How to troubleshoot naps

Is your baby or child struggling with naps? If you’re feeling unsure about how to navigate nap time, you’re not alone — it can feel confusing with so many rules, opinions, and details to consider.

If you’re finding yourself wondering, “Aren’t babies supposed to nap?” or “What am I doing wrong?” — you’re not alone. Naps can be one of the most frustrating parts of baby sleep. Day after day, you try everything, yet naps still feel unpredictable or nonexistent.

I get it. It’s exhausting and confusing.

Today, I want to help you understand why naps may go awry and, more importantly, what you can do to fix them.

Believe it or not, there are several key factors that significantly impact how well your baby naps. Below is a comprehensive list of things to look out for when troubleshooting naps. Implementing these strategies can help optimize not only naps, but overall sleep — a true win-win.

Here is one of the most common nap mistakes I see parents (unintentionally) make often. That is, shortening a baby’s wake window because of a short nap. But here’s why you want to avoid doing that and why shortening a wake window can often backfire

It’s very common to assume that a short nap means your baby needs less awake time next. In reality, this often creates more sleep challenges.

1. It creates inconsistency and chaos
   Constantly shortening wake windows throws off the schedule, leading to undertiredness, low sleep pressure, and a confused body clock.

2. A confused body clock causes more short naps
   Putting your baby down too soon — even after a short nap — disrupts their natural rhythm and makes it harder for sleep to consolidate.

3. It reinforces the short-nap cycle
   Shortened wake windows often result in light, low-quality naps where your baby only connects one sleep cycle.

4. It reduces sleep pressure
   Sleep pressure is what helps babies fall asleep and stay asleep. Too little awake time often leads to lighter, shorter sleep.

5. It masks the real issue
   Short naps aren’t always about wake windows. Developmental changes, environment, hunger, or normal nap transitions are often the cause.

6. It blurs sleepy cues
   Putting your baby down before true tiredness sets in makes it harder to read cues — and harder for your baby to learn when it’s actually time to sleep.

7. It can impact night sleep
   Mistimed naps and undertiredness during the day often show up as night wakings, early mornings, or split nights.

8. It teaches the body to expect sleep too soon
   Babies thrive on predictable rhythms. Constantly adjusting wake windows trains the body to expect sleep before it’s ready.

9. It increases parental stress
   Always changing wake windows creates second-guessing and decision fatigue. Consistency builds confidence — for parents and babies.

10. Short naps are often a phase, not a problem
    Many babies take short naps while their sleep cycles mature. Consistency supports consolidation — overcorrecting can delay this process.

Short naps don’t always need fixing in the moment.
They need consistency, enough wake time, and patience.

Additional Tips to Help Troubleshoot Naps

Push naps and bedtime by 15–30 minutes
If your baby is consistently struggling to fall asleep, they may be going down too early. A small timing shift can make a big difference.

Do a mini version of your bedtime routine
Using familiar cues before naps helps signal to your baby that sleep is coming and builds consistency.

Add a 10–15 minute wind-down period
Spending quiet time in your baby’s room before naps helps them transition smoothly from play to sleep.

Start eliminating sleep props
Parent-dependent sleep props (rocking, feeding, bouncing to sleep) often lead to short or skipped naps. Helping your baby develop independent sleep skills is one of the biggest keys to better naps.

Increase exposure to natural sunlight
Sunlight helps regulate the circadian rhythm and sleep–wake patterns. Getting outside, especially earlier in the day, can greatly support naps and nighttime sleep.

Ensure good-quality awake time
Awake time should include movement, exploration, and engagement — not just time in a stroller or bouncer. This helps build healthy sleep pressure.

Prioritize physical activity
Movement matters. Babies need opportunities to move their bodies to support healthy sleep. For newborns, this looks like floor time and tummy time.

Follow age-appropriate wake windows
Your baby needs sufficient awake time before naps and bedtime to build sleep pressure. Putting them down too early or too late often leads to nap struggles.

Make sure your baby is well fed
Hunger is a very common and overlooked reason for nap resistance. Full, effective feedings support better sleep.

Allow ample time in the crib for naps
If your baby wakes after 20–30 minutes, don’t rush in immediately. Giving them time to resettle supports nap extension and rest, even if sleep doesn’t resume.

Create a predictable schedule
Consistency helps regulate sleep–wake patterns. When the body knows what to expect, sleep becomes deeper, longer, and more restorative.

Final Thoughts

Nap struggles are incredibly common — and fixable.

If you take anything away from this post, let it be this: structure, consistency, and adequate awake time matter more than constantly adjusting in response to short naps.

I hope you found this helpful. Let me know how these tips work for you.

Have questions about naps? You’re always welcome to send me a message or book a free discovery call so we can figure this out together.

What questions do you have about naps?

If you have questions about your child’s naps, feel free to send me a message or book a free discovery call so that I can answer all of your questions.