Naps Archives - Sleeping Should Be Easy

What to Do When Your Baby Wakes Up Crying from Naps

Jul 13, 2023

Frustrated when your baby wakes up crying from naps hysterically? Learn exactly what to do when you hear your little one screaming uncontrollably. Let's start with a reassurance: if your baby wakes up crying from naps, you're in the majority. Rare is the baby who wakes up from a nap, cooing and waiting for you to come get him. Instead, most babies let us know that nap time is over with their piercing, shrill cries. Still... if you're in the minority of parents whose babies did wake up fine but are now cranky after naps, you're not without hope, either. Perhaps your baby started waking up … [Read more...]

How to Get Your Baby to Nap in the Crib

Naps

Jun 24, 2023

Wondering how to get baby to nap in crib instead of your arms, the swing, or co sleeping? Get tips to help your newborn sleep in the crib! I was desperate. My newborn took long naps... but only in the swing. Any time I tried to put him down in the crib, he'd wake up screaming (or only sleep for a few minutes before waking up). Another favorite way he'd nap was when someone was holding him. So, of course, I tried holding him as he started to drift off, planning to put him down once he was in a deep sleep. But he'd gotten so used to being held that he'd wake up as soon as I'd put him … [Read more...]

What to Do When Your 3 Month Old Won’t Nap

Naps

May 13, 2023

Your 3 month old won’t nap unless held, can’t sleep in the crib, or longer than 30 minutes? Here are 6 secrets to get your baby to sleep! Naptime had always been a nightmare, but after three months, it seemed to get even worse. Rocking my baby—especially on a yoga ball—would usually take five minutes before he'd get drowsy. But somewhere along the 3 month mark, even that didn't work. Not only would rocking take longer than five minutes, but it seemed to get him even more upset. Of course, the longer he stayed awake, the crankier he got, which only extended the cycle even … [Read more...]

“Help! My Baby Will Only Sleep in My Arms During the Day”

Naps

May 11, 2023

Does your newborn sleep well over your shoulder or on your chest? Learn what to do when your baby only sleeps in your arms during the day. Five hours. That's how long your baby sleeps at a time... but only if you're holding him. As soon as you lay him down, he snaps wide awake. If you don't hold him for naptime, he probably wouldn't sleep and end up being overtired. Even if you try putting him down when he's in deep sleep, he wakes up screaming within minutes (if not immediately). You also have a two-year-old to care for, so you can't exactly have a sleeping baby constantly in your … [Read more...]

How to Create a 4 Month Old Nap Schedule Using Real Life Examples

Infant

Apr 21, 2023

Creating a 4 month old nap schedule can solve sleep regression and bedtime battles. Learn best practices to get your baby on a sleep schedule using real life examples. When my eldest was 4 months old, I felt like I did the impossible: I went to a clothing store with him, tried on some clothes, and even bought some (win!). You see, at that stage, I felt like I could never leave the house because of his nap schedule. He was taking shorter naps (45 minutes was a "long" one for him) and had equally short wake windows. Any outing seemed impossible when we had to rush home for his four (and … [Read more...]

How to Get Your Baby to Nap in the Crib During the Day

Infant

Mar 12, 2023

Wondering how to get your baby to nap in the crib during the day instead of your arms or the swing? Get tips to help with daytime naps! You've been lucky with nighttime sleep, at least. Because for some time now, your baby has been sleeping through the night in the crib. But for whatever reason, she still won't sleep in it during the day. Instead, she's been napping in the swing or carrier, the one surefire way she can sleep. But you know that this won't last—she's already outgrowing it and won't fit much longer (her feet are almost hanging over the edge!). She can certainly fall asleep … [Read more...]

What to Do When Your Toddler Won’t Nap

Naps

Mar 09, 2023

Struggling when your toddler won't nap, especially when it feels like you've tried everything? Learn how to get your child to finally sleep! Naps shouldn't be this difficult, I thought. I knew other kids who could nap in two-hour chunks. My kiddo? I was lucky to get 45 minutes. The naptime routine of putting him down for a nap was already exhausting on its own. From changing diapers to reading books to singing songs, these rituals seemed so pointless when I knew nap time was barely going to last. Nap times weren't the breaks I needed. Instead of putting him down to finally be … [Read more...]

How to Help Your Toddler Transition to One Nap

Naps

Jan 05, 2023

Wondering if your toddler is ready to transition to one nap? Learn when to drop that second nap plus get essential tips for a smooth process. Did you notice back in the newborn days we never bothered to count naps? It seemed like we were trying to get our babies to nap so often that we lost count. But as they grew up, we began to see patterns emerge and created schedules and routines. We may have started with four daily naps, before it became three, and finally two. And just as we had been holding steady at two, our toddlers began to show signs that they were ready to transition to … [Read more...]

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