What exactly is a catnap?

Picture this: your baby takes short naps, usually 35-45 minutes long. These are what we call catnaps. They can be incredibly frustrating for parents. You’re yearning for your baby to have longer, more consolidated naps, but these short ones don’t give you the time to do your chores or even catch your breath!

What causes catnaps?

As frustrating as they may be, catnaps are a normal part of a baby’s development up until 6 months. It’s a natural process where your baby wakes up after a sleep cycle and can’t connect these sleep cycles, resulting in these short naps. You might notice catnapping starting as early as 8 weeks, but typically, after the newborn phase, your baby’s sleep starts to mature and become more adult-like in nature; these catnaps can then become more apparent between the ages of 4- 6 months.

Why can catnaps be problematic?

What’s the problem with catnaps? Surely sleep is sleep right? The problem with catnapping is that it can lead to a build-up of overtiredness as your baby isn’t getting those longer chunks of consolidated sleep that are more restorative in nature. These longer naps benefit a baby in numerous ways, from brain development and physical growth, to name but a few. An overtired baby from catnapping is a cranky baby, and a cranky baby won’t sleep as well, which can perpetuate the cycle of catnapping. If your baby has normally been sleeping well at night, these catnaps unfortunately may have an impact upon night sleep. So, the last thing you want is short daytime sleep and fragmented nights.

What can we do as parents to help extend these naps?

1: A consistent wind-down routine. Having a routine sets the stage for sleep and cues your baby’s brain that it’s time for sleep. Babies thrive on routine and knowing what is coming next and a strong and consistent wind-down routine offers this. It may include a quick walk in the garden, a short story or a lullaby and a cuddle before going into the crib.

2: Great sleep environment: A dark room is important from the age of 8 weeks on. Melatonin, the hormone responsible for making us feel sleepy, is produced in the dark and is hindered by light, so let’s get the sleep space nice and dark. White noise is a great sleep association and can block out any outside noises that may rouse your baby as they pass into lighter sleep phases.

3: Hunger. Make sure your baby is full before going for a nap, so you can rule out hunger if they do wake up after a sleep cycle. A top-up feed before they go for a nap will ensure a full belly!

4: Appropriate wake time. Make sure your baby is awake for the age-appropriate wake time for their age. An under-tired baby will be ready to rock n’ roll after a sleep cycle and you may notice that an overtired baby often wakes within 20 minutes or so and can be very hard to resettle as their body produces the stress hormone cortisol when they are overtired which makes it harder for them to settle and sleep.

5: Self-Settling ability- After the 4-month mark, when sleep regression normally hits, your baby’s sleep cycles change and mature. This maturation is a sign that it’s time that your baby can now learn the lifelong skill of self-settling. If your baby has been rocked or fed to sleep, they will wake up after a sleep cycle, looking to repeat this process to put them back to sleep. So, now, they need to learn how to self-settle.

How do we do this?

With lots of practice and your chosen settling technique. You can start putting your baby in the crib awake. If your baby is under 6 months, you may use some shush-patting or the Pick-up Put-down method to help extend their naps. Over 6 months, you can use the Gradual Withdrawal or Put Down, Put Down method.

6: Re-settle – If your baby wakes early from a nap, resettle them back to sleep with your chosen method so that they are learning to link these sleep cycles.

To sum it up, catnapping can be tricky, but the cycle can most definitely be helped with some time and patience. Those longer stretches of sleep are there for your baby; fear not!