Three ways to extend your baby's short naps: establish a wind down routine before sleep, keep the room dark, and watch awake times so your baby doesn't get overtired.
Does your little one take short naps? If so, here are three tips to help. Number one, have a wind down routine. This is simply a condensed version of your bedtime routine. Doesn't need to be long, just a few minutes, but it takes your little one from a stimulated environment into a space that says, okay, I'm relaxed, I'm ready to go to sleep. Number two make it dark. Like really dark. Remember, light stimulates that brain. When our eyes detect light, it sends a message that says be awake, so the darker the better. Number three Pay attention to how long your little one is awake. If they're not awake long enough, that makes falling asleep and staying asleep really difficult. On the flip side, if they're awake too long, that sends them into overtired, which then their body releases cortisol and adrenaline and then it makes short naps a real struggle.
