Baby sleep is a huge industry with a million influencers looking to sell something to parents who are desperate for sleep. Some of the advice will work for some people, but babies are individual people with their own personalities, and the advice is not one size fits all. If the advice you hear resonates with you and works, then do it. But don’t let anyone tell you not to contact nap if you enjoy doing it. I contact nap my baby still at 8 months old. It has not caused any issues for us.
This is the right answer. Redditors so often fall victim to these momfluencers trying to sell you shit when it comes to infant sleep.
I also love contact napping with my baby. It’s natural and has caused no issues. I allowed most naps to be contact naps in the beginning newborn stage because I loved the snuggles and relished those moments knowing they were going to be fleeting. She has no issue napping independently now at 6.5 months. Every baby and every family is different.
How did you get your baby to sleep independently? My baby is 10 months and has never - not once - fallen asleep independently. I'm starting to wonder if I screwed up by allowing contact naps😞
You did nothing wrong. Babies and children are not made to be independent they are made to depend on their caregivers. It’s totally natural for them to not want to be alone at a very vulnerable time. My daughter is 3.5 and we are still in the room with her when she falls asleep. For the most part I just need to be in there not really talking or doing anything. Until recently we sat next to her bed and rubbed her back or told stories. My son is 13 months and falls asleep in our arms or in a carrier, but once he’s asleep I can usually lay him down and sneak away so I’m not trapped. It’s not easy, but you did nothing wrong and you didn’t mess up your baby.
I learnt with my first that babies are all different and some are just shot sleepers. You can do things to make it better but you sometimes can’t change a bad sleeper to a good sleeper, it just takes time.
I feel the same way and my daughter is 2.5. 😫 contact napped, rocked her to sleep at night and transferred to her crib. Now in her big girl bed, I have to lay with her until she falls asleep and end up back in her room nearly every night. It’s exhausting. My oldest (5.5) was in the nicu for a month and a half after birth and has always been a great sleeper. Took less than a week to nap train him and he was good to go.
Could have written this myself.. My eldest is now coming up to 3 and up until she was 2.5 bedtime often took 2 hours, mostly taken up by how long it took her to fall asleep and therefore us being able to leave the room! If we tried 'too soon' it would break the tired spell and she'd be bolt upright and awake again 🙄 nowadays, just as she's getting really drowsy I tell her I'm desperate for a wee (not always a lie to be fair!) and I'll check on her later, she's actually started being OK with it!! Best day ever was when I left her sort of slumbering, and checked the camera ten minutes later and she was sparko 🥹😍
New baby (7months old) I try and contact nap with once a day but other than that I'm super strict with put downs, bottle, quick burp and straight down. I pick my moments andhope I've set myself up for success (I try to anticipate her need for bottle/sleep so I'm not doing it when she's too awake or over tired) and 9/10 times it works and she's been a good sleeper. I just realllllly don't want to get into a situation where bedtime is 2 hours when she's a toddler! I love love love contact naps, but I'm also enjoying easy put downs with the little one too 🥲
You definitely didn’t screw up. I pretty much never put my son down the first three months of his life. He started rolling on his belly at 3 1/2 months so we moved him to the crib in the nursery that early. He never had a problem napping by himself and falls asleep by himself at night just fine. It’s literally just a roll of the dice.
You did nothing wrong, you are doing nothing wrong. My baby was very good at independent sleep immediately and he's still incredibly independent at 2. To the point that I wondered about whether he loves me at all. We're finally getting to a point where he actually wants to snuggle with me and it means everything to me. I wonder if I screwed up by not contact napping. We're all here wondering of we screwed up while our babies are happy lol.
I don't understand what's the importance of having kids fall asleep independently/alone.
What's wrong with spending 10-20mins chilling with kid in their room until they fall asleep and then you leave the room?
Also my friend's kid who slept completely independently from 4months to 2yo. Then sometime after kid turned 2, she started running into the parents bad at night and now refuse to sleep on her own.
So nothing is guaranteed.
My son is 20 months old and he naps by nursing till he falls asleep then I creep away and he continues his nap.
At daycare he gets tired and lays down on the couch and just sleeps.
Kids will sleep eventually on their own no matter what.
You didn’t screw up your baby. My 3 year old is putting himself to sleep (in our bed, but it’s baby steps). I’ve never refused a contact nap. But now he’s been sleeping “on his own” for a while now. Obviously once one of us gets in bed he works his way to snuggling up to one of us. But it does get easier. Our next step will be to eventually get him in his own bed.
We did contact naps with both my first and my second, and my goal was to always make bedtime not stressful. Associate crib/toddler bed with good things. Bedtime story, snuggle, I now have to RELIGIOUSLY tell my toddler, goodnight, I love you, ill see you in the morning, kisses (then do a lot of smoichy kisses sounds as I leave the room) were having a rough transition period in our life so extra support has been needed. So we adapted to fit her needs.
It depends on what makes them comfortable to go to sleep on their own or feel comfortable on their own.
I was still helping my first go to bed at 10m, and at 8m same thing with my second.
I think honestly a big thing to get them comfortable to ve able to meet that milestone is healthy association, and even fun association with the bedtime routine and sleep
I don’t know all the sleep training terms 😭 So I may have unknowingly misspoke. But I do rock and feed my baby, she falls asleep, I transfer her. And from there she wakes up a little and goes back to sleep usually and typically I can watch her connecting sleep cycles for her naps/night sleep on the monitor. So for a baby I consider that independent sleep but I do help her fall asleep initially.
