Quality and the length of each nap effect night time sleep.

Depending on your child’s age, the amount of daytime sleep they require will differ.  For instance a 2 month old may have 4-5 or even 6 naps a day whereas a 7 month old would require 2 1.5-2 hour naps and a straight 10-12 hours sleep a night.

So, the next time you catch yourself saying “my baby never wants to nap”…think about how long they have been up for.

Always respect your child’s naps and get on a good schedule.  Little ones LOVE routine and consistency – this includes sleep being a big part of the agenda!

Nap on and sleep well!

Janey Reilly, founder and principal of WeeSleep, is a leading professional infant and toddler sleep coach. Janey believes that providing infants and toddlers positive sleep skills in a gentle and guided way will in turn not only create healthier children but healthier and more joyful parents with a more balanced home life.

Find her at www.weesleep.ca or call or email today to get some advice and sleep right away! 289.983.6464