How to stop contact naps
Has the time come that you are ready to learn how to stop contact naps?
First thing's first! I‘m always here to normalise infant sleep and reassure you. Contact naps aren't a bad habit and all naps count as sleep!
Contact naps only need to stop when you’re ready and you want them to.
The only thing this does is change where your Small sleeps.
I’d never suggest moving away from contact naps as a strategy to improve your bedtime or early wake-ups and only ever if it's something you want to do (if contact naps work for you, you don't need to stop!)
But if you’re ready to make the switch, then here are my tips to do it the caring way. First, let's consider...
Could there be a contact nap compromise?
Just because you want to stop contact naps, it doesn’t mean your Small needs to fall asleep by themselves and in a separate sleep space!
One of these could be a compromise:
Snooze in a sling
This keeps your Small close but gives you a bit more freedom to move around and do what you need to while they nap
Nap-min sleep
Could you cuddle, feed or support your Small to sleep on your/their bed and then sit or lie with them ticking off some admin tasks whilst they snooze? Again this keeps you both close but it’s amazing how much nap-min you can actually achieve whilst they sleep next to you!
Nap and ninja roll
Similar to the above but once your Small is asleep you can practice ninja rolling away.
They might need resettling during the nap but it’s usually easier when you can get super close to them.
Need more sleep support?
Book in with Kerry for a 121 sleep package or a care call to discuss the specifics of your sleep setup.
Stop contact naps and move to cot naps
If you want to try and move your naps to the cot I’m here to help you make this change. My suggestions are:
Pick one nap to practice. Ideally, this is one you know you’re going to be home for most days and can be consistent with!
Sleep on their cot sheet for a few nights before putting it back on their bed.
Introduce some cot cues. Start doing the same two or three things before each nap. It could be as simple as changing their nappy, closing the curtains and singing a song.
Settle them to sleep and transfer them to the cot. Putting them down feet first and keeping a hand on them can help!
Give yourself lots of time. It’s about practising napping in a different way . Not pushing them to have the perfect nap in the cot!
Three things you need to know about stopping contact naps:
It’s normal for their sleep time to be much shorter if you aren’t contact napping.
If you make a change to contact naps you don’t need to do it for every single nap. It’s ok to make a change at one nap and continue to contact nap for the others.
If you’re changing naps to the cot it’s going to take a bit of time and a lot of practice. You might only get 10/15 minutes in there the first few times
As with all things on my Care it Out approach, give yourself kindness and time and only do what works for you and your Small.