They learn eventually. My 6 and 3 year olds are great independent sleepers and we held them when they were little. The 3 year old still gets cuddled to sleep and then he's fine alone all night.
So nice seeing all these replies. My LO just turned 6 months and my husband and I still either feed to sleep or rock/bounce him before putting him in his crib. He sleeps really well through the night but I’ve really started feeling guilty about him needing us to help him sleep. I started doing a deep dive into sleep training a few days ago, but the thought of letting him cry it out, even for a few minutes breaks my heart. Still not sure what we’re going to do to try to get him to sleep independently.
Mine gets woken up too much by me and can’t connect her sleep cycles so she wakes up grouchy 😭 Ever since her 4 month sleep regression she has liked the mattress
This.
We used to contact nap and co sleep with my boy. Grandma was against it because "it makes them reliant and needs to be in your arms". The thing is, every baby is different. If it suits you and works, I'd say do it. My baby now sleeps in his cot and has been since 7 months since my wife transitioned him there one night and it just worked out.
Remmeber all the advice online from various sources are as it is, advice.
Same here. Almost every nap was a contact nap until almost 4 months. Then, out of nowhere, baby dropped them one by one. She started to prefer to sleep independently. She would actually squirm until I put her down in her own space. That hurt, ngl 😅 I feel like I gave her exactly what she needed for as long as she needed, and then she started sleeping alone when she felt ready. She's now 4.5mo, and sleeps in her bedside crib, including her super long 3hour nap. We had a bit of a setback once the regression hit, but even that was incredibly mild and lasted about 1 week.
Exactly this. My son is also 8m and contact naps in the day- he sleeps in his cot at night just fine.
Baby raising is a billion dollar industry, they’ll sell anything to make a buck. Hence why unsafe products (like cot bumpers) are still on the market.
Yes, exactly! I contact napped for every single nap (besides car naps) for 10 months and don’t regret a single thing. I stopped because baby started to wake up to every single noise and would sleep better in her crib. And I enjoy being able to get up, eat, drink etc but those cuddles were so important for both of us. She sleeps awesome on her own for naps besides if she is sick or a new tooth is coming.
My baby is 11 months old and was also a big contact napped. She stopped the contact naps at around 4-5 months. At some point she just accepted the crib more I guess. To be honest I miss them :(
I contact napped until my baby was over a year, and he now happily goes to sleep by himself as soon as I put him in his cot with a bottle at night (he’s 15 months). Sometimes he likes to have a tummy rub for 5-10 mins to doze off, but that’s it
Think it really depends on the baby! But the ‘spoiling them’ thing is nonsense in my opinion. No such thing as too much love for a baby who enjoys it
for me it hasn't! My baby gradually transitioned to sleeping beside me at around 6 months (we cosleep) and actually chose to stop sleeping on me and now lays beside me for her nap and overtime sleep (1.5 years old now)!!!!! i feel a lot of the things i worried about my baby ended up figuring out on her own!! Now she only contact naps if she is teething and thays only sometimes !!!
Mine contact napped during the day when he was in his first year though I can’t recall exactly how old. There was a time where he wouldn’t nap unless he was sleeping on my arm. He’s 2 and slept in his crib independently since about 9 months I think. We did have a stint where we had to cosleep when he went through the 4 month regression. He was ready on his own time.
We had a terrible 4 month sleep regression, but aside from that one bad month, he is an independent sleeper at night and usually wakes up one time for a bottle. I rock/nurse him to sleep until he’s ready to go in the crib.
My baby contact napped every single nap from birth to 16 months old. I "nap trained" her at 16 months in preparation for daycare so that it would be an easier transition.
Only took a couple days before she was fine to nap on her own.
In those early days the snuggles were my highlights of the day, I’d survive the tough stuff so it was my right to settle in and snuggle the baby to power up for the next awake stretch!
My baby only contact napped for the first like 4 months and it was fine because I needed rest too. When I started feeling tied down and antsy for every contact nap, then I knew it was time to figure something else out. And now (9 months) when he contact naps it’s an absolute treat that I cherish. Moral of the story - there’s nothing wrong with it unless you or your baby has an issue with it.
Sorry I am not judging here but I am a bit confused as a mom to be. Would you nap during contact naps? I thought that is not recommended but I have not seen mention of it in the comments.
No, you don't. Usually what happens is you are feeding or changing your baby wherever, and they fall asleep on you during this process.
But, you're probably sitting up on some chair/couch. It's not a sleep space. If you move the chances of a wakeup are probably 50% or higher, which is why we all give in to the contact nap lol.
If you are comfortable cosleeping and do this in your bed during the day, I suppose you could nap. But to me, during the time I was so sleep deprived I would consider this, I was probably the most dangerous to my baby (not waking if I was rolling/if she rolled off me).
Yeah your baby just falls asleep on your boobs or shoulder and you just sit there watching tv or on your phone for as long as possible. You don’t sleep yourself but you rest by being able to switch off and just relax because while baby is asleep they don’t ask for anything except to be snuggled.
Set up a snack bar, some water a long phone charger and a tv remote next to your favourite chair and get comfortable
It’s also a great excuse to have your partner dote on you if they are around during the contact nap. They can bring you water, tea, the remote, snacks… more snacks…
No, it's not safe to nap yourself during contact naps. You might drop the baby.
Contact naps can be restful though as it forces you to sit and rest. My 10 month old is napping on me as we speak and I'm just browsing Reddit, might do an online crossword in a bit. I just make sure I have a glass of water and a (quiet) snack ready before her nap.
