Reasons Why Your Baby Won’t Nap

When I was knee deep in nap struggles with my little man, I was constantly trying to figure out why it was SO hard to get him to nap. When I did finally get him to nap, he’d only stay asleep for thirty minutes which is pretty frustrating when you spend an hour plus trying to get your baby to fall asleep in the first place. This led me to the internet of course trying to see what the sleep professionals had to say. I eventually was able to find out the possible reasons as to why my little man was struggling so much to nap by figuring out what Luke needed from me.

There are of course tips and tricks that I also learned that eventually turned my man into a nap champion and you can read more about that here, How I Got My Baby to Nap. However, it’s hard to implement those tips if there are reasons that can make sleep difficult for your baby. Figuring out those reasons and then finding a solution to those issues is crucial to getting your baby on their way to better sleep. Gaining understanding of the issues that could be stopping my baby boy from napping helped with my frustration as well. Below are the top reasons that could be preventing your baby from napping.

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• Undertired: Your baby just may not be ready for a nap. What I did to help figure out if Luke wasn’t ready for a nap is if he didn’t fall asleep within thirty minutes then I would stop trying to get him to nap and let him play for another thirty minutes to an hour depending on his crankiness. Then I would try again and for the most part when I tried again, he would fall asleep.
• Overtired: If your baby is overtired then it will be a challenge to get your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer than thirty minutes. The reason being is because once your baby is up for too long, your baby releases a stress hormone that gives him or her a burst of adrenaline making it very hard for baby to fall asleep. It’s important to pay attention to awake times and your baby’s sleep cues before they reach that point of being overtired.

TIP: If your baby is currently in the “overtired cycle” what I found is the best way to get your baby out of it is what I like to refer to as hitting the reset button. This is where you break all the rules and you just try to get your baby to sleep anyway you can. Whether that be by rocking, holding baby, nursing baby to sleep, etc. This way your baby can get the restorative sleep that he or she needs. It’s nearly impossible to get your baby to nap if he or she is overtired let alone trying to stick to your usual routine. And forget about nap training if your baby is overtired. Going back to square one and getting your baby to sleep will get your baby back to where he or she needs to be so that way you can begin to nap train.

• Your baby could be hungry: This was so true for me. I always fed Luke after his nap but I would never think to feed him before. Once I switched to feeding him before his naps, it would be easier to get him to sleep and he would nap so much longer.
• Your baby could be going through a nap transition or a developmental milestone: Anytime your baby is ready to drop a nap or is going through a developmental milestone, it can be very difficult to get your baby to nap. 

>>What I have figured out with my son when he was going through a nap transition is that one of his naps would be consistently short or he would just refuse to go to sleep for that nap for more than a week. I would then push his nap time out more and more to eventually skipping his original nap time. Also, if he didn’t get too cranky waiting for the next nap then I knew he was ready to drop a nap. Another indicator was that his night sleep started to derail, I knew he was getting too much sleep during the day.

When my son was going through a major developmental milestone like learning to sit up, learning to communicate more, or learning to crawl–I would make sure I gave him plenty of time to practice those skills during naps. Sometimes it’s a matter of waiting it out though and that’s where the “reset button” comes in and I would just try to get him to nap anyway I can. Usually in about a week, naps would go back to normal.<<

• Overstimulated: Similar to overtired, your baby could be overstimulated. If your baby is wired from all the fun they have been having then it can be super hard for baby to turn that off quickly and fall asleep. This is where a nap routine can help wind your baby down whether that be through a song or reading a book. I usually will make Luke a bottle, turn all the lights off, play his noise machine, and rock with him for a little bit to wind him down from his play session then I lay him down for a nap. 
• Your baby needs consistency: Babies’ thrive off of routine and consistency. If the timing of naps and bedtime are different everyday, your baby is going to have a hard time napping. Each baby has their own unique sleep window where they are naturally more tired. I would recommend documenting when baby falls asleep and how long baby sleeps for about a week. Then you can hopefully see a pattern and see what times work best for your baby. Once you figure that out, you can stick to those nap times. That way when that time approaches, your baby will naturally be tired and know that it is time for nap enabling your baby to fall asleep much quicker and nap longer. 

>>I used an app for my iPhone that allowed me to document his sleep and this helped greatly in figuring our the best nap schedule for my man. It’s called Baby Tracker and is a free app.<< 

• Your baby could be suffering from acid reflux or digestion issues: My little man had bad acid reflux and it interfered with his sleep most times. I ended up figuring out that he had a dairy sensitivity and had to cut dairy out of my diet. What helped was cutting the dairy out for one but also elevating his bassinet. This was when he was still in a bassinet. I would put books under one part of the bassinet so it was at an angle. That helped him sleep better. I would also not put him down for a nap until thirty minutes after I fed him. When he eventually was able to roll over and sleep on his belly, his sleep drastically improved but of course I always laid him down on his back first. I also would give him Gas Relief Drops for his tummy troubles and this greatly improved his naps. 

>>If you’ve tried everything to try to get your baby to nap, I would definitely take them in to the doctor to see if their is a medical condition interfering with sleep.<<

• Your baby needs a “sleepy” environment: I mentioned this tip in my post on how I got my baby to nap because it really made a huge difference for my son’s naps. It may be too loud, too bright, too cold, too hot, etc. for your baby to fall and stay asleep. Assess baby’s sleep environment, make the necessary changes and see if that helps your baby nap better. 
• Your baby needs to learn to self soothe: It may be time to teach your baby how to soothe themselves to sleep. This is such an important milestone for your baby. Your baby learning to self soothe will turn thirty minutes naps into long restorative naps that your baby needs. Your baby could be relying on sleep aids (rocking, nursing, pacifier, etc.) to fall asleep and stay asleep. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult to lay your baby down and for your baby to transfer sleep cycles. Teaching your baby to self soothe can be a difficult task and it can take some time. Only start the process when you and your baby are ready to. Once you start, you have to commit to it otherwise it can get frustrating. I didn’t start training Luke until he was about 7 months or so. But once I did, his naps greatly improved. He could put himself to sleep and his naps are always over an hour. 

Baby sleep is so important in ensuring proper growth and development for your baby. Understanding why your baby is fighting naps or struggling to have quality naps is a crucial first step in getting your baby to nap better. I hope these reasons gave you better understanding for the possible issues your baby is having and can lead you to resolving your baby’s nap issues. 

Experienced mamas, was there a different reason why your baby couldn’t nap that you discovered during your nap struggle journey? I would love to learn more.