How to Extend Your Baby's Short Naps (6 Quick Tips)

[@EmmaHubbard]

Which one of these reasons do you think might be behind your baby's short naps?

[@kathes4970]

Her age: she's 4 months now. But definitely also the fact that we have to help her fall asleep. Her dummy is definitely a sleep association. At the moment I have to get up about 7 times during the night, just to give it back to her. We haven't been able to put her to bed awake, since she cries a lottttt when we do that. We noticed that she doesn't do that that much anymore since a week or so. So, I want to work on her falling asleep on her own during the next weeks. But ti be honest, I'm so tired. I hope I can stick to that plan, because helping her is just easier sometimes.

[@MissKatisu]

First of all thank you for your videos they are extremely helpful especially for my as a first time mum. My baby sleeps only 35min on his naps, he will be 4 months old in Dec. He can put himself to sleep at night without dummy or any help but naps are totally different story!!! I have try all your tips but at this point I just give up. when I try with all the mothods and it takes 40min up to1h 30min for him to fall asleep. So dummy and sleeping in my arms it if for now. Hoping that when he get older and maybe will sleep through all night without feeding we will go back to tarin him on naps.

[@crystalgale15]

Probably his age. He is only 2 months old. I have trouble with putting him down on the bed though during the day. He sleeps well at night but during the day the moment i put him into his bed, he wakes up from his nap. Any suggestion?

[@Fit_Tipp]

My babygirl is 7mos and I think my baby is overtired at her daycare which is why she has such short naps there and is extremely tired when she comes home, especially because the environment is very interactive and stimulating =/ Great video!^.^

[@sarahroberts7374]

My boy is just short of 8 months and one reason i think may be he wasnt tired enough! Id read so much about avoiding babies being over tired and over stimulated that as soon as he rubbed his eyes i was settling him down for a nap! But by gently keeping him awake longer, without creeping into "been awake so long im going to scream the house down" mode he is sleeping longer and deeper. Well, a little! He still wakes a lot at night as he's teething and sometimes he does still want cuddling &/or breastfeeding back to sleep but thats still better than where we were at not long ago which was rocking for 20 mins or so for him to only sleep 25 mins! He's just far too heavy for me to rock to sleep now so i just wait until i know he's deffo deffo tired haha. We're getting there! Xx

[@ishakhan542]

Your videos are the only reason, I want to have a second child because you made my life so much easier with my first. Lots and lots of love from a first time clueless mother 😊😊

[@leilanigray5469]

Thank you! My little babe would not take a nap for longer than 15-20 minutes. After watching this he’s been able to take naps! He slept the other day for 2hrs and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I love all your videos! Thank you again and keep being amazing for all of us!

[@saminajinnah2947]

How you are able to fix that. Same with my 3 month old son

[@radjapovahijasta1988]

How did you fix this problem??

[@molinteronyango6339]

It feels terrible. Just laying her down minutes later she's crying and I haven't even done anything .all the chores at stand.Makes me feel like crying.thanks for this.so informative

[@xiaoyi2]

yes..mine baby too...

[@kaymcgee395]

I know the feeling all to well! Short showers, laundry backed up, less cleaning around the house! Sometimes I just be wanting a cup of tea and a few mins to unwind! It can be overwhelming!

[@funsized924]

Those short naps are fun with reflux babies because you have to hold them up for 30 minutes after a feed. which means once I finally get my daughter down for a nap, she's waking up 10 minutes later. 😵‍💫

[@bapechiqa]

Finally someone said it lol

[@Rukz_Pathan]

So relatable 😀 it's the same with my daughter who is 15 days old. Any solution for that?

[@anaclaly]

@@Rukz_Pathan unfortunately my only solution os babywearing and allow my little one to nap there..

[@I-am-SK]

😂

[@brookiejai]

This is my life. I never have any time to myself. It’s horrible

[@lordlemond1350]

Soothe for one hour. Sleep for 25mins. Awake for 40mins. Fun.

[@aquababy5]

An hour and 40 minutes was the wake window in that case. Sometimes I just let baby dictate that they are awake within a wake window.

[@loracorwyn3713]

Super important for parents to know waking often is protective for babies. Thanks for the tips!

[@EmmaHubbard]

No worries at all!

[@lucieb4741]

Perfect timing, I was trying to find a video of you about this.

[@EmmaHubbard]

That's great to hear! I hope it helps 🙂

[@dimahaddad3259]

Should daytime naps be in a dark room or not? I read that you should leave the baby in light during the day and dark at night to regulate the circadian clock but at what age should I make the room dark for her naps? My baby is 6 weeks

[@Hannah-im7fu]

Baby wearing saved me. 😊 My LO is 4 months old and naps for 2 hours. Plus, I get things done around the house. He wakes from a nap only when he is hungry so I breastfeed him before a nap, at the end of his wake window.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Baby wearing can be very helpful! So good you found what works for you and your little one!

