The importance of sleep for a baby cannot be overstated! But, what if your child is sleeping relatively well for long stretches, but that sleep isn’t as impactful or as restorative as it could be? Today, we’re going to talk about some signs that you can look out for to tell if your baby is not sleeping deeply and how you can get them to sleep better with more consistency. If you have any stories or tips, please share them with us!
Sign #1: Frequent Waking During Naps
If you find that your child will go down for naps, but does not sleep soundly through the entire 1-2 hour session, then they are probably not sleeping as deeply as they could or should be. Do you notice that your child wakes or significantly stirs after about 20 or 30 minutes after going down for a nap which then requires you to soothe them to get them back down? Here are some things you can do to help them sleep more deeply:
- They may be uncomfortable for a number of reasons.
- Could they be hungry? A full belly at naps helps them sleep for longer stretches.
- Are they swaddled? For younger infants/babies, swaddling can be a crucial component to nap longevity and overall sleep success. If you haven’t tried swaddling them or if the current swaddle setup you are using isn’t working, then you may want to seek a better swaddle solution. Remember, swaddling should not be done when baby is showing signs of rolling.
- They may be too cold or too hot. Check their bedding and the ambient temperature of their room. Their body will wake them if it finds that they are getting too cold or hot.
- They may be overtired.
Sign #2: Short Naps (Under 45 Minutes)
If their naps don’t last at least 45 minutes to an hour, then they may not be getting the best sleep possible. Here are some things that you can do to help them sleep longer once they actually do go down.
- Look at your baby’s daily sleep/wake schedule. You may be shorting them a nap session or two. Waking early can be a sign of overtiredness, which can be alleviated by having them nap more frequently throughout the day.
- Their sleep environment wasn’t ideal and they woke up due to a noise outside of their nap area. Make sure that their napping area is absolutely perfect for sleep.
- Ensure the room is dark
- Keep external noise to a minimum to avoid accidental wake ups
- Use a white noise machine to help drown out external noises and give them a soothing “noise blanket” that will help them fall asleep and stay sleep
- Check to see if the room is warm or cool enough. Excess heat or cold will hinder sleep lengths
Sign #3: Excessive Movement During Naps
Many of us can get our child to go down and sleep, but it is difficult to stop them from moving or fussing around while they are asleep. If you notice that your child is very squirmy or tosses and turns during naps or at night, then they may not be getting the most out of their sleep. Here are some ways to address this:
- They may be squirming due to internal digestive discomfort such as general indigestion, reflux, or other food-related reasons. Observe their reactions to certain types of formula to see if some are more gentle on their system than others. If you are using breast milk exclusively, then see if there is anything in your diet that could produce these reactions. For example, some women find that eating onions or garlic can cause their breastmilk to make their child more gassy. Talk to your doctor about the best options for your diet choices and what is passed along through the breastmilk.
- Your child may be uncomfortable on their sleeping surface or in their sleeping clothes. Try to swap out new clothes and provide a different sleep surface or sleep sack for naps.
Before You Go
We hope you enjoyed learning about tips for determining if your baby is sleeping to their fullest potential. If you would like to know more about this, our sleep learning, consulting or training programs or any of our excellent newborn care services, we are happy to help. Just contact us and we can go over your options and help you find the best path for your little one.
We hope these tips have helped you along your journey. If you have any questions about helping your baby to sleep better, or about your baby in general, please reach out to us HERE. We are experts in all things baby and sleep and would love to help!
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Katie has over 16 years experience working with children of all ages. As a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Newborn Care Specialist, she has professionally supported families and babies worldwide over the last 10 years. Her mission is to help the entire family unit get better sleep, utilizing a holistic approach that supports the baby or child’s natural biologic drive to sleep. She has personally served hundreds of families, holds 20,000+ hours exclusively caring for infants & babies and has 69+ 5-⭐️ Google reviews.
