Contact Naps 101

Contact naps are always a hot topic with my clients! Some absolutely love contact naps. Others feel trapped by them and long for independent sleep. Both feelings are completely valid and can exist simultaneously.

In this blog we will answer the question, “Are contact naps ‘spoiling’ my baby?”. We will also cover how to practice independent naps and what it means if your baby won’t sleep independently at all (even at night).

Are contact naps "spoiling” my baby?

Newborns: Let me very clear. You cannot spoil a newborn! Rocking your newborn to sleep or implementing frequent contact naps with your newborn is not going to ruin their future independent sleep skills. Before 4 months, babies are not able to learn to self-soothe consistently. This means that they will most likely need some extra help from you to get to sleep. You can rock them to sleep, implement contact naps, wear them in a carrier, etc. without worrying about “ruining” them or “spoiling” them.

4+ Months: But what about older babies? If your older baby has already learned the skill of independent sleep initiation, then occasional contact naps will not wreck their independent sleep skills. If you start doing contact naps frequently or if your baby has not learned independent sleep skills, your baby can learn to rely on them.

Practicing Independent Newborn Naps

While contact naps can be beautiful and enjoyable, it can also feel overwhelming if your baby will only nap in your arms. It is really normal for a newborn to want contact naps. But it is also beneficial to practicing independent naps as well. Here are my top tips for implementing some independent naps with your newborn.

1. Swaddle. Your baby’s startle reflex is very strong at this age. Newborns tend to jerk, squirm, startle, and wake themselves up frequently. It is important to swaddle them nice and snug before laying them down for a nap. 

2. Follow their age-appropriate wake windows and sleepy cues. Getting your baby down for a nap before they become overtired will make it much easier to successfully implement an independent nap. Most newborns are only awake 45-90 minutes before needing a nap.

3. Transfer carefully. Once you have your baby swaddled, you can rock them fully to sleep. When transferring them into the crib or bassinet, you want to hold them on their side and close to your body for as long as possible before laying them down. Lay your baby down on their side first, then slowly roll them to their back. Keep your hand on their chest or jostle them back and forth for a minute to ensure that they stay asleep. You can also practice laying them down drowsy and jostling them to sleep in the bassinet.

4. Practice in the morning. The first nap of the day is usually the first to solidify and is the easiest one to practice an independent nap. As the day goes on, it is very normal for independent naps to become trickier. Practicing once a day can be a great start!

5. Help your baby extend naps. Try not to be discouraged by short independent naps. Even 20-30 minutes in the bassinet is a win. When you can, rock your baby back to sleep if they wake up after a short nap (less than an hour). You can try laying them back down or finish off with a contact nap.

Struggling with newborn sleep? Click the button below to check out my First Four Months Guide here.