What I’ve Learned About Baby Sleep (So Far)

Sleep is one of those things parents are constantly talking about when it comes to having a baby. There are so many ideas and suggestions out there that it can be hard to figure out what’s best. I wanted to share what has worked for us and for George so far —but that being said, this may not work for you or your family. It really is a bit of trial and error, and you’ll eventually figure out what works best for you.

Why Sleep Stressed Me Out

For me, George’s sleep has been one of the biggest things I’ve stressed over. I want to make sure he’s getting enough sleep so he can grow and thrive. Not to mention, when he doesn’t get enough sleep, he’s pretty grumpy—but I can’t blame him, I love my sleep too. Thankfully, he does pretty well at night and has been doing long stretches. It did take us some time to figure out a good nighttime routine for him.

Our Bedtime Routine

We always start with a feeding, then we change his diaper and put him in fresh pajamas. After that, we place him in his crib in his sleep sack and read him a book. Once the book is over, we leave the room. We found that if we linger, he gets upset because he wants us to pick him up. When we didn’t, he would get even more worked up, and even picking him up afterward made it harder for him to fall asleep. Once we stopped doing that, we really noticed a difference—he started falling asleep on his own. Sometimes he talks and coos himself to sleep, and it’s the cutest thing.

Baby Naps

Naps, however, are a totally different story. For a while, George would only sleep in my arms and wouldn’t nap in his crib or bassinet. I often used a baby carrier and had him sleep on me, which was honestly really nice because I could be hands-free and get things done. Slowly, I started trying to put him down, and over time he began napping in his crib. It feels like such a big milestone because now I have a little extra time during the day, even if the naps are still short—we’re still working on longer ones. He’s a very consistent cat napper.

Short Naps & Letting Go

I used to get so stressed about his naps. No matter what I did, he would only sleep for about 30–40 minutes at a time. I worried he wasn’t getting enough sleep, but then I reminded myself that he sleeps very well at night. I also leaned on my support group, and one of the nurses basically said, “He’ll sleep when he wants to sleep.” That mindset helped me let go of the pressure around longer naps. George just likes to know what’s going on—maybe a bit of FOMO—and wants to be part of everything. Every once in a while, he’ll nap for a full hour, and I’m always amazed when that happens. Those are my most productive moments… and by productive, I mean I get through multiple chapters of my book. But in all seriousness, I do get a lot done when he sleeps.

Dropping a Nap

One thing that took me longer to figure out than it probably should have was when he was ready to drop his last nap of the day. He used to take four naps, but now we’re down to three. For a while, I kept trying to get him down for that fourth nap, and he fought it so hard. I would spend over 30 minutes trying, and it always ended with him staying awake until bedtime—overtired and cranky. Eventually, I realized his wake windows were changing and he was able to stay awake longer. By adjusting and really watching his sleep cues, I was able to transition him to three naps, and the timing works much better at the end of the day. Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick up on the signs when he’s ready to drop another nap in the future.

Wake Windows & Sleep Cues

As we go, I’m really focusing on watching George for his sleep cues and making sure he doesn’t get overtired. I keep his wake windows in mind and pay attention to how long he’s been awake. Using wake windows as a guide is helpful, but I try not to rely on them alone. If I notice his eyebrows getting red or that he’s rubbing his eyes, I know he’s starting to wind down for a nap. Once the yawning starts, I know it’s really time to move—because if I wait too long, he’ll become fussy and start crying.

Final Thoughts

I hope this is comforting to other parents who are dealing with a baby who prefers short naps. It would have meant a lot to hear others were going through the same thing when I was navigating this with George. I look forward to the day when he takes one nice, long nap a day—it feels like that will be easier to manage overall. For now, we’ll continue sticking with his bedtime routine since it seems to be what works best for him. George really thrives with some support, but not too much—otherwise, he gets frustrated. Sleep looks different for every baby, but trusting your instincts and following your baby’s cues can make all the difference.