[@MissMacits]

It worked for us too - until at 7 months old she now only naps in the wrap - struggling to figure out how to unlearn the sleep prop because she still has trouble with burps getting stuck and suddenly gets cramps now too... Any practical suggestions Emma? I feel I can't do Ferber since we have to room share and she has cramps at night ans stuck burps - so do I just let her suffer? Sigh...

[@peninawainaina4945]

I learn alot from your videos being a first time mum of a 5 months baby👍

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thanks so much!

[@judiechriss291]

Being a first time mom of a 5months ...i live for your videos 😄..they're like a class i need to attend to pass Being a mom...thank you very very much.much love from Tanzania 🇹🇿

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Judie Chriss thank you so much. That is such a compliment! ❤️

[@Cherokee004]

New mom of a 2 month old baby girl. She’s always had a good sleep pattern until now. The last two weeks she’s been taking 2 one to two day naps and sleeping all night with cluster feeding everyone in the home has different work schedules so everyone is constantly in and out the door or in the kitchen cooking through the night I try to keep it quiet when she sleeps. But any little noise she awakes. If it’s too much noise she wakes. No noise at all she awakes and has been I’ve lost maybe 5lbs because she spends the day and night in my arms it’s kinda hard to eat and shower 💜😂

[@AK-ix3nm]

I am also facing the same situation.. I can’t even poop in peace he is 2 month now

[@seethelittlethings]

Thanks Emma, you're really hitting relevant topics

[@UkkoYlijumala]

Here in Finland (and in other Nordic countries) it's common and also recommended to put your baby to sleep outside in the stroller. We do this even on winter and the temperature limit is usually considered to be around -10°C. Babies sleep so much better outside. Our twins sleep usually just about 30 minutes inside but outside it can be easily three hours. I guess it's because of the combinations of multiple things like fresh air, not much space to move, white noise from the nature and uninteresting environment etc. I know this might not be possible everywhere in the world but here it works. My Spanish wife for example has little bit hard times getting used to the idea of leaving baby outside alone. =) But it's fine as long as you have baby monitor and you make sure they have enough clothes to be warm.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Wow, this is fascinating! I’ve never heard about this before. So interesting. Thank you for sharing 🙂

[@bidouillegribouille8394]

I would love to do it with my baby, she sleeps so much better outside, but we do live in the middle of a village and i would not feel comfortable leaving her alone outside, even with a baby monitor. Maybe, if I come to Finland one day...

[@Lizzifer7]

Someone would take my baby where we live. They have bracelets on them in the hospital so they go off if someone tries to take them (like at the supermarket on expensive items)

[@Diana-mu9vd]

Interesting, so babies don’t need black out curtains and quiet?

[@funsized924]

Wow, that is so interesting! I understand how relaxing the outside can be, I've taken a few naps in my car with the windows down during my breaks in between college classes. I'm surprised that in finland babies are left outside to sleep in winter, though!

[@lilangelanie]

Perfect guidance video for new parents 👏

[@EmmaHubbard]

Glad you liked it

[@lilangelanie]

@@EmmaHubbard thanks Emma

[@nataliesanchez7181]

I love you videos! I have tried to integrate all your tips for my 2 month old but all she is doing is taking cat naps between 20-40 mins. I’m not sure what else to do or how to help her get more sleep during the day. I’ve darken the room, use white noise, the room is cool, and I follow the wake windows. She falls asleep perfectly fine but she wakes up. I’m not sure how to keep her napping during the day

[@risanaomi4958]

How have you been going? This is my baby also, from the 2 month mark (and a bit before even)

[@infantinamorais5702]

Did anything work for you. Please let me know. My baby is also 2 months old and she is not sleeping at all

[@saraospina5813]

Mine as well. She will only nap for longer than 30 minutes if held or contact napping

[@meronaceccie5500]

Going through the same. Did anything work for any of you?

[@theresebarbier317]

Thanks Emma for all your helpful videos!!!! Would you have a file with the age appropriate wake periods?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi! Unfortunately I don’t have one yet but Baby Sleep Science does (there resources are excellent). Here is the link to their wake windows: www.babysleepscience.com/amp/2014/02/12/common-age-by-stage-sleep-schedules. Hope it helps!

[@boutayebbadaoui9665]

Thanks for the advices. For daily naps, won’t it confuse the baby to put them in a dark room? I read that it does not help them too much with building their circadian rhythm. Thank you

[@manavkalyaan7570]

Well explained

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thanks!

[@mygardenclassroom]

Thankyou this was so informative

[@Joe-cw5wj]

My 6 month old (turning 7 in a week) takes short naps (30-40mins). When she wakes up from her naps, she always rolls onto her tummy now, does tummy time, and sometimes whines/cries. How long should we wait for her to try linking to the next nap?

[@takahasi_a]

I’m doing all of this, including contact napping - still extremely hard to both put the baby to sleep and keep her asleep during naps. Following every wake window, schedule, going outside, tummy time… She used to sleep well until she hit the 3 month mark. Three and a half months in and it’s a nightmare.

