Catnaps & Short Naps: Why They Happen and How to Help

---

If your baby only naps for 20–40 minutes and wakes up grumpy, you’re in very good company. Short naps are one of the most common (and misunderstood) parts of early sleep — and they’re not a sign that your baby “can’t nap.” They’re a sign that their body is still learning to link sleep cycles.

What is actually happening

Babies’ sleep cycles last around 45–60 minutes. Many nap for just one cycle, waking between light and deep sleep. In that moment, their body checks, “Am I safe? Is the environment the same? ”If something’s different — noise, light, temperature, or the absence of your touch — their brain says, “Time to wake up.”

That’s why naps that start on you or with motion (like the car or pram) often end as soon as that motion stops.

Short naps aren’t broken sleep; they’re incomplete cycles. Babies need practice and support to learn how to bridge them.

The science (without the jargon)

• Immature sleep cycles: Until 5–6 months, most babies can’t reliably connect cycles on their own.

• Light sleep sensitivity: The transition between active and quiet sleep is fragile; external changes can trigger waking.

• Circadian rhythm: Day sleep consolidates later than night sleep, often around 6–9 months.

• Sleep pressure: If a baby goes down too tired or not tired enough, they’re less likely to resettle mid-nap.

  
  

Gentle things that help

1. Adjust wake windows slightly. Try bringing the nap earlier by 10–15 minutes if they’re overtired, or later if they seem full of energy. Sometimes timing tweaks make the biggest difference.

2. Recreate the first five minutes.When they stir, return the same conditions they fell asleep with — white noise, dark room, same phrase or pat pattern. It helps the brain recognise “still safe.”

3. Use motion resets.If they wake early but still look sleepy, try extending the nap with contact, pram, or sling motion. It’s not cheating; it’s practice for linking cycles.

4. Feed before, not during, naps. Feeding to sleep can work beautifully, but if naps are short and you suspect hunger, try a top-up feed 15–20 minutes before instead.

5. Add a contact nap when needed.One longer contact nap a day (even 90 minutes on you) can help recover overtiredness and improve other naps.

When to get more support

Short naps are normal for babies under 6 months. If naps stay under 30 minutes past that age, or your baby is chronically overtired, it’s worth reviewing:

• Sleep environment (darkness, temperature, sound)

• Feeding (efficient milk transfer, reflux, or gas)

• Day rhythm (too many or too few naps)

If they’re unwell, not gaining weight, or unable to settle at all, speak with your GP or an IBCLC.

Quick reframe

Short naps don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. They mean your baby’s brain is developing exactly as it should — learning how to connect sleep, regulate energy, and trust the environment.

“Twenty-minute naps are common in the first months. They’re not bad naps; they’re baby naps.”

Parent hacks

• Use blackout blinds and continuous white or pink noise.

• Try a “contact-then-cot” approach: let them fall asleep on you, then transfer once in deep sleep.

• Plan one “long” nap (motion or contact) and two “short” naps instead of chasing perfect length every time.

• If you need a break, use the short nap for NSDR or a mindful rest — it still counts.

A little reassurance

Nap length is one of the last pieces to mature. By around 6–9 months, most babies naturally begin stringing cycles together — no training required. Until then, think “consistency over control.” Predictable conditions and gentle patterns are your best nap tools.

Sleep will lengthen. It always does.

Sending sleepy dust,

OTTI.