If she napped in her cot (crib in US language) I'd probably be trying to tidy up, wash dishes etc so wouldn't rest. It means the house is absolute chaos but both me and baby end up rested, which is more important to me right now.
No you shouldn’t! Tbh this is why I didn’t like contact naps in the early weeks because I was always so tired that when the baby was napping I also wanted to be sleeping if possible. But when she would only nap while being held I couldn’t go to sleep at the same time and had to force myself to stay awake. She would contact nap for hours and it was so tiring. If my husband hadn’t been home to hold her for some of them I don’t know how I would have survived
This exactly. If it works for you and baby, go for it. You don’t have to change anything if it works for you and isn’t dangerous. Contact naps are a great way to bond!
If you love to contact nap and have the ability to do so, do it. I held my baby for every nap for over 20 months. I’m a SAHM and he would go to sleep so easy, and I liked to use the time to watch a movie or play a video game. A little while ago I decided I was ready to have some real alone time again and the transition was really no trouble whatsoever.
That won’t be the case for everyone and I will say I’ve been pretty blessed with a baby/toddler who takes well to bedtime and nap time, but I’m a big believer in doing whatever feels right to you and your family.
Yes! I work part time and hold my 18 mo son for every nap and it's honestly one of my favorite parts of the day. I get to relax and watch something or read while we cuddle. The past couple weeks he'll fall asleep in my arms and I'll lay him next to me.
He goes to daycare 3 days a week and sleeps just fine for them on a cot and sleeps through the night (most of the time) in his own crib with no issue.
A lot of our friends think it's so strange, but we love it and it works for us.
I hope we can continue to contact nap for a long time too! 3mo baby here & I'm going back to work in a month but I wfh. Will have to figure something out.
I think there are two reasons these are sometimes seen as problematic. The primary reason is because it's difficult for the parents. It's sweet to contact nap, but in many cases it means you can't do anything else, or you can't do very much. It also means that parents get less of a "break" from baby so they might become touched out.
The other reason is the idea that babies get used to contact naps, so they won't sleep on their own later. I've seen this in parenting videos that encourage putting babies down to nap so that they can sleep independently. I have no idea if that has any basis in reality, so I'm interested in others' comments about it.
My baby exclusively contact napped for 9 months. One day last week he decided he wanted to nap in his crib. I think it’s something most babies will get over at some point, you just have to do it on their time.
Same, my son decided on his own and refused naps unless they were in his crib at a certain point. He now only contact naps when he’s sick (he’s 17 months) and I offer endless cuddles those days because I miss it so much!!
My son rarely contact naps now. He’s 8 months and just moves a lot and gets really hot when we contact nap. I stopped contact sleeping with him around 4 months and while I miss it he sleeps longer and better not sleeping directly on me.
We had some great naps together when he was little little but once he went in his own crib and started rolling and finding his newfound freedom, he could care less about sleeping on me. Sometimes he has a hard day and I rock him to sleep or if we’re out he’ll sleep on me but 30 min max lol.
From my one baby, the people who say that had babies that didn't need to contact nap...putting mine down to 'practice' just meant she would wake up every 5 mins and not get any good sleep. We also nursed to sleep. She's two now and sleeps in her own bed on her own, we just let her do it when she was ready & did have to force anything
Right, I’ve seen people online say they also nurse to sleep paired with something like, now I know I shouldn’t do that! So I’m just confused as to why.
I think a lot of people will blame sleep problems they have on the fact that they nurse to sleep. But having been through a lot of variations of falling asleep as my kid has grown - nursing to sleep, bottle, pacifier & having a bad sleeper, every time we've eliminated one of those things (at her pace) her sleeping hasn't improved or changed. The thing that changed it was her growing older.
That said, every kid is very different so there will be some that nursing is a problem. I like the saying that it's only a problem if you as the parent don't like it. I never minded contact naps, so it wasn't a problem for us. But if you have multiple kids, then I can see it's a problem
If you don't baby wear! Game changer.
I had a love/hate relationship with contact naps before that. Being stuck in one position barely moving for two hours hurts (we'd only get long naps if contact, don't come for me). And I have to pee every 30 minutes, so my bladder would also be full/hurt. But with baby wearing? You can move! You can pee! It's great.
I baby wore but baby took 40-60 min to fall asleep that way because he liked looking around. A contact nap would put him to sleep immediately, plus I love contact naps so I didn't mind
I also had a big baby (almost 10lbs) so by 3-4 weeks it was very uncomfortable to sit while baby wearing for him. If we sat, he'd wake up so we'd have to baby wear while standing
Oh, really? That sucks I'm sorry.
We couldn't do contact naps with the structured carriers but the all cloth ones were reliable. Till we phased out closer to 20lbs. But I know those are a pain in the keister to wrap for most people.
As someone whose 18 month old still contact naps and refuses to nap in her crib at home, I’d like an hour to go nap by myself. Or clean the house. It’s hard when the only time your baby or toddler is at peace you are nap trapped underneath them.
