Dos and Don’ts of baby naps

Know when your baby is sleepy : Some of the cues  that indicate your baby wants to nap include the following :

• yawning
• rubbing eyes
• crying
• fussiness

Overtired babies have a  hard time getting to sleep so take note  of these  cues. Older babies may be hyperactive, clumsy of clingy when they want to nap

Do not wake baby up : When a baby sleep in her car seat, carry the whole  thing inside,  put  it on the floor and let her continue to sleep. . Do not put  it on a couch or bed. Keep the baby  buckled in. If the baby sleeps  in a swing, make sure she’s buckled in and let her sleep and keep an eye on her. A  short nap is okay but do not let the baby sleep in there overnight. The safest way for a baby to sleep is to place the baby on a firm mattress of a crib on her back.

Don’t let your baby nap to go : It’s okay  to squeeze in an errand during napping time once in a while. However letting  your baby nap on the go constantly will not give her the much needed sleep she needs. If you need to run errands during nap time, get a sitter or friend to help out so that the baby can get her regular naps.

Stretch out naps : As  the baby grows older, encourage her to take longer naps than frequent short naps. Try to keep the baby up and stretch the time between naps.  Ideally they should take about 1 to 2 hours of naps and have a good night sleep.

Get in  a routine : Setting a good nap time routine and sticking to it helps your baby by :

• having the same nap time each day
• avoid late afternoon naps which may make your child have trouble sleeping at night
• using crib during naps and night time so that your  baby knows  its time to sleep when she’s in there

Put the baby down when she’s awake : Your baby shouldnt always sleep in your arms. Learn how to put the baby down when shes awake. This will teach the baby to learn to sleep on her own. It can also help her to fall back asleep when she wakes up at night

Safety first : Always make sure your baby is sleeping in a safe place such as crib on her back  to prevents SIDS. Do not leave your baby to sleep on the couch , bed or floor. Those are not safe places. Remove blankets, stuffed animals  and other soft things from the baby’s crib. Do not let the baby nap with other children or animals.