If there’s one thing we’ve written A LOT about here at The Baby Sleep Site®, it’s sleep training. Dare we say we’re sleep training experts? 😉
And usually, when we talk about sleep training, we’re talking about sleep in general — both nap time sleep and nighttime sleep.
Today, however, we’re going to consider the two separately. We’ll compare nap training and night training, and we’ll explore when it’s best for nap training to happen.
In Some Ways, Nap Sleep Training Is Different Than Nighttime Sleep Training
Why? Because nap time sleep is different than nighttime sleep. Remember, according to Dr. Weissbluth, nap sleep and nighttime sleep are actually controlled by different parts of the brain.
Some families find that naps are easier, but many of the families we work with testify to just the opposite: that naps are HARD. And that’s understandable. Naps tend to be less predictable and routine than nighttime sleep. That’s especially true if you’re an on-the-go parent who doesn’t spend loads of time at home. And of course, your baby or toddler’s naptime environment is far different than his nighttime environment. Nights tend to be dark and quiet — days not so much!
Something else to factor in: nap time sleep needs change and shift more than nighttime sleep needs. Your child will go through a handful of nap transitions in the first few years of life, because as he gets older, he needs progressively less daytime sleep.
So what does this mean for your sleep training plans? It means that training your baby or toddler for naps may present different challenges than training her for nights. So don’t be surprised if certain sleep training techniques work well at bedtime but not at nap time (and vice versa).
It also means that you may have to be more persistent in your nap time training. This isn’t true for every family, of course, but it might be true for you. Don’t be surprised if your baby or toddler gets nighttime sleep figured out but still struggles with naps.
In Other Ways, Nap Sleep Training and Nighttime Sleep Training Are Very Similar
Training your baby or toddler to nap well may be a little more challenging than training her to sleep well at night. And you might find that you have to use different sleep training techniques at nap time.
But overall, nap training and night training follow the same basic principles, and they’re based on the same premise. Remember, sleep training is simply the practice of helping your baby or toddler overcome his bad sleep habits and learn new, healthy ones. That applies to both naps and nighttime sleep.
One of the biggest goals of sleep training is to help a baby or toddler overcome sleep associations. And sleep associations usually apply to both nap time sleep and nighttime sleep. For instance, a baby who has to be rocked to sleep at night will probably insist on being rocked to sleep for naps, too. A toddler who needs mom in his room in order to fall asleep at night will probably need her there at naptime as well. So in this way, sleep training for naps and sleep training for nights are similar.
Another overarching purpose of sleep training is to create some predictability and routine in a baby’s or toddler’s schedule.The level of scheduling depends on the family, of course; some parents want concrete, down-to-the-minute schedules while others simply want to establish some general times for meals and sleep. Regardless of the type of schedule desired, however, the “predictability and routine” aspect of sleep training affects both naps and nights. You’ll need to establish a timeframe for naps and for bedtime, and you’ll need to build some routines that will help ease your baby or toddler into both nap time and bedtime. Again, in this way, sleep training for naps and for nights tend to be the same.
When Should Nap Training Happen?
In terms of when to nap train your baby or toddler, you have three options:
- Do nap training and night training together: Some families opt to tackle naps and nights together, and to sleep train for both at the same time. This is kind of a “rip the band-aid off all at once” approach — it can be painful while it’s happening, but it’s over fairly quickly. Some parents also prefer this method because they feel it helps maintain consistency and eliminate confusion. If you’re nursing your baby to sleep for naps but not at night, that can be confusing for your little one, and it can cause setbacks.
- Do nap training first: Other families prefer to deal with naps first, and leave night training for later. For some parents, it feels less stressful to deal with crying and fussing during the day, as opposed to dealing with it at 3 a.m. And parents who take this approach sometimes report that when their baby or toddler starts napping consistently, it actually helps their nighttime sleep, since they’re not getting overtired during the day. This approach may make more sense for those babies or toddlers whose nights aren’t terrible, but whose naps are.
- Do night training first: Of course, some babies and toddlers nap pretty well but are up all night. In those cases, it could make more sense to focus on nighttime sleep training first. Some families prefer this approach because they feel that if they can finally get the rest they need at night, they’ll be more equipped to deal with any nap time drama that might happen during the day.
Nicole’s Note:
“Every family will be a little different. We do offer newborn-friendly nap strategies, including sample sleep-inducing routines for newborns in our e-book, Essential Keys To Your Newborn’s Sleep, as well as special Personalized Sleep Plans™ specifically crafted to guide your newborn baby to better naps in a gentle, safe way. If you still haven’t nap trained and your baby is now an older infant, or a toddler, it’s never too late. Of course, the closer he is to the age of transitioning away from naps (3-4 years old), the harder it will likely be (not to mention how persistence only increases!) We generally start with nights and follow with naps soon thereafter, but again, every family’s needs are a little different, so we keep an open mind. We do not have a ‘one-size-fits-all’ type of mindset around here.”
