Search Results for: blog catnaps naps and your toddler

How To Tell When Your Baby Is Tired

A well rested baby is a happy baby. A tired baby can put the whole house on edge. Getting your baby to bed before she is overtired is the trick to maintaining peace and sanity in your home. Unfortunately, your baby can’t tell you, “I’m sleepy, mom,” when she’s ready to get some shut-eye. How are you supposed to know when your baby is tired and ready to go to bed or lay down for a nap? The idea that baby’s don’t communicate with their caregivers in any way other than crying is a total myth. Have you ever seen … Continue reading →

Listening to Your Body (and Interpreting the Message)

Two out of the last three days, I was attacked by a ninja. A ninja nap. It snuck up on me after my usual post-work routine: walk the dogs, feed the dogs, feed myself. I found my limbs sluggish and my eyes heavy, so I gave into the ninja nap. Three hours later, I woke up. (Both times.) Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes a nap catches me off-guard. I’ve got things planned, work to do… but I find myself sinking down into sleep instead. It can throw off my whole schedule for the rest of the day, but sometimes … Continue reading →

Napping and Memory

I’m a big fan of naps. Back in my radio days, I often kept a weird schedule — up at four in the morning and at work by five-thirty. I’d be done for the day around two in the afternoon… and would often take an afternoon nap to recharge. Even now that I’m keeping a more normal schedule, I often find myself wanting a nap around two in the afternoon. I enjoy curling up with the dogs and taking an afternoon snooze. I don’t necessarily need to do it, but it’s good to relax a bit and wake up with … Continue reading →

Babies and Fighting Sleep

You see the eye lids drooping. The tell tale signs of fatigue are creeping over her body: clumsiness, rubbing her eyes and nose, yawning. . . And yet, if you were to actually put her down or do any of the things you normally do to get your baby to sleep–she fights it. It’s as if her brain has turned a switch that says, “Must. . .stay. . .awake. . .” What is a parent to do? There is no one reason why babies fight sleep and every family, every baby and every parent is different. However, when I have … Continue reading →

Catnaps, Naps and Your Toddler

Napping is a wonderful and regular part of your baby and toddler’s life. As a newborn, your precious bundle will sleep a great deal more than he or she will be awake. Your newborn and infant will usually nap two to three times a day. As they get older, their naps will shorten or the frequency of them will. By the time you reach toddler stage, they will likely be having just one nap per day. My daughter often took a morning nap between 9 and 11 and then later a nap between 3 and 5. By the time she … Continue reading →

Catch Them While They’re Sleepy

One of the best things you can do as a mom to make your life with a baby easier is to learn how to recognize when your baby is tired before they become overtired. When your baby is tired, they are willing to lay down and go to sleep. When they are overtired, they become restless and want nothing to do with their crib. When they are tired, they are drowsy and calm. When they are overtired, they are grumpy and fussy. Recognizing when they are tired can be tricky, though. The signs are often very subtle and go unnoticed … Continue reading →

How to Sleep When Baby Sleeps

I was feeling extra creative today, so instead of the usual advice and information type blog, you are getting something a little less ordinary. Still, the advice is real, so don’t miss the point of this short little poem. Please, Sleep When Baby Sleeps by Kim Neyer (aka the Baby Blogger) If you clean your house while she’s asleep, you’ll never catch a wink; There will always be more dirty windows, more dishes in the sink. If you check your e-mail while she sleeps, you’ll never close your eyes; There will always be more e-mails, more forwards and replies. Sleep … Continue reading →

How Much Can You Really Shape Sleep Habits?

Periodically, I try to write about the trials and tribulations of the family sleep “issues” because this seems to be one of the topics that comes up most often in conversations among parents—especially newer parents of young children. Napping, how many hours of sleep a child needs, the exact arrangement of those hours, where the child sleeps, etc. are all big concerns for many parents. Now that my three are nearly grown and I look back, though, I wonder just how much of an impact or how much control I have actually had in shaping their sleep habits… I do … Continue reading →

Mourning the Loss of Napping

I have heard more than a few times that naps are a parent’s saving grace! If it wasn’t for nap time, many parents of young ones would truly lose their minds. I think that is why it can be so disconcerting when a child either gives up naps, or turns out to be the sort of person who requires less sleep. We worry for the health of the child and we also wonder what we are going to do as parents without that nice nap time break! I know that in my own parenting, it came as quite a shock … Continue reading →

The Return of the Nap

Oh, how I used to cherish my children’s nap times! There was such a brief period when they were all preschoolers when that mid-day respite of three sleeping children was a true gift. Then, of course, naps became obsolete. They were either a battle-ground or they just disappeared. But now that my kids are older teenagers, I’ve been surprised to notice the nap has returned. And, without any nagging from Mom. It is very odd to hear one of them announce they are going to take a nap, or come down stairs after having had a little pre-dinner snooze. Very … Continue reading →