4 Sleepy-Time Tips for Your Baby’s Best Nap

Parents, we get you; naptime is rest time—and we’re not just talking about for your little one. It offers both a chance for baby to recharge as well as a blissful, quiet period during your day. Win-win! But when your little sprout has trouble getting to sleep, it can be more than frustrating. Are you doing something wrong? Trust us—you’re probably not. Every parent has been there, and some days are harder than others. The important thing is that you have the resources you need! Here are some simple tips and tricks you can use to ensure your baby’s best naptime.

The Power of Routine

At around three months, your baby’s daytime sleep begins to assume a pattern—this is the perfect time to start a nap routine! Work with their natural rhythm to come up with a schedule that suits them best and reinforce it through repetition—same time, same duration every day. This will encourage timely naps because baby’s body will know when it’s time to sleep.

Tucker ‘Em Out Before Tucking ‘Em In

Tire that lil’ baby out! During the waking hours, make sure he or she is fully engaged. We’re talking stroller rides, colorful toys and a lot of interaction. When you give baby’s brain a lot of different stimuli to experience, you’re indirectly preparing them for rest later in the day. And this, of course, comes with the added benefit of bonding with your little one—sing to them, bounce them and keep them busy. It’ll really pay off during rest time.

Create the Perfect Sleep Space

Make sure you have the best sleep space possible prepared so baby can catch the healthiest ZZZs! The room he or she sleeps in should be reasonably dark and cool, simulating nighttime so it’s easier to sleep. Monitor noise and keep the room quiet. If that’s not a possibility, a lot of babies respond favorably to white noise, as it blocks out sharp sounds and gives them a nice, equal spectrum of sound to lull them—you can easily find a white noise simulator on YouTube that may help!

Go with the Nap Flow

Remember, your child is constantly growing and changing, and that means his or her nap schedule will do the same. If your little one is consistently fussy around naptime and unwilling to sleep, it might be an indicator that his or her needs are changing! It’s no one’s fault—just time to do some naptime routine tinkering. But is it a change in baby’s needs or sleep regression? Before making any huge changes, go to sites like babysleepsite.com or babysleep.com and do a little bit of research.