When you nap train is up to you, of course, and will depend on a lot of unique factors (your parenting preferences, your family’s schedule, your baby’s temperament, etc.) But as you work to create a nap training plan, keep this in mind: your goals in nap training will probably be the same as those in night training. But the training itself may look a little different, or progress differently, since nap sleep is different than night sleep.
And remember: if you need a little extra help in your nap training, we’re here for you!
For even more nap and schedule help, check out these members-only resources, found in our VIP Members Area:
- Mastering Naps and Schedules e-Book (unlimited member access at no extra cost!)
- Custom Schedule-Maker (unlimited access – make as many schedules as you’d like! Includes meal times)
- Nap Transitions tele-seminar with Nicole Johnson
- Short Naps tele-seminar with Nicole Johnson
- How To Put Your Child on a Schedule tele-seminar with Nicole Johnson
- 5 Tips To Manage Nap Transitions [EXPANDED MEMBER-ONLY VERSION]
- 5 Tips For Handling Tough Daycare Nap Schedules [EXPANDED MEMBER-ONLY VERSION]
- Day-by-Day Nap Training Plan
- Downloadable Sleep/Nap Coaching Plan Workbook (learn how to create your own nap coaching plan!)
- Printable Schedule Shifts Forward (great for daylight saving time change)
Not a VIP member? Not a problem! Join today, and you’ll receive instant access to our vast online library of sleep coaching resources.
How To Nap Train Your Baby or Toddler, and Improve Nap Sleep
Short or non-existent baby naps can be so frustrating – but you don’t have to suffer through them! We have a ton of nap resources – and one of those nap resources is our free guide, 7 Common Napping Mistakes. Are you making any of these common nap mistakes? If so, they may be the cause of your baby’s non-napping. So download your free guide today, and start putting the tips to use as early as your baby’s next nap!
Personalized Baby and Toddler Nap Help That Works – Guaranteed!
Don’t feel up to working on your baby or toddler’s nap challenges on your own? While our VIP Members Area is great for DIY parents who prefer to tackle sleep challenges on their own, we know that other parents much prefer to go straight to one-on-one help. Well, good news – we offer that, and you can start getting the personal help you need TODAY!
Browse our list of consultation package options here.
Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to log in and get started right away!
Want more information about how personalized help works? Check out our FAQ page here, and get answers.
Susan says
Hi again, I tried to edit my above comment but I guess it didn’t go through. I was just wondering– do you think he is resisting his third nap because his first two naps are too long? They usually total 3.5-4 hrs. I am wondering if he essentially has “run out” of nap sleep early on, and therefore resists the third nap, which causes him to be overtired by nighttime? Thank you!!
Susan says
Hi there,
Is it possible to be nap trained but not night trained?
We sleep trained our baby at 5.5 months, and I believe it was successful as our baby can now soothe himself to sleep (for the most part). He is now just over 6 months and sleeps straight through from 7:30-8pm til 6-7 am with no wakings. However, I am very confused because he goes down great for his first two naps (the first is about 1.5 hrs after waking up in the morning, and the second is about 1.5-2 hrs after waking from the first nap), but absolutely REFUSES to go down for his third nap. Sometimes I can get him to sleep 30 minutes, which is great. However, it is always a battle to get him to sleep for the night. I do a whole routine (bath, bottle, etc) but he will scream bloody murder for anywhere from 20-45 minutes before going to bed at night. I know that he is able to self-soothe because he does it for naps, and I see him doing it in the middle of the night when he briefly wakes. I suspect that he is overtired b/c of either the missed third nap or the fact that the third nap is usually 3 hrs after his second nap (b/c he resists it so much. On days when he misses his third nap, I try to put him down early (5:30-6 pm), but then he will only sleep for 30 minutes (essentially, it just becomes his third nap), and then he will wake up and go to bed extra late on those nights.
I thought that nap training was harder than night training, but I’m having the opposite problem! Can you help??? It is so hard to hear him scream when I know he is fully capable of going to bed + he is clearly tired + I need to make dinner/am generally pooped by the end of the day!
Thanks in advance!!
Emily DeJeu says
@ Stephanie Barker — glad you asked! Figuring out appropriate amounts of breast milk and solid foods can be tough. I’d suggest you check out this chart: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-solids-how/solid-food-feeding-schedule/ It lays out what kinds of solid foods your 12 month old can eat, as well as recommended breast milk/formula and solid food amounts.
