A newborn sleeps for about 16 hours a day, and then as he or she grows, sleep time is divided as follows: a long period of sleep during the night and one or two naps during the day. But how can we make sure that naps are beneficial without having a negative effect on nighttime sleep?
How to prepare your child for a nap?
Your baby can’t fall asleep at nap time? To prepare him to fall asleep it is imperative to respect regular schedules and to take care not to irritate baby just before putting him in his bed. So avoid tickling and laughing before naptime! As for the evening, try to speak softly to your child and establish a mini ritual before putting him to sleep. If you see that he is tired, rubbing his eyes and yawning, don’t wait to put him to bed or you risk shifting the sleep cycle and he will have trouble falling asleep. If he cries, it’s not because he doesn’t want to sleep, it may be because he’s too tired and needs more time to fall asleep.
The benefits of napping for baby
For a child’s nap to be beneficial, it should be done lying down and in the dark, so it’s best not to let baby fall asleep in his bouncer in the middle of the living room. Be careful not to let baby sleep in total darkness during the day so that he can distinguish between day and night. Ideally, when you’re home, you should have your baby sleep in his own bed, so that he feels safe in his own environment, with his blanket. Make sure the house is quiet but don’t impose total silence on the other members of the family, again to distinguish between day and night. To prevent regurgitation after eating, place a slope on the top of the mattress to raise the child’s upper body and facilitate digestion. This recovery time will allow your child to recharge the batteries for the end of the day without preventing him from sleeping well at night.
How long should it last?
The length of the nap varies according to the child, for some one hour is enough while others sleep 3 hours. Observe your child’s needs and respect them. The important thing for babies is regularity.
In any case, do not eliminate the afternoon nap under the pretext that baby does not sleep well at night. On the contrary, the more tired a child is, the more difficult it is to put him to bed!
Some days baby stays in his bed but does not sleep, if he does not cry let him rest and take advantage of this little moment of calm to recharge the batteries!
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