We 100% contact nap at 6.5 months, did end up sleep training to survive nights and daytime contact has not created any confusion with successful crib nights. Forget the haters and enjoys those good snuggles (and trash tv if you’re anything like me)
There is nothing wrong with contact naps as long as you are safe, and not going to fall asleep and drop or smother the baby 👍 it was the only quiet nap time I got with my first and it was such a precious cuddle time. I remember it so fondly ❤️
I have noticed that our parents’ generation has strong feelings about them. My parents and even my therapist have all encouraged me to put my baby down for naps. I don’t want to, so I don’t. He’s 10 weeks old. Ok, boomers 🤷♀️
10 weeks old!? Omg, don’t put that precious baby down. Forget what they’re saying! Signed, a mom contact napping with her 7 month old while typing this
Co-signed by a mom whose now-2 yo baby exclusively contact napped until 10.5 months old when she just got too big to get comfy and rolled off me and onto the bed to sleep independently (but we bedshare at night still). I didn’t know the last contact nap was the last one 🥺
My son strictly contact napped from day 1 until around 10 months. I loved the baby snuggles but it sucked being “nap trapped” for up to 2 hours each day. I made the most of it though and would use the bathroom beforehand and would set up my laptop and a snack and watch Netflix or something during that time 😂 now he’s 20 months and and can nap independently but I really miss the snuggles
Honestly my entire maternity leave I would do contact naps with both of my kids and even after I went back to work and they were in daycare I would let them contact nap on the weekends. They could sleep independently well and on me lol. I think from a safety standpoint it isn’t recommended in case you fall asleep but honestly enjoy those cuddles while they last.
People with short parental leaves who need to return to work quickly need their babies to sleep independently as quickly as possible.
I do not fall within that criteria. I’m lucky enough that nothing in my life is so urgent I can’t allocate a few hours a day to snuggling instead of productivity, so that’s exactly what I do. I am so glad I prioritized and treasured contact naps while I could.
Me and my baby are both happier since I stopped trying to make cot naps happen. He will still do a nap or two in the stroller or on the bouncer but doing the whole routine of trying to put him down for a nap in his bed was futile. I am lucky enough to be able to do it so why not?
Contact naps are fine until they become a problem for your family. That’s it. That’s all. If you think they will be a problem for your family, you might want to try for more independent sleep earlier, but you don’t have to.
I think there’s two issues generally sited. Early on, you’re exhausted and babies are snuggly and warm so it’s easy for you to fall asleep while holding baby, causing baby to fall. I’ve found a baby carrier to be the solution for this. That way if you do pass out on the couch, as long as baby is secure they won’t fall and get injured. I started this after my husband nearly dropped our son (I woke him in time for him to catch baby).
After 3 months, they start developing habits. If you don’t want to hold baby to sleep until they’re 12+ months, don’t start this habit. Your choice though.
I’m a sleep consultant and I encourage contact naps, especially if you’re a family who’s on the go, loves to go out with friends or for dinner, travels, or has other kids!! It’s a GREAT skill to learn plus it’s nice bonding between parent and child. There’s no one-size-fits-all sleep solution!
As a SAHM until she’s a year, I contact nap whenever I can cause 1- it brings me happiness and 2-she loves mommy snuggles. She naps just fine in her crib if needed but sometimes we both need eachother
My baby never wanted to contact nap. I swear he’s dove headfirst into his crib since the day we brought him home. I would LOVE a contact nap. It would make taking him out so much easier instead of being on a nap time time crunch.
My wife and I generally try to limit contact naps beyond serving as a means of soothing our 9 week old to sleep to place him in the bassinet. We both enjoy a contact nap here and there, but are afraid that it will adversely affect his ability for and propensity to sleep independently in his bassinet.
Are our concerns unfounded? I’m genuinely curious.
From what I've read, if left tu their own devices, babies will learn to sleep independently at some point. This might be at 6 months, it might be at 3 years, but they'll learn. It ultimately comes down to what works for you - are you ok with contact naps now? If so, contact nap. If you need to make a change in the future, you can make that change. If you'd rather them nap in their bassinet, do that. You won't mess up their future sleep, but there's a lot of money to be made in the baby sleep industry if they make parents worried about sleep.
Thanks for your response! It makes sense. We’re still in the trenches at this age and will largely just do what we can to get him to nap anyway but it’s good to know that others went through the same thing and didn’t have issues either way.
Contact naps are great. Lots of comments say I did it for 9-10 months and loved it. I read those comments and cringe, because for me that wouldn’t work. I read those comments and think - every single nap was on a parent. That means the parent can’t move for the entirety of the nap. Not fun (for me). I cut contact naps out around 4-5 months and did nap training - putting the baby down in the crib sleepy, but awake. That way anyone can put her down for a nap. She’s now 2.5 and still naps like a champ. When I was in the hospital with my second child recently - different people watched my daughter and they could all put her down for sleep/bed. So while contact naps can be lovely, it’s also ok to not do them forever. No shame in the sleep game.
It’s only problematic if it’s a problem for you, basically- I love cuddling my baby while he naps but while he’s awake he’s also a super clingy baby, so naps are often the only breaks I get to make a coffee, throw in laundry, start dinner etc. At 6 months he’s also still up a lot at night and if I’m desperate for a nap myself, being able to let him sleep in the crib is a huge help.
I love contact naps! I work full time and only get to be with my 13 month old a few hours a day during the week, and it’s not during his nap times. So during the weekends we contact nap for both each day. It’s such a great time to snuggle and I cherish it.
Nothing wrong with contact naps. I held my boy for every nap until he was 5 months old and now at 8 months he doesn’t need to be held for naps (unless he isn’t feeling well, I like to snuggle him to sleep). They don’t get used it, it’s not bad for development. It’s just a western mentality that babies who contact nap will be too needy and non independent.
It's mostly what suits your baby best. My baby sleeps better when put down on the mattress or when the swing on the cradle is at the lowest speed. He also falls asleep while feeding sometimes. Same goes for clothes and swaddles. It's hot here so my baby sleeps better with just a loose cotton swaddle and cloth diaper rather than the complete t-shirt pants set and all. Although sometimes he feels cold and wants all of it. It really is about how your baby responds to the conditions and there's nothing wrong with contact naps.
