Baby naps are, by far, one of the most talked about and searched topics here at The Baby Sleep Site®. We all want our babies and toddlers to take longer, more restorative naps, don’t we? After all, “sleep begets sleep” and a baby who naps well is more likely to sleep well at night, too.
So what can we do to encourage our babies and toddlers to get the naptime sleep they need?
There are a few tools you need to encourage better napping in your baby or toddler. First and foremost, you need to make sure you don’t make the 7 Common Napping Mistakes, and an age-appropriate baby nap schedule is a must. Next, you need to consider nap sleep training (and we don’t mean cry it out, we mean helping your baby learn to fall asleep and stay asleep at nap time!).
But can you do more?
Yes! Once you’ve mastered the basics of how to establish a good naptime routine, if your baby is still struggling to take quality naps, you may want to consider setting him up for success by adding a few “napping tools” to your toolbox.
6 Products That Lead To Better Baby and Toddler Naps
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White Noise Machine
Most babies and toddlers can’t sleep with lots of noise; they need a mostly-quiet environment to truly nap well. But let’s be honest — for most of us, complete and total silence during naptime is impossible! The dog barks, the phone rings, your other children decide to play dinosaurs and stomp all over the house…you know how it is 😉
If this sounds familiar, then a white noise machine is just the thing you need. White noise machines mask the other noises in your home, making it easier for your baby or toddler to nap. Here are a few we love:
Adaptive Sound Technologies LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Sound Machine — this is a really nice, highly-rated white noise machine with 20 unique non-looping fan and white noise sounds. Plus, it has a timer.
Bubzi White Noise Stuffed Owl — This one doubles as a lovey (see below) and a white noise machine. And, did we mention it’s utterly adorable? Because it is! 🙂 -
Room-darkening Blinds/Curtains
Just as most babies and toddlers won’t nap well in a noisy room, many won’t nap well in a brighly-lit room, either. This is why room-darkening curtains come in handy; they offer a way to darken your baby’s or toddler’s room in broad daylight. (Note: Once your baby is no longer a newborn, you no longer need to worry about day/night confusion.)
Here are a few room-darkening products we like:
The Redmon Nighttime Nursery Blackout Liners are nice — they block out light and noise. And since they’re liners, then can be sewn to the backs of the curtains you already have, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice your decor!
Redi-Shade Black-Out Pleated Shades — these shades offer a great way to darken baby’s room; since they have no cords, they’re perfectly safe to use around your little one. -
Lovey
A lovey is any item that helps your baby feel cozy and secure. Loveys can go a long way towards encouraging better naptime and nighttime sleep.
We also love the Angel Dear Blankie — how adorable is this monkey version?! The Angel Dear Blankie comes in 35 animal varieties, so you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for your baby or toddler.
Finally, we can’t fail to mention a lovely classic: the Taggies Blanket. Each of Nicole’s sons had one of these as his lovey. The blanket comes in three patterns, and each version is full of the soft, textured tags that we know our babies love. -
Crib Mobile
Many parents find that crib mobiles offer a nice way for babies to wind down at naptime. It can even become part of your baby’s naptime routine. Of course, not all mobiles are good for sleep. Some are meant to stimulate and others are meant to soothe. Make sure you get the right type of baby mobile.
We like the Fisher Price 2-in-1 Projection Mobile because it grows with your child. Use it as a mobile for young babies; then, when your baby’s bigger, convert it to a music box that projects images onto the ceiling. -
Snoozeshade
It probably goes without saying that your baby will nap best at home (or at daycare), in a dark, quiet room. But sometimes, naptime has to happen on the go — that’s life! And that’s okay.
To make on-the-go naps easier, consider investing in a Snoozeshade product. Snoozeshade offers a full line of carseat covers and stroller coversthat block out light. These provide a great way for you to create a dark, cozy environment for your baby at naptime, even when you aren’t at home. Use The Baby Sleep Site’s Coupon Code BABYSLEEP10 for 10% OFF! -
Swaddling Blanket
Now, this last product doesn’t exactly apply to toddlers, so if you’re a parent of a toddler, you can skip this one. 😉 But if you have a newborn at home who just won’t nap, consider swaddling your baby for naps (and at night!) Swaddling has been shown to improve sleep for newborns.
