Should You Ever Wake a Sleeping Baby? Yes!
The question of whether or not you should ever wake a sleeping baby comes up again and again from parents who reach out to me. The easy answer is yes, there are times when your child will benefit from being woken up.
So When Should You Wake a Sleeping Baby?
Newborn
Rarely. Sleep begets sleep, and lots of good daytime sleep will most often lead to better nighttime sleep. If your new baby has day/night confusion, have them nap in natural light during the day and sleep in a SUPER dark room at night, but don’t discourage or limit daytime sleep.
Child taking three naps a day
You may need to wake your baby from their first and/or third nap. Ideally their first nap is 1-1.5 hours long so plan to wake them at the 1.5 hour mark so you can catch their natural sleep wave for the second nap. If they take a long second nap, that’s great because that’s the nap they will keep for years to come and the one you want to be the longest. For the third nap, wake them by 5 p.m. so bedtime is not disrupted.
Child taking two naps a day
Cap nap one at 1.5 hours. Ideally they are up by 3/3:30 p.m. from their second nap. As they approach the transition to one nap a day, you may need to cap nap one at 1 hour.
Child taking one nap a day
When your child first starts taking just one nap a day, it’s downright dreamy if it’s 2.5-3 hours long. Once they hit 3 years old, however, you may need to cap it at 1.5 or 1 hour if your little one is showing bedtime resistance.
Remember, consistency is key. For more tips on nap timing, download my free Nap Guide.