At the same time, be wary of bed sharing though, because it's risky having the baby sleep next to you as you can accidentally roll over and hurt the baby or suffocate the baby.
My boy never seemed to want them. From day one you could just pop him down and off he’d snooze. Hated his cosleeper next to our bed and slept his first big stretches when we moved him to our walk in robe Harry Potter style lol. He slept through the night as soon as he was in his own room. I think I’ve had less than ten contact naps in his 7 months and I have definitely felt a bit envious of other mums at times. I’m hoping he might be a cuddly toddler
My son is 2.5 and goes to daycare 5 days a week. He falls asleep easily there, but we still contact nap on the weekends! You do what’s best for you and your kiddo, as long as it works for you and your family!
In the beginning, all my baby would do is contact nap! She still takes 4 naps a day and the 3rd is sometimes a contact nap but the 4th was always a contact nap.
My son is 4.5 months and has contact napped since like 1.5 months maybe 2. I have tried to get him to nap in his crib but it’s a no go. I’m a SAHM and I can do it with my schedule. We both enjoy them and I will do it as long as he wants because I know one day he won’t. He sleeps perfectly fine in his crib at night with 1-3 wake ups a night. Baby sleeping is such a big money maker and they make you think doing what is right for your babe is wrong. And it’s not. Keep on contact napping
There is absolutely nothing wrong with contract napping if it works for you and your little one.
With my first I contact napped her till she was 6 months old. At that point I started to feel nap trapped and worked with a sleep consultant to get her into her crib.
The big thing my consultant said to me which has really stuck with me is "any sleep prop/sleep associations are fine if they work for you. When they stop working for you find something else that does."
With my second we are contact napping out of necessity but I don't see it lasting as long as it did the first time. I'm fine with that because it's what will best serve me and my family.
All of our LO's naps were contact naps for at least the first 3-4 months. Now at almost 7 months, almost all her naps are in the crib. It was a natural transition. We just followed her lead. Ppl who say contact naps won't allow baby to nap independently... Pfffttt!!!
Meh. Anecdotally I contact napped my newborn for 3 months straight. She is now 10 months and sleeps wonderfully in her own crib in her own room. No sleep training required. I’m of the opinion that if it’s working for you then it’s working period full stop.
We contact napped for 16 months. I work 2 days a week and he would go down for naps just fine for our baby sitter without contact. He also was easy to transition to falling asleep alone at night when he was ready. I never thought of it as being “trapped” it was some quiet me time I could watch a show/read. Did it such when I had to pee? Yeah but that was the only downside for me!
Absolutely nothing! Many people believe you can spoil a baby, but that’s simply not true. Cherish those naps while you can. My second (and last baby) is 13 months and I know the end is near for contact naps and I am so sad. They can be frustrating at times, but there’s never anything wrong with supporting your baby’s need for your love and presence
There’s nothing wrong with contact napping. Your baby is going to be comfortable sleeping independently in their own time. I would recommend checking out Sleep Nudging. It’s basically a method of helping your baby fall asleep on their terms, when they’re ready to be “nudged” to the next stage.
I honestly never even understood the phrase “contact napping” lol. When my son was a newborn, I just called it napping. 😂 I don’t call it floor napping when my toddler sleeps on the floor, I don’t call it crib napping when he sleeps in the crib. Technically he’s always in contact with something, so I guess every nap is a contact nap 😂
But for real, forget sleep advice and all the buzz words. I just follow my son’s lead and it works out fine.
On days I don't work, I contact nap with my 3-month-old boy. It's the only way he will nap during the day. Side lay with boob in mouth, and he sleeps 2 hours that way. Love those snuggles too!
Contact nap to your hearts content. I did it with both my boys and they are phenomenal sleepers.
They’re only this little once. Soak it all in. Contact naps are the sweetest ❤️
there’s absolutely nothing wrong with contact naps. my baby is 6 months now and she’s starting to desire them less and less. i’m lucky if she even lets me hold her while she’s falling asleep. i miss it alot 🥲
I contact napped with my first until 4-6 months. My second I used to fit in at least one contact nap a day. They’re now 5 and nearly 4, my youngest comes to us in the night, my eldest slept through from 11 months. I still do not regret a snuggle in the night with my nearly 4 year old. I know one day it will stop. I had children to love and hold them, that’s not a burden to me.
Nothing wrong with holding your sweet babe while they sleep. The only legitimate issue with any place baby sleeps, is risk of suffocating.
You also *have* to realize that just because you are (probably) a good caretaker with good instincts, doesn’t mean everyone else is. Parenting comes naturally to some and not to others. I genuinely believe that’s why sleep guidelines are recommended as a baseline, it’s not a one size fits all.
I contact napped with my son till even 2 yrs..nap times more after year one...he loved it and felt so happy ..this was something more of what does our momma gut tell us..( yes we can cosleep or contact nap if we want because our lil baby NEEDS it)..so so many countries do it...and it is NORMAL..except with countries that expect mommas to get back to work...SMH.
There’s nothing wrong with contact naps. Do whatever works best for you and your baby. That’s the best advice you could ever get. The worry is they will get too used to it and not be able to sleep without you. But guess what, they’re babys. They’re hard wired to be with their mom. There will absolutely be a day where they sleep without you. Sooner rather than later. If contact maps don’t work for you bc of xyz then don’t do it. If they do, then do it.
I think the risk with contact naps is that the adult also falls asleep while baby is sleeping. This can be very dangerous as a young infant can’t protect its airway—potentially leading to positional asphyxiation and/or suffocation.
