Struggling with Short Naps?

Is your baby stuck in a 30 minute nap cycle before waking? Short naps are a major frustration for many parents. Their baby is not well rested and you don't get a long enough breather.

The good news? You can try and gentle, effective way to try and lengthen naps by helping your baby (or toddler) to connect their sleep cycles.

I'm going to break down how it works and why it is backed by science.

Babies, like adults, experience sleep in cycles. A baby's nap will consist of light sleep and deep sleep, however, their sleep cycles are typically shorter and last about 30-50 minutes. At the end of their sleep cycle, the start to surface from their sleep into the lightest stage. This is the stage that many will wake up, especially if they struggle transition to a new sleep cycle on their own.

This is where wake-to-sleep comes into play. Wake-to-sleep is a method where you gently rouse your baby just before they enter their lightest stage of sleep. By doing this, you can help reset their sleep cycle, which in turn can encourage them to take a longer nap.

Essentially, you are disrupting their nap just enough to prevent them from fully entering the lightest stage of sleep, and hopefully helping their body enter a new sleep cycle.

If your baby consistently wakes up at the 30- to 45-minute mark, follow these steps to try wake-to-sleep:

Observe Their Sleep Patterns: Track when your baby typically wakes up from a nap. If it’s almost always at the 35-minute mark, you will plan this method accordingly.

Gently Stir Them: About 5–10 minutes before they typically wake up (if you baby naps 35 minutes this will be around the 25–30 minute mark), lightly disrupt their sleep. You can do this by gently stroking their cheek, rubbing their back, or even slightly adjusting their position.

Don’t Fully Wake Them: The goal is to get them to move slightly, like a sigh, a twitch, or a small shift—just enough to disrupt their transition into waking up. You can make a louder noise with the door, gently tap their back or rub it.

Step Back and Observe: After you’ve gently stirred them, wait and see if they continue sleeping past their usual wake-up time. If they do, congratulations! They’ve likely entered another sleep cycle.

Repeat: This method often takes a few tries before babies adapt, so consistency is key. Try it for a few days to see if it helps stretch their naps.

This method works because it prevents your baby from fully surfacing to "wakefulness". Basically, you are resetting their sleep cycles before they have a chance to fully wake. Over time, this method should reset their natural rhythm, which may lead to long and more restful naps.

Just want to put this out there - this works for many, but it doesn’t work for all. But hey, if your baby is already taking short naps, it is worth a try!