Day Sleeper

If every naptime is a battle of wills, read on for our guide to getting your baby to sleep in the day

Every new mum’s mission is to get her baby sleeping through the night. But just as important for your little one is daytime sleep. “Not having enough can make your baby overtired and irritable by bedtime, leading to problems settling and sleeping at night,” explains UK sleep expert Andrea Grace, adding “And an overtired baby will often refuse her last feed, resulting in her being under-fed and waking during the night for a top-up.” Getting your baby into a nap routine is essential for your own sanity, too. Once she’s napping at regular intervals, you can use the time to do chores, have a shower or catch up on some shuteye yourself.Daytime naps can be just as hard to achieve as sleeping through the night, as your baby is more stimulated and less tired. But with our step-by-step guide, your little angel will be sleeping like the proverbial baby in no time at all.

EARLY DAYS

Don’t be hasty about trying to get your baby into a daytime sleep routine. For the first few weeks, let her snooze when and where she wants. “Feeding and sleeping are closely connected at first,” explains Andrea Grace. “Your baby will doze during feeds rather than taking proper naps, and this is fine,” she reassures. But when sleep patterns begin to emerge, at around six weeks, start a diary of your baby’s naps, feeds and alert times. Then, when you’re ready to introduce a nap schedule, you’ll know how much sleep she needs, and when.

1 SPOT THE SIGNS