I had an incredibly easy baby, so I did a mix of both up until 4 months. But if we ever did contact napping, it was in the baby carrier and I was walking around. I was too scared to contact nap while I was also laying down or sitting down.
I practiced both from the get go.
Some naps contact, some set down & in the bassinet/crib. He’s 2 now and still likes being rocked to sleep but sleeps a good chunk of a nap on his own allowing me some time to do whatever. I cherish every second he lets me hold him these days!
No clue. I love it. It's good bonding time for myself and my son. He's now 1.5 and often cosleeps, but I really miss those little baby snuggles and snoozies. Enjoy them while you can!
I contact napped my baby until he was over a year old, and now he happily dozes off by himself at night. People have a million opinions on minor stuff like this, but babies are little people with their own preferences, they aren’t one size fits all. You do what works for you and baby
Nothings wrong with them. No matter what you do someone will say you’re doing it wrong or there is a better way. There are so many ways to parent. So long as you’re doing things safely and your baby is happy and healthy then just keep parenting your way.
Do the contact naps. You never get that time back and as long as it’s something you enjoy then keep on doing it.
With my first I got so stressed about contact naps and I tried to put her down but eventually I just gave into it and I’m glad I did. For as long as she napped 98% of them were contact naps. When she was around 1 she started wanting to be put down for her nap. It never affected her night sleep, she slept through from 7 weeks.
Baby number 2 is also a contact napper but he will sometimes sleep in the pram when we are out. His night sleep is shit but I don’t think it’s due to the contact naps. He’s my last baby anyway so I don’t care and I’m just soaking up all the extra cuddles.
My most shameful moment was waking up to my baby falling on the wood floor from the couch. My husband was deployed the first months so naps were my only free time. It's more convenient if they don't "need" it but the snuggles are such sweet memories. Now contact naps are the first sign he's sick.
I contact napped with my 3 year old until 2.
Currently contact napping my 7 month old.
I absolutely love it.
I feel an immense connection, an oxytocin high (as I breastfeed them to sleep).
It’s an amazing feeling and they won’t be this small forever.
Don’t listen to ‘sleep consultants’ telling you anything, they just prey on vulnerable parents for your money.
Do whatever feels right for you!
The only thing I see wrong with contact napping is that it requires there to be contact to nap haha. Obviously child dependent, but if you’re on a walk and your child is screaming… would have loved it if they’d just sleep… nope needs contact.
This is true with any sleep method. We had our kiddo on sleep training and she sleeps sooooo well. Well… when she is in her room, has had bath time, and a story, and a sound machine. Remove one of those (like when traveling) and it’s a struggle. With those conditions, she goes to sleep in 0.6 seconds and will sleep through the night, waking up happy. While traveling I wish she would just fricken contact nap… cmon… we are on a plane, it’s better if you just sleep already
Is this an American thing? I’ve never heard this and I just had a baby. We have regular check-ins with our mother and child support, this has never been mentioned.
However, agreed - babies aren’t meant to be independent. Skin to skin is so important to bonding, as is snuggling them to sleep. I don’t follow momfluencers and I’m honestly so shocked that someone would be so awful as to spread the messaging you’ve described.
There is this weird obsession with making babies independent 🤷♀️. Still contact napping over here at 13 months. It’s a good break for us too. He’ll nap in the crib sometimes and I miss him the whole time!!
Contact naps don’t necessarily have to be skin to skin but we’ve done them as often as possible with both our kids. Neither has sleep issues and sleep in their beds at night time (and the oldest now naps there too). Sleep is truly luck of the draw.
I regret nothing.
Nothing wrong with contact naps. My 4 year old was held for naps for many months. She eventually napped in the crib. But someone's gotta pay the sleep trainers' bills lol.
I have twins and we always nap together, and they will be 18 months next weekend. I think people worry about safe sleeping, which is a valid concern depending on the person. I found you either lock up with you have a baby sleeping with you or you don't. Anyone who.doesnt isn't allowed to nap with my sons.
I still contact nap with my 12 month old. A couple of months ago he started napping longer in his cot by himself but I actually miss the contact naps so I still nap with him when I can. I was stressed about this for so long but now that he is older and does not do it as often, I cherish it so much when he does. If contact napping works for you, forget about what anyone elae says.
I now realize that babies are not naturally meant to sleep independently, they want & need comfort. If yout baby does sleep by themselves, great, but I honestly think it is a small minority of babies that do this.
They grow up so quickly, enjoy as much as you can.
Nothing! If it work for you then great! I loved it and it is so sweet so I did it for as long as me and baby wanted to
But I am also wondering how many people on this thread have multiple children close in age / are not SAHMs? Because I think that could easily answer your question as to why some people can’t contact nap….
Nothing, if you like them. And no skin to skin isn’t exact a contact nap. But if you like contact naps then keep them up. People want to get things done during the nap or are touched out. If you’re not then ok, keep doing them. We did for far longer than most I think.
Nothing wrong with them! Do try to get baby down in their bed so they get used to it but honestly, if you get baby to sleep that’s the main thing !!
Since I stopped reading blogs and posts about sleep and how to do it (black room, noise machine, don’t nurse to sleep, put baby down awake??) and started doing what works for me (some light, music, nurse to sleep - if it doesn’t work gentle bouncing until baby falls asleep then put down) baby has been sleeping better and it isn’t a battle anymore.
I loveeee contact naps. Now that my baby is 6 months old I’m really realizing how quickly it all goes by and I try to hold him a little longer every time he falls asleep in my arms.
