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Hi Vivian!
I’m thrilled to hear that adjusting the wake windows has led to longer naps—that’s a big win!
I have answered your questions below.
Should you cap naps at 2 hours?
Generally, capping naps can be helpful to make sure your baby sleeps well at night. If longer naps during the day are making it hard for your baby to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, you might want to keep daytime naps shorter. However, every baby is different. If he still seems tired after waking up from a two-hour nap, it might mean he needs to nap a little longer. You could experiment with letting him sleep up to 2.5 hours, and see how that affects his overall mood and nighttime sleep.
What time should the last nap end?
It really depends on what your little one can tolerate. As a general guide, babies from 4 – 6 months of age can usually stay awake for 2 – 2 1/2 hours. So if you’re aiming for a 7 PM bedtime, try to end the last nap by 4.30 pm. This should give him enough time to build up enough sleep pressure to be ready for bed at 7 pm. However, if he still seems wide awake at bedtime, you might need to end the last nap a bit earlier to ensure he’s ready to sleep by 7 PM.
Understanding “watch and listen”
When your child starts fussing as they settle down for sleep, it’s helpful to pause and observe without immediately stepping in. This can tell you if they need your help or if they might fall asleep on their own:
- If there are pauses between the callouts or cries, he might be settling himself back to sleep.
- If the crying gets louder or continues, he might need you to step in and help him settle.
This approach gives him the space to learn how to soothe himself to sleep and lets you know when he truly needs your assistance.
In regards to toddler resources on sleep, I do have a few videos on YouTube. But I don’t currently have a course.
I hope that answers your questions!
Emma