A Guide to Your Baby's Sleep and Napping
Do: Spot Sleepiness
Rubbing eyes, crying, jerky movements, and, of course, yawning can be signs of sleepiness in newborns. Babies who are overtired have more trouble settling down for sleep, so watch for these cues that it's time to get to bed. Older babies may also become clumsy, clingy, and hyperactive.
Don't: Wake Baby
What if baby falls asleep in her car seat? Just carry her in the seat inside. She can finish the nap there. You don't need to wake her or move her to a crib. If she starts to snooze in her baby swing, just keep an eye on her and don't let her sleep there overnight. If she's in a very deep sleep, you may be able to move her to her crib.
Do: Know Babies Sleep a Lot
Infants sleep about 16 hours a day, waking for feedings and changing. As they get older they should require less sleep during the day and more at night. By 6 months babies should be able to sleep through the night plus take two to three naps. By a year old they may nap just once or twice a day and sleep about 11 hours a night.
Don't: Rely on Naps To-Go
It may be tempting to squeeze napping into carpooling and errand time, but try to avoid making it a regular habit. Constantly napping on the go may not get your child the rest he needs. If he always seems tired and your schedule is too packed, consider cutting back or rearrange your commitments. Or hire a babysitter so baby has regular, thorough naps.
Do: Feed, Take a Break, Then Nap
It's natural for babies to fall asleep after a feeding. Nursing or bottle-feeding newborns to sleep is a great bonding experience, but over time it can become the only way they can fall asleep. Try to separate nursing from naps even by just a few minutes; read a story or change baby's diaper in between.
Do: Stretch Out Naps
Is baby sleepy? Is she older than 6 months and still taking lots of short 20-minute naps throughout the day? Encourage her to take longer naps. How? Try keeping baby up. And stretching the time between her naps progressively longer. This may lead to longer naps -- ideally, one to two hours each -- and sounder nighttime sleep.
Do: Set a Routine
Set a good nap routine and stick to it, when possible. Help baby sleep better by:
- Having the same nap times each day
- Avoiding late afternoon naps. If baby has trouble falling asleep at night, make naptime earlier or wake him well before bedtime.
- Using the crib at night and naptime, so he associates it with sleep.
Don't: Rush In
Sneezing, hiccups, whimpers, sighs, and even squeaks are common baby sleep noises. So you likely don't need to rush in the room. Even fussing and crying may just mean that baby is settling down. Wait a bit before checking on him, unless you think he's unsafe, uncomfortable, or hungry.
Do: Put Baby Down When Awake
After a few weeks, baby doesn't have to be sound asleep when you lay her down. Sleepy is good enough. This teaches baby how to fall asleep on her own and not depend on being held, rocked, or fed. This also can help her learn to fall back to sleep on her own if she wakes during the night.
Do: Think Safety
Move baby if he falls asleep in an unsafe place. This includes couches, adult beds, waterbeds, and the floor. Always put baby down to sleep on his back to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Remove blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, bumpers and other soft things from baby's sleep area. Don’t put babies down to nap with other children or pets.
Reviewed by Kathy Empen, MD on August 16, 2011
This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information: 
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