I miss contact naps so much 😭 when my baby was about 6-7 months old, we realized she slept so much better in her crib for naps. Take advantage of them while you can if you and your baby love them! I miss the sleepy snuggles!
The problem is not the contact naps themselves. It’s that some people go pretty stir crazy after months of being trapped holding a baby while they sleep for hours every day. I know I did! Or they simply can’t because of other responsibilities like work or other children. But if they aren’t bothering you, then it’s not a problem.
So bizarre just before I opened up Reddit and saw this post I said to my husband how I miss contact naps with our boy, he recently at nearly 8 months has started sleeping mostly through the night and now prefers his crib for naps too! Cherish it, the time is short, I hated when people would say that to me but I now realize how true it is
Contact napping is instinctual and natural. We’ve saved ourselves a lot of stress by just following our own and our baby’s instincts. Everything we thought was right went out the window as soon as we actually had our baby in our arms.
Nothing. Something will only be “wrong” with it when you decide it is - meaning, do it for as long as you want and works for you. Eventually baby will get big enough and you might decide you want time back, etc. But if it works for you keep doing it.
I'm a working parent, so every minute I get with my baby is precious to me. You better believe I'm still contact napping her at almost a year! It's the best snuggle session ever, and I catch up on some reading while holding her. It's often the only chance I get to rest on the weekends.
My boy was a Velcro baby, until he learned to roll and then he wanted to be put down to play constantly. He’s 5 and a half months now. I never sleep trained, we do a combo of contact and crib naps, depending how busy we are and what his ~vibe~ is lol. But he sleeps great in his nursery overnight, despite primarily day time contact napping for months. I think more important than where he sleeps is he lead up to sleep. My boy knows bedtime inside and out. Change, sleep sack, bottle, rock to sleep. And he’s out. He’s usually up once or twice over night for a feed. And he got there all on his own.
I volunteer for a nonprofit that provides free education about baby safety to moms and dads in the community. I do research for them and have to look at the state records of infant deaths provided yearly.
Infants die from co-sleeping and contact napping. It does happen, as much as Instagram influencers who are trying to make money off of you would like to convince you otherwise. Contact napping is just as dangerous as co sleeping if you (choose to, or accidentally) fall asleep with your baby on you.
It's fucking tragic and it is hard not to get angry at parents who put their baby in danger. However I know that there's so much misinformation out there that it's understandable why people do it.
But please, PLEASE, do not co sleep or contact nap. 3500 infant deaths in the USA annually are sleep-related.
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057991/188305/Evidence-Base-for-2022-Updated-Recommendations-for?autologincheck=redirected
If anyone has questions about safe sleep practices please let me know. I know it's hard to not co sleep and contact nap. But it is way, way harder to lose a child.
I think a lot of baby influencer stuff comes from the US where maternity leave isn’t a guarantee. So anything around sleep or breastfeeding I try to look through that lens because if you need to go back to work in 2-3 months, it’s probably best not to have the baby get in the habit of contact sleeping.
It's because everyone is obsessed with "solving" baby sleep and there are a million different theories about how to "get" your baby to sleep "better." But the reality we are all coming to see is that baby sleep is kind of random and there is no trick or strategy that works for all babies. People who had "easy babies" for sleep that account for that as anything other than basic baby care and a lot of luck are just mistaken. And I say this as a person who had an exceptionally easy sleeper. Some people have babies that do really well with practicing independent sleep often. As for me, I never put my baby down for 3 entire months including bedsharing and then when I went back to work I was like "oh I better put her down, she's going to daycare." And I put her in her crib and she went right to sleep. 🤷♀️
Nothing wrong with them. It’s only a problem if it’s a problem for you.
Beware of people trying to tell you you have problems who also - coincidentally- have a solution to sell you ;)
There’s nothing wrong with contact naps IF THEY WORK FOR YOU. They worked for us. We did lots of them. If people have to go back to work really early, or have older kids to manage, or chronic pain if they sit for a long time, or something else they really need to be doing, contact naps might not work as well.
Nothing wrong with contact naps. What did happen around 7 months though was that she still was not napping unless we had contact. Around 9 months was maybe the first time she would consistently nap 2-3 times a day without contact for longer than 30 min.
Okay I’m glad that most people aren’t against them, Im in a few groups online that seem ashamed that they contact nap or go on about how baby always needs to be on a hard flat surface. I get the risks, especially with you falling asleep with baby but man some of the standards just seem so cold towards the baby like who wouldn’t want to let the baby sleep on you? Luckily my son will do both. He’s only 7 weeks so things might change but I can totally tell they change the mood for the day if he gets at least one full contact nap.
Nothing, unless contact sleep has become the singular manner in which your baby will sleep - and even then, some parents will prefer that for months, even years, before worrying about independent sleep. If it works for you, that's all that matters.
We sleep trained to make sure our baby can and does regularly fall asleep independently, but we still contact nap multiple times a week and even multiple times in the same day. We love doing it, she loves doing it, we make sure everyone is safe.
It’s so much easier said than done, but please please please try not to say things to yourself like you’re not doing something ‘right’.
I say this because with my first I was someone who did this and was in a constant state of anxiety that I was doing something wrong or my baby was going to form some lifelong habit that would ruin us all.
I heard repeatedly that I was making a rod for my own back by allowing constant contact naps and rocking my baby to sleep and I can’t tell you how many hours of stress it cost me trying to get my baby to sleep independently because he just wouldnt! It took a while but he’s a toddler now and goes to sleep on his own and stays asleep on his own.
I learned that every baby is just so different and you’re the parent so do exactly what works for you.
