Why are Naps so Hard for Babies?

Why are naps harder than night sleep? Why are naps so hard for babies?

If you feel that your baby’s night sleep is awesome but day sleep sucks – this post is for you!

I get the question all the time “if my baby can sleep through the night and fall asleep so easily at night, why can’t he do the same for naps?”  It’s a great question and sometimes it takes weeks for naps to come together.

Here are a few reasons why naps are so hard:

1) Day sleep and night sleep are processed differently in baby’s brain

2) Drive to sleep is higher at night

3) More stimulation during the day

4) Going to sleep in an overtired state

5) Napping in an environment not conducive to sleep

It seems just so easy, a baby should be tired so they should go to sleep!

But it’s not easy to do – something has to happen, they need to actually calm down, close their eyes and get into a sleepy state to actually “go to sleep”.

For adults it’s easy but for babies who are just learning how to self soothe, it actually could be difficult and take a while to perfect.

Since naps can be so difficult, we need to stack all the cards to create the best opportunity to nap.  This is why napping at the right time, a solid nap routine, dark room and white noise are so helpful.

If you are frustrated with your child’s – you are not alone!  But with consistency, things will come together!