How to sleep train for naps
Sleep training for naps can feel confusing, mostly because it isn’t talked about as clearly as bedtime or nighttime sleep training.
The good news? Independent sleep is a skill that can be practiced and mastered at bedtime and nap time.
Introduce independent sleep at bedtime.
Whatever method you introduced at bedtime (intermittent settling support or gradually fading out), this approach is also your nap time method.
It might take a little longer and come with more protesting, but that’s to be expected.
If you haven’t sleep trained at night yet, start there.
Bedtime is the best time to build independent sleep skills. The drive to sleep is strongest at the end of the day. Your little one’s body is naturally producing melatonin, the temperature is cooling, and the environment is darker and quieter than the middle of the afternoon.
Worried about sleep training? A balanced approach for whole family wellness exists.
Where nap training gets a little trickier…
Even when your baby is a pro crib sleeper at night and you’re confident in the sleep training approach, introducing this routine at nap time can seem daunting.
At bedtime, all the stars align for sleep to happen.
But during the day, there’s stuff to look at, it’s brighter outside, there’s not a lot of melatonin flowing, and your little one is probably amped up from playtime.
That doesn’t mean naps can’t happen, it just means we need to be patient while the skill develops.
Focus on the skill, not the schedule.
Unfortunately, nap training will probably make the nap schedule messy.
When you’re in the early stages of nap training, your baby might fall asleep for 25 minutes or they might fall asleep later than expected. That’s okay. That’s part of the process. The most important thing is that they’re learning how to fall asleep.
Once they’ve got that down, nap length and consistency will fall into place.
Not falling asleep?
If your baby’s still awake after 60 minutes:
Open the blinds and get them up.
Offer a short wake window– around 30 to 60 minutes depending on age.
Offer a feed (if aligns), connect, and try again.
This helps reset nap time. And over time, your baby will start connecting the dots.
Build a wind-down routine.
Babies (and especially toddlers) need a clear shift between play mode and rest mode. That’s where your nap wind-down comes in.
You don’t need anything elaborate. Just a few consistent cues that signal sleep.
Something like:
Go into their room
Close the blinds
Fresh diaper, sleep sack
White noise on
Read a book or sing a few songs
Lights off, into crib
You can also start to slow things down in the 10-15 minutes before this. Dim the lights, quiet your voice, and put away noisy toys.
Feed before nap (but don’t feed to sleep).
A lot of families ask if they can still feed before a nap, and yes! You absolutely can. In fact, it can be helpful for longer, more restorative naps.
Just be aware not to feed to sleep.
The goal is to break the association that sleep only happens while feeding. Try feeding 20-30 minutes before nap time so they won’t wake up from hunger, but they aren’t relying on a feed to fall asleep.
Baby falls asleep, but isn’t staying asleep?
Short naps are super common, especially before 5 months. We don’t expect a baby that young to link sleep cycles yet, so don’t stress if they’re catnapping.
But around 5 months and up, you can start coaching your baby to extend naps by letting them hang in the crib for 10–15 minutes after a short nap, allowing them to resettle on their own. Practice makes progress!
This helps them begin to connect one cycle to the next.
Are short naps normal? How to lengthen the dreaded 30-minute nap.
I actually don’t recommend crib hour.
I get asked about this one a lot– crib hour is when you leave your baby in the crib for a full 60 minutes if they wake up early, and honestly, I don’t recommend it at any age.
In my and my client’s experience, it often leads to frustration for the parent and for the baby. I’d rather have you respond in a way that’s flexible and respectful to your baby’s needs while still supporting independent sleep skills.
Make sure the nap schedule is working.
If naps are consistently a struggle even after sleep training, it might be a timing issue.
A few things to consider:
Is your baby ready for a 3-to-2 nap transition? (Usually around 6.5–8 months)
Are they approaching a 2-to-1 transition? (Typically between 13–18 months)
Are wake windows age-appropriate?
Nap training works best when naps are timed well. A tired baby falls asleep more easily, but a too tired or undertired baby won’t.
You and your baby can do this!
Some days are smooth, some are hard, but just like bedtime, your baby can learn this.
Focus on the skill first, stay consistent, and you’re sure to see more independent naps in the future!
For more nap time resources and sample sleep schedules by age, you can browse my free sleep solutions studio.
To better sleep,
Ella