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Hi Caro,
We had a lovely Christmas. The kids were very excited and had a great day playing with their cousins.
I really hope you had a lovely time with your family too!
In regards to your question about wake windows—when babies have a short nap, it’s common for their wake window to also be shorter. For example, your little one might only tolerate being awake for around 1.5 hours after a short nap.
That said, if he’s fighting sleep during the day, it could be a sign that he’s not quite ready for his nap yet.
Here are a few reasons why this might happen and some tips to help:
Not Tired Enough to Fall Asleep
- When he starts showing tired signs, try changing up the activity or scenery (e.g., move to another room or head outside).
- If he calms down and is happy to continue playing, it’s likely those signs were boredom rather than tiredness (they can look very similar!).
- If he remains fussy and upset despite the change, this indicates he’s likely tired and ready for sleep.
2. Feeding Close to Nap Time
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If he’s feeding close to nap time, it’s possible he’s falling asleep briefly while feeding without you realizing it. This short nap during a feed can reset his wake window, making it harder to settle him when you try to put him down.
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To avoid this, whenever you can try to follow the wake, feed, play, sleep routine. Feeding him in a bright room with minimal distractions can encourage a full feed at this time.
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If you find he’s too distracted in a bright room and is having shorter feeds, you can try feeding him in a darker, quieter space just after he wakes. This can help him focus on the feed and get a full feed in one go.
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If you do need to feed him before his nap, keep the room brightly lit and full of distractions to help him stay awake during the feed. And when he is feeding, pay attention to whether he’s actively feeding—this is when you can hear him swallowing after every few sucks. If the swallowing slows or stops, he’s likely drifting off to sleep.
The other thing to note is that at this age it is generally difficult to transfer them from your arms to the crib. This is because daytime naps are primarily driven by sleep pressure, and a large portion of their daytime sleep occurs in light REM sleep. During this stage, babies are more sensitive to changes in movement, temperature, or noise, making them more likely to wake during transfers.
That said, if you’re currently settling him to sleep in your arms, a helpful strategy is to gradually reduce the amount of movement you’re using to help him fall asleep. For instance, try holding him still as he drifts off, rather than rocking or swaying. Once he becomes accustomed to falling asleep without movement, transitioning to the settling pyramid will be easier, as he won’t rely on movement to fall asleep.
Does that make sense?
Emma