[@alessiasilvaggio9287]

Hi Emma, love your channel! What do you recommend doing once your little one wakes from a short nap and won’t resettle? Start the next wake window? Our little one has been cat napping since about 3 months old (she is almost 5 months old now), even if I can resettle her by rocking her in my arms she won’t stay asleep if I try to set her back down in her bassinet… she will only stay asleep if she is held which is becoming difficult and I also don’t want to enforce “bad (sleep) habits”!

[@raihaanahmulyadi2017]

Yes, my baby too! He's 4 months adjusted.

[@wenns88]

Hi, you mentioned to keep the room dark. does this apply to day naps too? do we need to draw the curtain during the day to create the conducive environment for them to sleep?

[@ChauNguyen-zb3ti]

Yes, in another video, she reccomends the room should be pitch black, even for day naps

[@wenns88]

@@ChauNguyen-zb3ti Oh, thanks! will look up her other videos too.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @wenns88 I do recommend keeping the room dark in the day as well. This will help to limit distractions which can lead to the bub waking between sleep cycles. Hope you have found the other videos I have on sleep helpful!

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Chau Nguyen thanks for answering this question!

[@hollyf329]

I am struggling with this, any suggestions in how to make it darker? I can't get blackout curtains as its not my house.

[@rubytrevino609]

Thank you for the video, question what temperature should your house be.?

[@agwedn]

Hi Emma my youngest is 5 months old and she is doing this, we pull the blinds down, she falls asleep on her own, we give her the appropriate wake time and she’s definitely well fed. Sometimes it works when she wakes up we rock her but not always and tbh I’m not always able to as I have a 2 year old. Any tips or advice? Thankyou in advance :) x

[@kionnakelly2918]

Perfect timing. My son is 1 month old

[@EmmaHubbard]

Amazing! Glad it arrived at just the right time for you 🙂

[@Dsolo990]

My son napped like a champ until about 4months. He's 5 months now. Idk if I can let him cry for 60min😔 which I've seen suggested. right now he gets up at 7. he's stuck in 2-3 30-40 min naps and one 1.5-2 hr nap. Also, if I put him down before 8:30 he wakes up 20- 30 min later crying and has to be soothed. I've let him cry up yo 30 mim and he doesn't go back to sleep.A few times he has done 2 2 hr naps and 1 30 min which is the goal, but for the last couple weeks I can't get him to consistently do the desired schedule. I've tried so many things. I started sleep training around 1.5 months and in a few days he had it down and was sleeping through the night. I already keep him up for 2 hours and sometimes more to b sure he's tired, his room is dark, we have a sound machine, the temperature is regulated. I'm open to ANY suggestions.

[@monicalondon3375]

How do we help baby nap well when they are in daycare? Should we encourage an earlier bedtime every day if they're not napping as long during daycare?

[@mrj2633]

what are the age appropriate wake periods?

[@katelongfellow8644]

Hi lovely, Does this video include newborns before 3 months of age?

[@monicarocha7640]

Great video, thank you so much Emma. I have a question: the baby should learn to fall asleep alone. How can we do that? We have a 1 month baby girl and she only falls asleep on lap ir breast. Thank you só much!

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi Monica at 1 month of age it is really common for babies to need our help to fall asleep. At this age I would recommend you provide a healthy sleep environment which promotes sleep. You can find out what these are by watching this video:kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZemqYh9ZtN4bpY You might also find this video helpful too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rni8Y5aQgbxrftk Hope this helps!

[@monicarocha7640]

@@EmmaHubbard Thank you so much Emma!! Yes I've seen your vídeos and I've been doing this, but still she doesn't fall asleep on her own and sleeps very little on her crib. She only sleeps longer co-spleeping or on our lap.

[@VJ-tl3mr]

What age do they start being able to fall asleep on their own? My 2 month old will only sleep in a bassinet if I feed her to sleep then gently move her over. And that is only if she has built up a lot of sleep pressure (which is hard since she feeds for about an hour since she falls asleep and doesn't always wake up to stimulation like massaging her jaw etc)

[@harvitha]

Hello Emma, my daughter is exclusively breastfed never used bottle, she is 1 3 months, can drink from open cup but ends up dumping water or milk and plays with it, she didn't figure out how to drink from straw, have used multiple varieties from 5 months, can I use sippy cup in this case or any other advise? Thank you

[@kristensam9667]

Emma, I have a question. I just watched the video about cues which I found incredibly informative. That video brought me to your channel and then I watched this video. I’m wondering if you could help differentiate between the stirring of the hunger cue and stirring from rem sleep so we aren’t rushing to pick her up too soon but also so that we don’t go into “I’m really really hungry” territory. Please and thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us desperate new mommas 🙏🥰

[@LaheyJ]

I was oblivious too till I watched lip smacking and rooting lol 😂 I was like what the heck is this

[@nata_n5772]

Спасибо за выпуск!каждый вопрос эксперту отзвался!я хотя бы чуть лучше понимаю что может у меня крутиться в голове

[@Illapatayta]

Does this apply to infants younger than three months?

