Why won't my baby nap?

You did the routine. They are still awake.

You changed the nappy, darkened the room and made enough shushing noises to lose your mind. The baby is still wide awake.

For us, nap trouble was often about timing. Too early and Ari was not tired. Too late and she was overtired and much harder to settle.

Watch your baby before the clock

Wake windows can be a useful starting point, but babies do not read them. We got better results when we noticed Ari’s first quiet stare or yawn and started the routine then.

Our routine stayed very simple: nappy, white noise and her Love to Dream sleeping bag. Doing the same few things in the same order made sleep feel familiar.

When the nap lasted one sleep cycle

Some naps were only about half an hour. We sometimes went in at the first stir and rested a warm palm gently on her chest while she stayed flat on her back. Sometimes it helped her settle; sometimes the nap was simply over.

And on the days when nothing worked, a walk and an earlier bedtime were enough. That was not a failed day. It was just a hard nap day.