Micro Naps
Ah, micro naps. The assassin of wake windows. The silent enemy. They strike when we least expect it: Subtly, but always hitting their mark. They turn a great day with the kids into an all-day, frustrating naptime battle.
What are micro naps and why do they happen? Let me share some stories with you:
Meet Jamie.
Jamie is driving her minivan back from the pumpkin patch. In the back sit her two littles, Mia (4) and Leo (1). Jamie glances at the time, silently celebrating that she successfully managed a short outing, got some decent pictures, and is making it back home 20 minutes before nap time, kids happily sitting with small pumpkins in their lap.
“Did you have fun, kids?”
“Yeah Mommy!” responds Mia.
Leo says nothing, but appears to be contentedly gazing out the window.
After Jamie unloads the kids into the house (15 minutes before nap time - self five!), she struggles to get Leo down for his nap.
He is fussy, wants to play, and doesn’t seem tired at all. But we had a busy morning, thinks Jamie. He got fresh air. He toddled around. Why isn’t he tired?
The culprit? Micro Nap.
Meet Scott.
Scott has had a relaxing morning with his kids, Oliver (2) and Jojo (6 months). He glances at his watch, keeping an eye on those wake windows (I see you, Scott. Good job 😉). It is 40 minutes until nap time, so Scott decides to take the kids out for a short walk down their farm road. Oliver loves to jump in puddles and wave to the cows and chickens in the field. Besides, thinks Scott, it’s nice to get some fresh air outside of these four walls.
10 minutes into the walk, Scott looks down at the stroller and sees Jojo start doing the slow blink. Shoot!
“Stay awake Joey! We’re almost home!” Scott hurries the kids back into the house, managing to keep Jojo awake, and starts her nap routine.
To his surprise, Jojo doesn’t seem tired anymore. In fact, Scott spends the next 45 minutes completely baffled and frustrated. She won’t go down for her nap. But she seemed so tired, Scott thinks. What is happening?
Culprit: Micro Nap.
What is a micro nap? A micro nap is a very short, 30 second - 5 minute nap. It gives baby just enough energy to extend their awake time. When parents try to put their baby down after a micro nap has occurred, they struggle. Baby has been given a short burst of energy and is no longer ready to snooze.
What does a micro nap look like?
A zoned out baby (can have eyes open)
Drowsiness
The slow blink
Head dropping and then jolting upward
Very common while feeding
How can you avoid a micro nap?
Follow a wake, eat, sleep schedule. Baby can become drowsy during a pre-nap feed, and get a quick micro nap in while feeding. This makes settling baby for nap incredibly frustrating, as they get their “second wind” so-to-speak, and take much longer to fall asleep.
Avoid overly-relaxing outings just before nap time. If nap time is closing in, going for a car or stroller ride might be just what baby needs to relax themself into a micro nap. Try timing those activities (when possible) after baby’s feed following their wake up.
If baby is looking more tired than usual, pull their nap forward by 5-10 minutes or do an activity that will keep them alert. Check out our post on extending awake times here. If you scroll down in the caption, there are some great ideas for keeping baby alert! Is the slow-blink happening? Is baby starting to zone out!? Get to it, or that micro nap will get them first!
Check out our Navigating Naptime course to help you troubleshoot all-things naps.
Having difficulty settling baby for naps? Email us at hello@littlewinks.ca or send us a DM through our Instagram page @littlewinkssleep. We’d love to help you get those naps sorted.
Happy napping,
Anna