[@LaheyJ]

I hope not. Lol for 1-4 weeks mine took 1-2 hrs then witching hour came upon us. Cry fuss cry fuss. Peaking 6-8ish weeks. Now I get naps in the 2-3 hr range via chest carrier. 3 months soon hopefully start crib. Trick was burning energy awake and watch for sleep Qs and it’s eat dark quiet room shushes and out. I’m exhausted just from entertaining, but most my tricks I got from this channel.

[@ruthfernandez9008]

Thanks, first time mom here with a month and a half child, Im feeling like a macro farm cow !!!

[@katietwodogs8147]

KZbin suggested this after I got done telling my husband our little one was taking shorter naps. 🤣

[@EmmaHubbard]

Wow! That’s so funny 😂

[@diyakhalid6223]

Hy Emma thank u soo much for your tips. Can you help me in one more thing ???

[@EmmaHubbard]

No worries at all!

[@marinak433]

My 4 month old doesn’t fall asleep on his own. His naps are 30 minutes long. (He’s been napping like this for 2 months) Sometimes when he naps less than 30 minutes I nurse him back to sleep. And he sleeps for about an hour more. When he naps for the full 30 minutes I assume that’s all he needs. Should I be nursing him back to sleep? Or is 30 minutes enough for a 4 month old?

[@misselle1430]

That's not near enough. He most probably is hungry. B.feeding can make it seem like the baby is full or had enough but they haven't.... my bubba is 7 weeks and is at 150mls of milk already .. That's alot of milk for a little one. Good luck

[@harvitha]

Also, i have asked another question in another video, but I guess you missed it- can we use harness sold as walking helper when baby is starting to take first steps instead of holding them incorrectly

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hey @Laya Stephen I haven’t used a walking harness with any of the children I have worked with. So can’t really recommend this product. Sorry.

[@crieverytim]

so thankful Sebastian sleeps 3hrs+. I often have to wake him at night. During the day, we wake every 2.5hrs. little gremlin is eating 4oz a feed at 12 days old 🤯

[@Steve-vd3nx]

My baby can link sleep cycles for bedtime, sleeps phenomenal overnight. But we just started trying putting her down in crib for naps and she wakes up right after 1 sleep cycle. She is seven months, we did contact naps for way too long and are paying the price. Any suggestion?

[@janedo9046]

Hi Emma, thanks for this great video. In the first step you talk about having enough sleep pressure and making sure ur baby is tired enough. How long should be a baby of 4 months be awake during the day between the naps?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Jane Do thanks for sharing! Between 4 - 6 months of age bubs tend to be awake for around 2 hours between naps. I would recommend you look for your little ones tired cues at around this time and be guided by that. But also remember short naps at 4 months of age is completely normal and expected. I do have a video on catnapping for this age which you might find helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGbUgomhhNmjjpY

[@janedo9046]

@@EmmaHubbard thank you, keep up the good work. U are helping me and a lot of parents with their kids!

[@chayakudachi2768]

@Emma Hubbard - please can you tell me - How long should a 9month old babies be awake? How many naps a days should they take?

[@sadafjalil6990]

Hi Emma, my LO is turning 1 year now but still can't sleep through night. She keeps waking every 1-2 hours. I try to feed her in the day, she is a fussy eater though. We also keep the environment suitable for sleep, her naps are normal but she is disturbed all the night. How should I figure out the problem and how to fix it?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @sadaf jalil is your little one needing your help to fall asleep? So do you rock her or stay in her room until she falls asleep?

[@ashlieleavelle]

She is old enough to do sleep training and learn to self soothe. Waking up is normal. If she is a year, don't go in each time. Let her cry and figure it out and she will go back to sleep.

[@jessicawarner7634]

My 10 month old, since 4 months, has never taken a nap longer than 30/45 mins. It's torture for everyone, especially with a 2.5 year old running around as well. We have ticked every box and sleep consideration. Nothing works (CIO, pick-up-put-down, ferber, even sleep props when we are desperate). Plus she wakes up at least twice every night. I find it hard to believe I need to pay money for a sleep consultation when that sort of thing did not even exist for hundreds of years but that seems like our last option :/

[@sahararshad5044]

Same her my 6 months baby won’t sleep in day he only takes 30 mins nap twice.

[@abcd1781]

​@@sahararshad5044same here and sometimes I have to hold my baby in my arms for the entire nap so that she will get at least one nap in day and during night she wakes up several times, tried everything and failed

[@makraymundo1357]

Hi, I hope you see this. How do you know if baby is cold at night or hot during the day? I just want to make sure I'm not layering too much or not enough. THank you!!!

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Mak Raymundo you can check if your little one is too hot by placing a hand on their chest and seeing if it is clammy or sweaty. Also if you are using a baby sleeping swaddle or bag there should be a TOG rating. Usually it comes with a guide on what your little one should wear based on the TOG and the room temperature. Hope that helps.

[@flosscandy89]

Your content is so informative Emma! Thanks v much!

[@EmmaHubbard]

You're so welcome!

