How many naps should my baby take according to his stage of life?

As our little ones grow, their daytime sleep needs decrease, the number of naps is reduced and their sleep windows become longer. For this reason, it is important to pay close attention to their wake windows and sleep signals from the first days of life.

What are sleep windows and why are they important?

Sleep windows are the maximum amount of time your baby can be awake for their age . This is essential for establishing a nap schedule. Because if your baby hasn't been awake long enough to fall asleep, naps can become a battle for both you and your baby, and the problem of "short naps" can become a habit.

But what to do if your baby shows signs of sleepiness ? before their wake windows ?

Try to keep him awake for a little longer to get the number of hours he needs for each nap and nighttime sleep.

As lengthen sleep windows when your baby shows sleep cues? 

• Change the environment: Go outside, walk for a while or play in a different room, near the windows, so that it gets natural light.

• Change activities: Introduce a new toy or activity to keep your baby stimulated.

• Get involved: Take it, dance, sing and laugh with your baby.

The idea is to strike a balance. To do this, your baby must be active enough to fall asleep more easily, and at the same time, his sleep windows must not be too long so as not to over-tire him.

So, How is this balance achieved?

Look at the daytime nap chart and establish a normal sleep window for your baby, according to his age. If you start to notice signs of sleepiness before his usual nap time, that schedule may not be right for your baby. But if his rest time becomes too short, then it's time to lengthen that wake window by 5 to 25 minutes.

Look at this one nap guide to guide you:

If your baby has more than 4 years old and no longer takes a nap, provide him with at least 1 hour of active rest at the same time that his nap used to be.

An active break can be in your room with quiet games. Even though you are not sleeping, you are still resting and replenishing your energy to get through the day without being overly tired.

Always remember that This is a support guide. All babies are different.

Check out these examples that illustrate the sleep windows that a baby needs in his or her daily life according to his or her age.

4 examples of sleep windows to help you with your baby :

It's important to use these examples as a guide. Don't get hung up on trying to make your baby's nap routine the same as everyone else's.

Example #1 3 month old baby

Between 0 and 3 months, there are no rules! Naps are rather irregular and can last between 20-120 minutes. From 5 months of age, naps begin to gradually become established.

Pay attention to your baby's sleep cues, how long he or she is awake between naps, and how often he or she feeds as directed by your pediatrician.

* Dream Feed is a milk intake that you give to your baby while he is sleeping (never directly in his crib) and is optional . For some babies it can last up to week 6 or 8 and, for others, up to 6-8 months.

Example #2 6 month old baby

At 6 months, many pediatricians allow the introduction of solids. At this time, when we talk about "feeding" we are referring to milk. For example, the first one in the morning or the one at 11:00.

Example #3 8 month old baby

At 8 months, your baby could already have that mid-morning snack and also receive his lunch after his first nap.

Galio will soon start eating dinner and this will happen between 1 to 2 hours before bedtime. His two sleep windows are between 3 to 3 hours 45 min. Generally, the morning sleep window is the shortest and the last one the longest.

Example #4 23 month old baby

We know it can be very difficult to get your baby to follow a clock-like schedule. That's why we always recommend flexible routines rather than strict schedules. You'll find that the older your baby gets, the more consistent their nap routines will be.

Visit our SCHEDULE GENERATOR to find the right schedule for your baby's age.