Infant Cat Naps: Help Babies Take Longer Naps

"Sleep is one of the most important factors in a baby's healthy development, yet it often feels like a moving target for parents-especially when dealing with infant cat naps. These short naps can leave little ones waking up cranky, and caregivers wondering why their baby isn't sleeping longer during the day or through the night. Understanding why babies catnap, how their sleep cycles work, and what to do about it can make a world of difference."

"Infant catnapping is common, especially with newborn babies and younger babies who are still adjusting to newborn sleep. Short naps are normal for this stage because a newborn baby's sleep cycle is much shorter than an adult's, usually around 30 to 50 minutes. This short sleep cycle means your baby is waking more frequently and may not yet know how to go back to sleep independently."

Infant catnapping commonly occurs in newborns and younger babies because their sleep cycles are much shorter than adults', typically around 30 to 50 minutes. Short sleep cycles cause more frequent awakenings and difficulty returning to sleep independently. Catnaps are often under 30 minutes and result from an underdeveloped ability to connect sleep cycles, preventing smooth transitions between cycles. Repeated short naps can produce overtiredness, which makes subsequent sleep harder. As babies mature, usually between three and six months, they progressively connect sleep cycles better and develop longer, more restorative naps and improved nighttime sleep.

Read at Daily Mom magazine