[@darwinbautista1768]

Hi Emma what kind of coffee machine do you use? I might need one of those 🤗.

[@Yadaicelasisters]

Hi Emma, my baby is 8 month old but she won’t sleep her naps she only takes a 40 minute nap a day. I’ve tried everything but she just won’t . If you could please let me know what I can do . This just started happening this week

[@NV09]

What are the "age appropriate sleep cycles"?

[@pemarinjisherpa6635]

Thanks

[@EmmaHubbard]

No problem

[@jordanlow8465]

Always such great content, thanks Emma.

[@digambarpatil5785]

*Easy to setup and maintain.*

[@trinzyemoxox1759]

My son is 3 months old he sleeps with a white noise machine the rooms always dark and quiet as well as cool plus noting to stimulate but he only naps for half and hour at a time no matter what we do is this normal? X P.s I should also add that no matter what we try he will only sleep if he’s swaddled got his dummy and I bounce him as swaying and rocking doesn’t work x

[@esmeets8475]

Do you also have tips on how to get babies to sleep independently? My little boy still needs help sleeping and is almost 5 months old now

[@amy.amy.]

What helped you and youre littlr one(s)? Im in the middle of it right now😢

[@s2100c]

How do you help bub learn to sleep on their own after bub gets rocked and shh to go to sleep? My 4m will cry in the cot after a 30m and can't be resettled in the cot.

[@moreenwaithera-di4sp]

Hello,how do you correct a 'full short naps error' with a 5months old baby

[@Zendegi_movafagh]

Perfect as always😘😘😘

[@TheRiveraFam2016]

These are all great tips but as a daycare provider myself I also think it’s important to not allowing them to get use to complete silence because when they transition to a daycare when it’s needed they have a really tough time sleeping as you can’t always keep all babies silent.

[@talithag21]

Hi. May I just ask how will a daycare provider put babies to sleep. Babies who only used to contact naps during daytime.

[@caitlynnfuselier1234]

My 3.5 month sleeps through the night but takes short naps and also does not begin sleeping for the night u til between 1130 and 3. I can't ever find anything on how to adjust bedtime or if we just have to wait can you address this?

[@ngocno5307]

My baby only 7w old and hard to take long nap. If we hold him he will sleep 2-3 hrs but if we put him down it’s only 20’. He also has strong Moro reflex . Any tip?

[@chaelaphillipswilson7758]

Thanks for this!! After watching I think our LO isn’t tired enough and needs help getting back to sleep bw cycles. Any tips or vids on helping baby to tire more between naps?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Chaela Phillips Wilson it's so good you have been able to work out what might be causing your little ones' short naps. If your little one is over 4 months of age I would recommend giving them lots of opportunity to play on the floor (on their back or tummy or sitting up), swapping out the toys frequently to make sure they don't get bored with them (just place some in the cupboard and then rotate the toys every 2 weeks) and lots of outdoor activities too. The outdoors is so interesting and there is a lot to see and explore. These will all help to keep your little one entertained and busy. Hope that helps!

[@chaelaphillipswilson7758]

Yes, super helpful! Thank you!!

[@bekkimcgrath]

How can I help baby fall asleep on her own? Lg currently will only nurse to sleep

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Bekki McGrath how old is your little one?

[@bekkimcgrath]

@@EmmaHubbard she's 3months (15 weeks) and mainly has contact sleep and we transfer her after

[@EmmaHubbard]

@@bekkimcgrath at this age they do tend to need your help to fall asleep and often fall asleep when nursing. There is a hormone which is produced when they feed which makes them feel full and fall asleep. As her wake windows increase you could start to feed as soon as she wakes and then she will play and then it will be bedtime and take her into the bedroom (in a swaddle if not yet close to rolling) sing her a song while rocking and then put her in the cot just before she falls asleep.

[@sarat.1744]

I so wish daycare would take awake windows into consideration...they often only put my 8mo to nap at 11/11:30am when he's been up since 5:30am..it drives me crazy. It often leads to bad sleeping during the night. They also refuse to use white noise which means his naps are very short (1 sleep cycle at the most).

[@gabrielapontinha]

Amazing video! Exactly like that, after 30 minutes my baby wakes up😢

[@Crustenscharbap]

Do you have a tip how to train a baby to fall asleep on its own? But I don't want to use the Ferber-method. I think its not good for my little bub.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Rob Schmitt there are lots of different sleep training techniques and the one that you use really does depend on you and your little one. It sounds like you might want to try helping your little one fall asleep with you in the room. There are lots of different ways to do this - you can start a bedtime routine (close the blinds, put your little one in a sleeping bag, sing them a song and then put them in the cot) and then once your little one is in the cot you can either pat them or the mattress until they fall asleep or sit beside them and sing a song or "shh" over and over until they sleep or many other options. It's important to check what your little one prefers - some babies get more distressed having the parent in the room with them or find it confusing if your constantly popping in and out of the room. Your little one might help you choose what method works best for them and you.

[@666Baldwin]

So glad I found your Channel!! So much good information. New Subscriber here.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Welcome aboard!

