If you want your baby to get the most out of naptime (and if you want to get the most from your baby’s naptime as well) you need to make sure that you set the stage for baby naptime success. There are some things you need to pay attention to that will help your baby to know that it’s time to go to sleep, to do it quickly, and to stay asleep longer.
Here are some areas you need to think about when you’re setting the stage for baby naptime success:
- Light. You want to make sure that baby’s room can easily be dimmed or darkened. You should use dimming or darkening as part of a process to let your baby know that it’s time to go to sleep. Consider using shades that are specifically child safe that will help you to really darken the room.
- Noise. You want to make sure there aren’t going to be any major noises that will wake up your baby. This doesn’t mean the entire house needs to be terribly silent, but it does mean that a phone call shouldn’t be loud enough to wake your baby, and that the TV should be turned down as well.
- Temperature. You will want the room to be comfortable and at a consistent temperature. In general, it’s recommended that baby’s room be somewhere between 68 and 72. Colder or warmer temps may make your baby uncomfortable, and make it so that she wakes up earlier than what she otherwise might.
- Type of bed. Most experts will tell you that your baby is going to sleep better in a crib than he will somewhere else. A playpen isn’t ideal at all, even for naptime, because your baby may feel that it means that it is time to play. Carseats and strollers aren’t designed for sleep. While it’s all right if your little one occasionally falls asleep in those places, it’s not the best solution for naptime.
Position. Your newborn should be positioned to sleep on her back. Tummy sleeping in newborns may lead to an increased risk of SIDS, and most baby sleep experts believe that sleeping on the back is the most comfortable position for your baby.