Cry It Out For Naps? Here’s What You Need To Know

When you are working on sleep, you generally want better nighttime sleep AND better naps. But can one method achieve both? Can the kind of sleep training method you choose work for nights but not for naps, or vice versa? Do you need to follow a separate set of sleep “rules” for naps than you follow for nights?

The answer is often yes – and that especially applies to those of you who may be using a cry it out sleep training approach. Keep reading for details!

Sleep Training: Naps vs. Nights

First off, it’s important to understand how sleep training varies from day to night. The results you see at nighttime may not match the results you get at nap time. You can read this post, Why Nap Sleep Is Different Than Night Sleep, for more details.

Cry It Out Sleep Training

Now, let me be clear – we are not advocating for cry it out sleep training here. There are many, many other ways to work on your baby or toddler’s sleep, and we usually recommend trying some of those options before resorting to cry it out. That said, we recognize (and respect) that some families have weighed all of their options and have decided to use a cry it out approach to sleep training. If that’s you, then you’ll find some of these cry it out articles helpful! These can be helpful before you start, or if you have already started and are struggling:

• Cry It Out Defined and Age To Do It
• Should You Let Your Baby Cry It Out?
• Your Cry It Out Sleep Training Questions Answered
• How Long To Cry It Out
• Will Cry It Out Change Your Baby’s Personality?

Cry It Out For Naps: 5 Things To Remember

In general, cry it out sleep training will work largely the same way for nights and for naps. However, there are 5 pointers you should remember when you’re working on cry it out for naps:

1. Don’t let your baby or toddler cry indefinitely until he falls asleep. This can make cry it out unmanageable for both you and your baby. Instead, choose a length of time for one “attempt” (usually 30-60 minutes).

 

2. If your baby or toddler doesn’t fall asleep and ends up missing a nap, don’t wait until the next scheduled nap time. That can lead to overtiredness that will, in turn, make sleep training even harder. Rather, try again for another nap attempt 30-60 minutes later. Yes, this means your nap schedule may go out the window for a few days, but remember, your goal is for your baby to learn how to fall asleep independently. Once your child can do that, you can focus on getting the schedule back on track.

 

3. Here’s a tough but true fact: naps are generally harder than nights, when it comes to cry it out. Many parents report that they start to see success at night before they see success at nap time. Even if a baby cried “just” 20 minutes at night (which can feel like success indeed!), they could cry a whole hour during the day.

 

4. As mentioned before, the schedule may go out the window if your baby or toddler ends up missing naps due to sleep training. As best you can, try to watch the timing of naps to ensure that you are putting your child down at an optimal time for sleep. We sometimes see situations in which a parent puts a child down too early for a nap to “give them time to cry.” We don’t recommend this at all. You want to put your child down when she is ready for sleep, but not so tired that she can’t relax and actually drift off. Doing this can actually help minimize crying as you get farther along in sleep training.

 

5. For the 3rd nap (or 4th or 5th), we generally do not recommend letting your child cry. We typically focus on just two naps with cry it out (or just one for a toddler who has already transitioned to one nap).

Remember, no matter how you approach nap training with your child, you CAN do it! There is a method out there that will work for you and your baby! It may just take some trial and error to find one that fits.

Need Help Sleep Training (Cry It Out Naps Or Otherwise)? Let The Baby Sleep Site^® Help You!

If you’ve tried sleep training on your own without success, you are not alone; many, many parents struggle to get their babies and toddlers sleeping well. What you may need at this point is an expert to help you through the sleep training process. Connect with one of our expert consultants today; she’ll craft a Personalized Sleep Plan™ just for your baby, walk you through every step of sleep coaching and schedule-making, and provide detailed answers to your most pressing sleep questions.

Purchase a sleep consulting package today, and connect with your expert sleep consultant!

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Or, join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! And don’t forget that as a member, you’ll also enjoy an “ask the author” feature, and weekly chats with an expert sleep consultant, which is perfect if you have truly tough, pressing sleep coaching questions that require expert help.

Have you tried cry it out for naps?

Need Baby and Toddler Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

  If you are tired of wading through stacks of baby sleep books that just aren't working, if you are beyond exhausted and just can't solve your child's sleep problems on your own...then personalized sleep consulting is for you. We have been around since 2008 and invite you to tap into our MANY years of experience. Our team of expert consultants will create a Personalized Sleep Plan^® just for your family and then support you through every step of implementing your plan. We encourage you to consider our personalized, one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultation packages if you want to see real, meaningful results now. Your consultation package also includes ample follow-up help, designed to help you troubleshoot problems and tweak your plan as needed.

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For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.

Learn More About The 3-Step System

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If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.

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For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.

Learn More About The 5-Step System

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Join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, and more. As a VIP member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.

Learn More About VIP Membership