[@naroimsong2878]

my baby is about to be 8 months but she sleeps at the most 15-20 mins during daytime and 30-45 mins at night. What to do. Please suggest. Follow ur previous suggestions, but it seems that is not working.

[@flyby3079]

Do these apply to 6 week old babies? Mines seems ti be a bit like this & doesn’t really like his bassinet

[@EmmaHubbard]

It is developmentally normal for newborns to have short naps. Really the length of time they nap at this age varies a lot. They might have a short nap and then the next nap might be longer. I have a video on newborn sleep which you might find more helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZemqYh9ZtN4bpY Hope this helps!

[@flyby3079]

@@EmmaHubbard thanks that’s good to know! I’m a first time parent so I’m still learning lol. Will definitely check out your other video!

[@Prof856]

New dad here, this has been the real struggle of my paternity leave.

[@EmmaHubbard]

I hope it gets better for you soon!

[@chelsealynn90]

Hello Emma. My seven month old daughter takes about three naps a day but doesn’t sleep for long at all. She wakes up between 20-30 min. I do watch her on the camera, she wakes up and doesn’t go back to sleep, she lays there and plays with her binky or blows bubbles lol… how do I get her to go back to sleep.? Great video!

[@Diana-vp3cu]

My 2 month baby sleeps well in a crib at night but has a really hard time sleeping in it during the day. We’ve dimmed the room, white noise, done all the tricks. Advice?

[@lisadvet]

same!

[@lesliesmith6612]

How long should I let my 2 month old sleep for a nap

[@mindflashhh]

Hi Emma can you make a video or share your thoughts for a baby who doesn’t want to be held by her dad only mom. That’s driving the mom crazy 😢

[@apoorvasalgaonkar9615]

I need help, my baby is 2 months old (pre term), intiial 1 week his sleep was very good but now he just sleep 30 mins after he is awake nearly 4 hrs and full night no sleep untill 5.00 am , can someone guide what can I do?

[@Pineapples8theWorld]

So like... how do you put a 1 month old newborn down when it takes him 45 minutes to fall asleep for 30 minutes and his 23 month old sister needs to be supervised too? (I've been wearing him in a wrap!)

[@nahidashereen5385]

Hii emma my baby is turned six month and 1p day but she is addicted to swaddle what to do

[@jessicahall7914]

But what do you do when you have a 9 week old newborn that REFUSES to nap/sleep especially in the mornings even after I try to put him down after the wake and he's yawning and acting tired but still doesn't sleep?

[@jessicahall7914]

And only naps for about 30-40 mins while we're out in the buggy and is not hungry or anything?

[@AadamMuhammed786]

​@@jessicahall7914 this is my 2 month old right now 😭 any tips? He literally won't sleep without being in a baby carrier and as soon as he's down he wakes up again in a few minutes

[@gabrielapontinha]

My baby is 8 weeks right now!

[@BrowneyesPrincess]

Hey Emma my baby is 9 months old. He has been staying awake in the middle of night for like an hour or 2. He has been doing this when he turned 8 months. He wakes up for bottle feeds twice and after that he struggles to go back to sleep. This is affecting my health 😔😞 i read about sleep regression but i am not aure if it’s reliable or true. Would you give any suggestions on this?

[@cydrawaj6550]

Just one hour he stays up? My baby stays up since.9am til 8pm and just sleeps for 10 mins after every feed!! Imagine how I'm surviving. He Is one mo th old only

[@ahami25]

@@cydrawaj6550 that is hard really. i can imagine.I'm sure this would still change.

[@sarahroberts7374]

@@cydrawaj6550 A one month old baby is barely going to sleep at all. You will ride it out xx

[@sarahroberts7374]

Sounds like a "split night". My baby doesnt have this, he wakes lots at night but i can get him back off, but amongst all my research i heard about "split night" where the baby is awake for long periods in the middle of the night. Try reading up on that xd

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Cydraw aj that sounds exhausting. I have a video on newborn sleep tips which might help a little: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZemqYh9ZtN4bpY. Hope it gives you some relief - no sleep is mentally and physically draining.

[@creationsbykaf3221]

Hey emma From past few days my one year old is not sleeping properly he keeps having milk while sleeping doesn't want to leave me for a second. I have tried giving him feeder he doesn't take it i have tried feeding him solids one or two hours before sleeping than giving him bottle he still wants to have milk through the night. I have tried patting him, rocking him he starts to cry alot.. i dont know what to do. I dont want to use pacifier as he is older now.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Kainat Ateeq it sounds like this is a relative new problem. Was he sleeping well at night before? He could be teething or getting sick or it could be a sleep association. If it is a sleep association and he is eating well during the day and putting on weight you could start to gradually reduce the amount of milk he is having for each feed during the night. He might eventually stop waking. Alternatively you can dilute the milk if that is possible and safe (as I am not sure what milk he is having). Hope this helps.

