Nailing the 2hr Lunch Nap

A question I am asked a lot is.. how do I get my baby to sleep longer during the day? Quite often parents are chasing the elusive 2hr hour nap in the middle of the day as this is the nap they anticipate their little one will keep for a couple of years.

So, how do you make it a reality?!

1. Timing

Following an age appropriate routine is one of the fundamentals of good sleep. Young babies can become overtired very easily. An over tired baby will struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep as their cortisol and adrenalin levels rise. Watching your baby’s tired signs and making sure they aren’t awake too long before their lunch nap will help them sleep longer.

Be mindful not to overcompensate though by putting them down too early. If they are under tired and haven’t been given enough wake time to build sleep pressure, they simply won’t be tired enough to have a nice long nap.

2. Expectations around sleep needs

Our babies only need a certain amount of sleep over a 24hr period. If we follow a long-short or medium-medium routine structure which allows them to have a long morning nap, we can’t expect them to have a 2 hour in the middle of the day as well.

For the first 8 months your little one's sleep needs rapidly change, and their ability to tolerate more awake time during the day gradually increases. Review your routine every few weeks so you can adjust the timing and length of naps where needed. To promote a 2hr midday nap, you will need to opt for a short-long routine structure and may find you need to wake them up from their morning nap.

Spoiler alert: The 2hr nap isn't essential!! It's nice, yes, but not a deal breaker.

Alternative nap structures where your baby sleeps longer in the morning are absolutely fine, you'll just need to lower your expectations as a 2 hour nap might not be obtainable until your little one is older and on one nap a day.

Routine Roadmap guides you through all the nap structures so you can decide what works best for you and your little one!

3. Sleep associations

In order to achieve a 2hr nap, your baby is going to need to be able to link sleep cycles. Daytime sleep cycles only last about 45 minutes. If your baby relies on you or any other sleep association to fall asleep, they will struggle to consolidate their sleep on their own.

If your baby is fed, patted, rocked or held to sleep, when they rouse between sleep cycles, they will require those same conditions to be recreated in order to go back to sleep. To help your baby fall asleep independently, gradually remove the amount of assistance you provide while they fall asleep and introduce positive sleep associations like a dark room, white noise and a sleeping bag.

4. Consistent Resettling

Once you know you have the timing right and your baby’s sleep environment is set up for success, you need to allow your little one the chance to practice resettling. If your baby is only sleeping one sleep cycle, give them the opportunity to go back to sleep before rushing in to help them or get them up.

It's a cliche, but consistency is key! It takes time, be patient. It may take a few weeks. Keep note of progress so you can see the improvements. Once your baby is nailing that midday nap, you’ll be surprised how much you can do in just 2hrs!