Reasons why your newborn is not sleeping or napping during the day
There could be a few different reasons your baby sleeps well at night but not for naps, and thankfully it’s probably not because they’re a natural-born party animal. Some of the most common reasons are:
Overtired
Once your baby becomes overtired, it’s much harder to get to sleep. In an overtired state, your little one can produce cortisol and stress hormones, making the task of falling asleep a lot harder. Watch for your baby’s sleepy cues, so you can try to put them down for a nap before they reach the point of being overtired.
Overstimulated
Babies are sensitive to light and sound. If you’ve taken your baby to a loud, busy place or they’re being passed around the lunch table by a legion of adoring fans, they may become overstimulated and unable to fall asleep right away come nap time. Consider some down time before a nap, and give your little one the opportunity to fall asleep somewhere calm and quiet when their awake time is coming to an end.
Hunger
It’s a good idea to schedule a feed just before nap time, to give your baby the opportunity to fill up their tiny tummy. There are some recommendations not to feed your baby to sleep to avoid developing hard-to-break sleep associations but sometimes, you just need to do what works to get the sleep happening!
Discomfort
If your baby is wet or they are uncomfortable with the temperature, they may not be able to settle for sleep. Always ensure baby has a fresh diaper before their nap, and that they are dressed and swaddled in breathable fabrics that are temperature-appropriate to the climate you’re in.
Number of Naps
Babies often have frequent naps throughout the day but getting too few, or too many, can have a knock on effect to their sleep. Following their sleep cues and awake windows for their age can be helpful if some fine tuning of your sleep patterns or catnapping is occurring.
Change of settling technique
If you’re in the process of changing how your baby falls asleep or training them to self-settle, that may be a reason baby’s not sleeping during the day. For example, if your baby is used to being, rocked, patted or fed to sleep and you are trying to have them fall asleep in their crib , it may take a period of adjustment before you baby becomes accustomed to a new sleep cycle or way of falling asleep.
How to get your newborn to nap during the day
There is no magic quick fix unfortunately and sometimes "babies be babies" but implementing some of the below tips might just help lay the right foundations for a better nap:
- Create a consistent sleep routine and allow your baby to have ample awake time before trying to put them down for a nap
- Watch for sleepy cues and ensure baby is given the opportunity to nap before they become overtired
- Let baby has some quiet time before their nap and is not being overstimulated by activities or their surrounding environment
- Feed, change and swaddle baby just before they nap. You can use the same swaddle for day and night, it helps build a strong sleep cue.
- Ensure your baby’s environment is conducive to sleep. If you can, dim the lights, ensure the room is at a comfortable temperature and minimize any disruptions