[@creationsbykaf3221]

@@EmmaHubbard Thank You so much for replying. May God bless you. He was sleeping well before. I am breastfeeding him and once or twice a day i give him feeder with Similac.

[@jaclyn4098]

My boy is almost 6 months old, he eats and naps every 2-2.5 hours. He naps for 30-40 minutes which is longer than he did as a newborn 15-20 minutes. This should be fine right?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @jac lyn short naps at 6 months is developmentally appropriate. I have a video on catnapping and some tips which you might find helpful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGbUgomhhNmjjpY

[@amber9387ify]

Hi, ftm here. I have an almost 6 month old. Same thing, she takes 30 min cap naps during the day. I put her in the crib, black out, white noise, etc. And at 30 min mark she is up and ready to go. During the night, she is great. We are wake windows to be for her at this age? We do have to rock her, etc for her to go down. So am I doing it all wrong? How can I correct it at this point? Am I do late?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Amber Shafer short naps during the day are really common at this age. Generally bubs at this age are awake for 2 - 2.5hours between naps. It's not too late to start to work on helping your little one learn to fall asleep without adult help. In fact I generally prefer to hold off doing this until 6 months of age. I have a video on catnapping which covers some tips that you can do now to make it easier for your little one to start linking sleep cycles. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGbUgomhhNmjjpY I hope this helps!

[@anuavinashpooja]

I don't see a free pdf option

[@elizabethstiff1847]

My daughter has a sleep association as we pat/shush or feed to sleep for naps always. She will regularly have 1 sleep cycle length naps (6 months old) However, at night she is able to self soothe and can often only wake once for food. How come she is able to do this at night but not in the day time?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Elizabeth Stiff generally babies can link sleep cycles at night because night time sleep is heavily influenced by two systems the circadian rhythm and sleep pressure. Daytime naps are influenced by sleep pressure. Hope that helps clear it up for you!

[@elizabethstiff1847]

Thank you for this. Not looking forward to trying to break this habit as she's a lot more "sensitive" than my son, who we used cry it out with eventually (he got too heavy to rock!) He also wasn't breast fed so didn't have a feed to sleep association. Its also harder to be upstairs for so long with 2 to look after 😴

[@Ebziie]

Hey, my baby is 9 1/2 months old and has still never slept through the night, she wakes every 45mins 1hr 30 if im lucky. Then when it gets to 3/4am, finally will sleep and wake every 2/3 hrs. Sleep time is usually around 9pm and Wake time is 9am. She slept longer as a 2-3 month old. Not sure how to fix it. She's breastfed, will go back to sleep on the breast after 5 minutes between cycles.

[@LaheyJ]

^ this scaring me.

[@thendralnirmal]

Could you please tell me how and when she started sleeping through the night. Exactly going through the same with my 10 month old

[@simonafristykova4135]

My 5 month old sleeps only on my chest during the day since he was born. i don´t know what ´sleep environment´ is...last month he can´t sleep normally in the night...wakes up frequently and has trouble to fall back to sleep ...and someetimes won´t sleep at all, only on my body -_-

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi Simona sounds like your little ones' sleep has matured which happens around 3 - 5 months of age. This generally makes the night time sleep difficult. I have a video on this topic which you might find helpful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4DVqJWOipt5js0 I also have a video on catnapping (short daytime naps) which might be helpful - I explain what a sleep environment might look like in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGbUgomhhNmjjpY Hopefully these video help clarify a few of your questions and give you some tips to try.

[@shidehrafigh]

Is short nap also normal for newborns (younger than 3 months)?

[@LifestylewithMrsKhan]

Perfect. My baby is 3 months old and i have observed the same issues in his sleep. He needs my help to fall asleep and to continue sleeping. I'm doing all i can. And he get ssoooo overtired when his sleep cycle breaks and is unable to fall back asleep. So i just try my level best to stay with him to stay asleep because that's easier for me in comparison to when he is cranky and overtired and unable to sleep

[@vilmachevez2012]

Mine is one month. During the day I do baby wearing. So she naps on me all day, Because if I don't do it that way, no naps because she won't nap in the crib or anywhere else and then it's crying all day scenario.

[@LaheyJ]

@@vilmachevez2012 same boat. At least we’re getting exercise

[@lisathompson7184]

I’ve learned to sometimes just lay her down on her belly when she becomes too fussy when I hold her. Just to break her from being held to sleep all the time and sometimes she doesn’t want to be held. That may help you new mothers. I’m new to this as well. Just remember you’re doing awesome!!! Also it’s important to see when they are getting sleepy and that’ll be a good time to put them to sleep to avoid the baby from becoming over tired. I notice if I try playing with her and she isn’t feeling it she is ready to lay down.

[@lucieb4741]

Hi Emma, do you think a breastfead baby does not sleep long periods because of lack of milk ? How to know if the milk of a breastfead baby is lacking ?

[@sarahroberts7374]

Breastmilk is digested a lot quicker than formula so breastfed babies will feed more often. Doesnt mean there is anything wrong with this, just us being very tired Mummies!!! As long as ur baby is putting on weight please dont doubt urself. Ur milk is deffo not lacking. Kellymom is a good breastfeeding site xx

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Sarah Roberts thanks so much for sharing this important information!

