How many naps is too many naps?

I think at one point or another, every parent has been there. 

Those endless, sleepless nights. The days following where your eyes feel like they can’t possibly open and stay open for the whole day. The questioning and googling trying to figure out what could potentially lead to just a little bit (or a lot) more sleep. 

The first thing I look at when a family is experiencing broken nights is the number of naps. This can get tricky, especially when getting close to a nap transition. 

Let’s dive into why. 

Too many naps typically means short wake windows. Short wake windows mean not enough sleep pressure. Not enough sleep pressure means short, unextendable naps and often too much *total* wake time by the end of the day, leaving your baby in a weird under and overtired loop.  This vicious cycle is most likely what is leading to your broken nights. (Find more information about sleep pressure here!) 

So, what should you do? 

This is when dropping a nap and stretching those wake windows are key, but it’s not easy. Check out this post if you are wondering about average wake windows for your baby’s age!  Your baby will be tired and it feels counterproductive, but with guidance and distractions your baby will fall into a better routine and better sleep habits. 

If you’re clinging to sleepy cues after 3 months, this is your sign to let go just a little bit. Past the newborn phase, these cues become less reliable. Pushing your baby just a bit past when they start seeming sleepy, and leaning more into timing can lead to more consolidated sleep. (psst.. Need help with where to start? Download my free wake-time guide here - scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Here is an example to help!

Let’s say you hit a slump everyday at 5 pm and you decide to nap from 5-6. You notice that each night you do that, you sleep poorly overnight, but then every day you continue to feel tired at 5 because of habit and the sleep disruption overnight. It will take a few days of pushing past that 5pm slump, and being a bit cranky and tired to re-consolidate your night sleep. The same is true for our little ones, the only difference is they have higher sleep needs and more sleep opportunities. 

Remember that discomfort around change is human, even for the smallest of us. Bumps with change are normal. Protest and resistance are normal. Our job as parents is to lovingly support them through change knowing that it will lead to healthier sleep for your baby. It can feel hard and counterintuitive, but ride the wave and it will help. Remember that all disruption is data that helps you dial this in for your individual child. 

Need more help or encouragement? Let’s chat! Contact — Swallowtail Sleep