You turn your head down and there it is.. that perfect round head nestled perfectly on your body.

There is nothing quite like the cuddles, little drool and squirms from a sleeping baby on your chest. In all the chaos of the day, everything seems calm and just right.

Do you love when your little one is sleeping on your chest? Enjoying a quiet morning, or evening, as you yourself needed a little time to sit.

Then, you came to the right Sleep Coach, because guess what?

CONTACT NAPS ARE STILL HAPPENING OVER HERE!!

What is a Contact Nap?

This is when your little one is snoozing on you or another person. There is human contact occurring.

I am a huge advocate for contact naps, especially when the time is needed.

What am I not an advocate for? A contact nap where the person holding the baby, is also asleep. This is extremely unsafe.

Will Contact Naps Ruin Healthy Sleep Habits?

A baby, toddler or child who has received healthy sleeping habits will not ever be ruined by a contact nap. Healthy sleeping habits are always going to be around, no matter which scenario; transition, off day or sickness may bring.

That is not to say that every nap should be a contact nap. In-fact my rule of thumb is, “majority of naps should be in the safe sleeping space.”

What is a safe sleeping space?

Flat Surface (Crib/ Pack-n-Play).

How to keep sleep w/ Contact Naps:

Prioritize Crib Naps: Ensure that you are practicing the crib naps more often than having a contact nap. Practice 1-2 naps in the crib daily.
Focus on building healthy sleeping habits: Implement the dark room, sound machine and night and nap time routines even if you need to have a contact nap. Imagine your little one is overstimulated due to the family gathering you are attending and you cannot get them to settle. So, what do you do? You go into that dark room with the sound machine and you help them. You let them settle on you.
Use Contact naps as emergency, rescue or off-day naps: On the plane, by the pool at the beach!
Be consistent: Don’t expect a contact nap M-T and then, you cannot get them to settle F-S in their crib.

When to offer a Contact Nap?

During the newborn months: Newborns NEED this connection. They are UNABLE to settle themselves so sometimes contact naps are the only way to get them to sleep.
Sickness: If your little one is not feeling well that extra comfort from a contact nap can help them feel more safe, but also, be a great way for you to keep an eye on them.
Travel: Busy day on the plane… CONTACT nap!
Because you want or need to: Maybe you the parent, are struggling and you just need them.

There is no such thing as ruining sleep with contact naps. Sure, maybe contact naps aren’t as restorative as naps in the crib, but they are able to occur as long as crib naps are happening as well.

Biggest Takeaways:

Crib naps are more restful for babies. Imagine yourself in a car nap, or sleeping on the couch. You’ll always sleep better in your bed.
Contact naps can occur after healthy sleep habits are established. Keep the routine.
Contact naps are SUPER important within the newborn months.
Contact naps will NOT ruin healthy sleep.

If you are needing help with naps in general, I’d love to chat. Book a FREE call and let’s get your little one napping consistently.