[@lucieb4741]

@@sarahroberts7374 thank you so much Sarah for this. Indeed very important information that I guess is not shared enough to new moms ! I love this community of women helping each other out ! 💕

[@puredust5797]

What about for 1 month old

[@violaamin7093]

My 8 months old girl used to link her sleep cycles since she was four months and half , but almost 2 months ago ( when she turned 6 months old ) , she stopped linking them again ☹️☹️☹️ I tried every trick you can think about but nothing is working so far N she’s in a sad cycle of poor sleeping since then 🥺🥺 Ps: I sleep trained her when she was 6 months old so she’s able to soothe her self very well , yet she keeps having those short naps 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Viola Amin it’s great your little one is able to soothe herself to sleep. That is an amazing skill to have and we know that the reason she is waking isn’t because she can’t self soothe. Does she sleep well at night? It could be many things which is causing her to wake after a short nap and it does sound like you have tried everything so I am sorry if I repeat what you have already done. One reason could be because she isn’t tired enough. At 8 months of age the general wake time is 2 -2.5hours before needing a nap. Between the age of 6-9 months they also drop a nap, so go from 3 naps a day to 2. On the 2 nap routine bub is usually awake for 2 ish hours before the 1st nap and then 3 hours between naps 1 and 2 and then up until bedtime. - Or it might be the room she is sleeping in is waking her up fully between sleep cycles. It is really important to keep the room dark (dark enough that you can’t read a book), cool and also quiet. - or she might be hungry? Is she due for a feed when she is sleeping? - also when she wakes after a short nap do you pause before going in? If you know she is tired and not hungry then it might be worth waiting a few minutes to see if she goes back to sleep. I find it helpful to watch the bub on the baby monitor when they first wake and see what they are doing.

[@violaamin7093]

Thank you Dr. Emma for replying so quickly 🙏🏼❤️ - Her room is very dark n cool yes. - I’m following her wake window n following her cues as well, but because she sleeps only for 30 minutes a time she wakes up veryyyy fussy, cranky, tired n clingy as well, and that also makes her in a need of her third nap. - She used to sleep veryyyy well at night, but since she started having those short naps, her night sleep is affected as well. She started waking up every 2 hours in the night. - I always make sure she’s full ( she’s having about 6 nursing sessions a day and 3 solid meals and a snack as well. - I usually pause before picking her up when she’s awake. Sometimes I even leave her to cry hoping that she would get back to sleep, but that rarely happens. - She can stand up now , so once she’s up , she pulls herself up in her crib n started yelling at me ( ma ma - ma ma ) - I even tried wrong habits 🙈🙈 as shushing her , rocking , patting , n even nursing her, but even those bad habits didn’t get good results 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@Crustenscharbap]

My babygirl is about 5 1/2 months. She also fall asleep by its own sometimes. But then she also wake up often. But if I be next to her and put my hand on her tummy when she fall asleep she sleeps 8 hours straight. Try this.

[@sarahroberts7374]

Maybe it is just because she is teething? My boy has never slept through the night, ever, like ever ever, but he's waking up even more lately due to those little peggies coming in! This too shall pass haha xx

[@BellaNewberry-r4k]

You mentioned ages 3.5 months to 6 months what about 2 months? My newborn will not take a nap longer than 40 minutes by himself but has no problem sleeping longer stretches at night.

[@jasminegenovesi]

My 3 mo old takes less then 30 minutes naps in her bassinet but can sleep for hours on my lap after a feed.

[@gabrielapontinha]

No longer tired that's true because my baby usually wakes up after 30 minutes good, happy not tired

[@EmmaHubbard]

Awesome work being able to work it out!

[@evilndangel]

Hey I'm going crazy trying to figure out how to help my 7 month old connect his sleep cycles... He lengthens his sleep only if he's immediately picked up at the end of cycle else it's end of nap. Kindly suggest any tips. I follow age appropriate awake time and he's very active and I'm sure he isn't overtired. I have a solid night routine n he sleeps around 10-11 hrs waking for feeds approx 2-3hrs at night

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi @Varsha Hegde is your little one self-settling initially for day time naps?

[@evilndangel]

No he needs rocking and nursing to fall asleep

[@EmmaHubbard]

@@evilndangel it sounds like your little one is having short naps because he needs to be rocked back to sleep. To help lengthen his naps I would recommend helping him learn how to fall asleep without rocking from an adult.

[@evilndangel]

@@EmmaHubbard he will cry his lungs out if placed down for nap without being rocked

[@abeerasif8276]

Same here. Our 7m old cannot sleep independently & needs to be rocked. Tried to ‘teach’ him but did not & does not work. Apparently you can’t teach babies to self settle. It is something they learn in their own time

[@veraboessenrodt3724]

So reason one, age range: no tips on what to do about that I.e. how to encourage linking sleep cycles, rather than "riding the wave"?