Hope this helps, Stephanie! And thanks for commenting. 🙂
Stephanie Barker says
Sorry to post this on this slightly unrelated article, but I’m trying to fine tune my 12 month old’s schedule – he currently goes to sleep by 7pm, naps twice a day and is up between 5am-6.30am. I’m trying to get it back to where it used to be, which was a constant 6.30am. 7am would be better but I’ll take 6.30am if I have to 😉
Anyway, my question is how many milk feeds should my son be having at 12 months old? The 11 month old schedule lists 4 milk feeds, whereas the 12 month schedule doesn’t specify between solid food and milk. I’m pondering this because he doesn’t eat much solid food and I’m wondering if he’s having too much milk – if there is such a thing.
Currently, he’s having a bottle when he wakes, BM before his nap at 9am [time dependant on when he woke – but usually 3 hours after waking], a bottle before his 2pm nap and BM at bedtime.
Any thoughts anyone has would be warmly received.
:))
Emily DeJeu says
@ Kate B — fabulous, fabulous advice! I love this. Thanks so much for reaching out to Leila, and for sharing these practical, tried-and-true tips with her. I love it when moms reach out to each other and help one another via the blog comments!
Thanks for extending your sympathy and suggestions to Leila, Kate. Its moms like you who help make this site the excellent resource that it is! 🙂
Kate B says
Leila, I feel your pain!
Like Emily said, I would definitely check out the nap guide. I actually joined the site and read the naps and schedules book, too.
I’m still working on naps with my little guy (who’s only about a week older than your baby), and we’re having some success. This is great, especially because he sounds like your son: short naps and I am a HUGE distraction for him at naptime.
The success that we’ve had has come from starting his nap routine about an hour after he got up from his last nap, which means that he’s averaging about an hour and 15 minutes between naps. He does cry for a few minutes after I put him in his crib, but he cries way longer and harder if I stick around or if I go in to try to help (believe me, I have tried a lot of things!). If he doesn’t sleep after 20 minutes (or if he’s screaming!), we skip the nap and try again in another 30 minutes. So far, it has always worked the second time around.
Of course, every baby is different, but maybe there’s something in our experience that could help you. The short wake time seems important, even though it means he sometimes takes 6 (!) naps a day.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Leila Laws — this definitely sounds like a problem; no wonder you’re worried!
Have you checked out our free napping guide yet? You can access it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/ That would be an excellent place to start; it offers some good, hands-on tips for extending short naps.
If you needs more help, or if you’d prefer to have someone walk you through the nap training process, you could try a sleep consultation: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Hope these options prove useful to you, Leila! Thanks for commenting. And do check in to let us know how it’s going.
Best of luck to you! 🙂
Leila Laws says
Hello!
My 14 week old son hardly naps at all. He gets perhaps 1 hour total ALL DAY, and never sleep longer than 30 mins. He tends to wake after 30 mins and cannot get back to sleep. I leave him to try to get him to ‘self settle’ but he gets worked up and when he sees me he gets even more worked up and never, ever goes back to sleep. I think this is happening because he can’t transition from light to deep sleep and so is habitually waking after the same amount of time each time… However, he doesn’t have this problem at night. He is very overtired and cranky and his nightime sleep is pretty disturbed because of this (I think).
Can anyone help? I know he’s young and I wouldn’t worry about this other than the fact he does get overtired and he gets such little sleep.
Thanks x
Emily DeJeu says
@ Kate B — good question! Since your son’s still so young, I wouldn’t recommend trying to extend the naps using any kind of sleep training method. You’ll want to wait a bit longer before jumping in to sleep training.
The methods you’re trying (rocking, etc.) are fine, although it sounds like they’re not working particularly well for you!
Here’s something you could try: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/wake-to-sleep-help-baby-short-naps/ Some parents have success using the ‘wake to sleep’ method to extend their babies’ short-ish naps. Doesn’t work for everyone, and it can be a bit of work for mom or dad, so you may not like it. But something to consider, at least.
Thanks for asking, Kate! And if you use this method, let us know how it works out for you. 🙂
Kate B says
Emily (and others reading this article!), I have another question: Should I bother to try to extend my son’s naps?
He’s three months old and usually naps for 35 minutes. Sometimes he wakes up cheerful, and sometimes not so much! I’ve tried bouncing/rocking him back to sleep, but it rarely works and even when it does, he usually only gets another five minutes or so. But sometimes he looks so tired!
Thoughts?