To make swaddling even easier, you might want to think about investing in a Miracle Blanket. No more complicated folding; the Miracle Blanket makes swaddling your newborn a cinch! And it’s recommended by medical professionals, so you can rest assured that it’s a safe blanket to use with your newborn.
Another swaddling product we love? The Swaddle Strap® Baby Swaddle! This ingenious little swaddler is a simple strap that fits securely over your baby’s arms, but leaves baby’s legs free. Why do we love it? It’s the perfect swaddle to use in warm weather – dress baby in a light onesie, secure the swaddle strap over top, and you have a newborn who feels secure and snug enough to sleep, but who won’t overheat. Plus, since your baby’s legs are free, diaper changes are a snap!
Baby and Toddler Nap Help That Works – Guaranteed!
If you are looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation, and want plenty support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations. Your consultation package will provide you with the chance to interact one-on-one with a trained sleep consultant, who will create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ for your family and then work to help you implement it at home.
Our Members Area is 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! As a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to 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 planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
Need help knowing where to start? Visit our Help Me Choose page for helping choosing the Baby Sleep Site® resources that are right for you.
What are your favorite, must-have napping products? Share them below!
Baby and Toddler Sleep Resources That Work – Guaranteed!
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 10+ 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.
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.
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to 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 planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
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.
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! As a VIP member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part - members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!
sunita says
Thanks for recommending this post. This information will help a lot to all parents.
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Thanks for writing @ Sunita! We hope that it IS very helpful to very many! : )
Becky says
Based upon the recommendation of several mommy friends, I purchased the Zipadeezip to transition my daughter from a Rock n Play to her crib at 19 weeks. The Zipee keeps her cozy and warm and prevents her from flailing her arms, but at the same time gives her freedom of movement in the crib. Using the sleep plan from the Baby sleep site and the Zipadeezip we were able to get our daughter to sleep through the night in 4 nights and take longer naps in her crib. We couldn’t be happier.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Becky – Awesome! So glad you like the Zippy. We’re big fans here at The Baby Sleep Site®, too! 🙂 And so glad your sleep plan was helpful.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Rhianna — oh, good point about the carseat covers! I’m sure that could definitely be an issue with some of them. Any other moms out there had this experience? Have any of you used carseat covers that did a good job of not trapping heat like this?
Rhianna says
LOVE the taggies blankets, both of my kids have them. My oldest (19 months) sucks on the tags, my newborn clutches it inside her Swaddleme blanket. I have a question about the carseat covers if anyone can recommend one. I bought one with my son when he was 4 months (a little over a yr ago), don’t remember the brand name, but I didn’t like it because it seemed to trap heat inside the carseat as well. I used it a handful of times (including in my air conditioned car) and when I would take my son out he was sweaty and hot feeling so I quit using it and just threw a blanket over the carseat when I was really desperate to have him nap.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Erica — Here’s our “official” stance on loveys:
“The AAP recommends nothing in the crib until a year old, so be sure to check with your pediatrician about when it is okay for you to put one in with your baby. Some families choose to do it sooner, depending on the mobility of their baby, but we cannot tell you what might be right for your baby.”
It’s a good idea for your child to have an attachment object, though, so there’s no problem with introducing one early on, even if he’s too early to have it in bed with him.
Erica says
A question about the loveys – Is it safe to have them in the crib? I’m a first time mom & there’s a lot of conflicting information out there. He loves his blanky, but I haven’t been letting him take it to bed with him. Thanks!
Emily DeJeu says
@ Claire — I didn’t know they made suction-cup blackout shades; very cool! And would be fantastic for travel, I imagine. Agreed on the 4 a.m. waking; summer is great, but I don’t love the fact that dawn soooooo very early! 😉
Claire says
My twin boys (now 2 years 2 months), have had blackout blinds for over a year now. In their room at home, I used self adhesive velcro on the window frame and on black felt so the blinds are easily removable (not looking forward to removing the velcro from the window when we move though!). For when we travel, we have two ‘Gro Anywhere Blackout Blinds’. They are completely opaque and have suction cups to fix them to a window. They are a lifesaver, napping is generally successful, and no 4am waking in the middle of summer! I would use them at home too, but the suction cups make it a bit too much effort to keep fixing them up and removing them.