There are few things more stressful for a new mom than baby not sleeping. Whether it is nighttime sleep (read more on how to get baby to sleep through the night here) or daytime sleep, if baby is spending sleeptime awake and, even worse, upset, mom is stressed and no one is happy.
If your baby is waking early from naps (and at Sleep Shop, we consider a nap to be at least two 45 minute sleep cycles), one of the following nap-interrupters could be to blame:
1. Growth spurt – baby could be extra hungry thanks to a growth spurt.
2. Hunger – different from a growth spurt, this could mean that baby is ready for solids, was distracted and did not get a full feedings, etc…
3. Developmental leap or WonderWeek – babies like to practice their skills, and many times those new skills take precedent over their naps (much to mom’s dismay). Don’t worry, baby will generally go back to napping like normal once the leap passes!
4. Over-tiredness – while it may seem like a good idea to keep baby up extra long to ensure that he is really tired and ready to nap, doing so is likely to make him overtired, making naps even worse. Watch for baby’s tired cues.
5. Pain / discomfort – teething, ear aches, and other common baby facts of life can make it difficult for baby to fall back to sleep at a sleep transition. Do what you can before the nap to create a successful nap by alleviating the pain/discomfort.
Ideally, baby transitions through two sleep cycles at each naptime. If you are having napping troubles with your little one, feel free to reach out to our infant sleep specialists to discuss solutions!