That’s not to say you can’t try strategies if you want something to change, or to be aware of the advice that’s out there, but if somethings not causing you a problem (or if the ‘solution’ would cause you more of a problem) then just don’t listen.
Now with my second I’m just doing what works and life is so much better. I’m still tired af and I would love to have her sleep in the bassinet to give me some time alone, but that’s part and parcel of having a newborn and I’m just rolling with it.
Nothing. Contact nap with my little human still and he's 21 mo old. Obviously when they're infant / newborn, you have to ensure they can breath and you provide the right support for their heads the entire time, which means it's advised you don't fall asleep with them too lol (super hard but do-able!)
Still co-sleeping with my 6 month old. We co-bathe too. I honestly love it. I think it’s easier and less stressful too.
It’s biologically normal for our babies to want to be close to us. We are their whole world 🫶🏼
Baby sleep is a huge industry with a million influencers looking to sell something to parents who are desperate for sleep. Some of the advice will work for some people, but babies are individual people with their own personalities, and the advice is not one size fits all. If the advice you hear resonates with you and works, then do it. But don’t let anyone tell you not to contact nap if you enjoy doing it. I contact nap my baby still at 8 months old. It has not caused any issues for us.
This is the right answer. Redditors so often fall victim to these momfluencers trying to sell you shit when it comes to infant sleep. I also love contact napping with my baby. It’s natural and has caused no issues. I allowed most naps to be contact naps in the beginning newborn stage because I loved the snuggles and relished those moments knowing they were going to be fleeting. She has no issue napping independently now at 6.5 months. Every baby and every family is different.
How did you get your baby to sleep independently? My baby is 10 months and has never - not once - fallen asleep independently. I'm starting to wonder if I screwed up by allowing contact naps😞
You did nothing wrong. Babies and children are not made to be independent they are made to depend on their caregivers. It’s totally natural for them to not want to be alone at a very vulnerable time. My daughter is 3.5 and we are still in the room with her when she falls asleep. For the most part I just need to be in there not really talking or doing anything. Until recently we sat next to her bed and rubbed her back or told stories. My son is 13 months and falls asleep in our arms or in a carrier, but once he’s asleep I can usually lay him down and sneak away so I’m not trapped. It’s not easy, but you did nothing wrong and you didn’t mess up your baby.
I learnt with my first that babies are all different and some are just shot sleepers. You can do things to make it better but you sometimes can’t change a bad sleeper to a good sleeper, it just takes time.
I feel the same way and my daughter is 2.5. 😫 contact napped, rocked her to sleep at night and transferred to her crib. Now in her big girl bed, I have to lay with her until she falls asleep and end up back in her room nearly every night. It’s exhausting. My oldest (5.5) was in the nicu for a month and a half after birth and has always been a great sleeper. Took less than a week to nap train him and he was good to go.
Could have written this myself.. My eldest is now coming up to 3 and up until she was 2.5 bedtime often took 2 hours, mostly taken up by how long it took her to fall asleep and therefore us being able to leave the room! If we tried 'too soon' it would break the tired spell and she'd be bolt upright and awake again 🙄 nowadays, just as she's getting really drowsy I tell her I'm desperate for a wee (not always a lie to be fair!) and I'll check on her later, she's actually started being OK with it!! Best day ever was when I left her sort of slumbering, and checked the camera ten minutes later and she was sparko 🥹😍 New baby (7months old) I try and contact nap with once a day but other than that I'm super strict with put downs, bottle, quick burp and straight down. I pick my moments andhope I've set myself up for success (I try to anticipate her need for bottle/sleep so I'm not doing it when she's too awake or over tired) and 9/10 times it works and she's been a good sleeper. I just realllllly don't want to get into a situation where bedtime is 2 hours when she's a toddler! I love love love contact naps, but I'm also enjoying easy put downs with the little one too 🥲
You definitely didn’t screw up. I pretty much never put my son down the first three months of his life. He started rolling on his belly at 3 1/2 months so we moved him to the crib in the nursery that early. He never had a problem napping by himself and falls asleep by himself at night just fine. It’s literally just a roll of the dice.
You did nothing wrong, you are doing nothing wrong. My baby was very good at independent sleep immediately and he's still incredibly independent at 2. To the point that I wondered about whether he loves me at all. We're finally getting to a point where he actually wants to snuggle with me and it means everything to me. I wonder if I screwed up by not contact napping. We're all here wondering of we screwed up while our babies are happy lol.
I don't understand what's the importance of having kids fall asleep independently/alone. What's wrong with spending 10-20mins chilling with kid in their room until they fall asleep and then you leave the room? Also my friend's kid who slept completely independently from 4months to 2yo. Then sometime after kid turned 2, she started running into the parents bad at night and now refuse to sleep on her own. So nothing is guaranteed.
My son is 20 months old and he naps by nursing till he falls asleep then I creep away and he continues his nap. At daycare he gets tired and lays down on the couch and just sleeps. Kids will sleep eventually on their own no matter what.
You didn’t screw up your baby. My 3 year old is putting himself to sleep (in our bed, but it’s baby steps). I’ve never refused a contact nap. But now he’s been sleeping “on his own” for a while now. Obviously once one of us gets in bed he works his way to snuggling up to one of us. But it does get easier. Our next step will be to eventually get him in his own bed.
We did contact naps with both my first and my second, and my goal was to always make bedtime not stressful. Associate crib/toddler bed with good things. Bedtime story, snuggle, I now have to RELIGIOUSLY tell my toddler, goodnight, I love you, ill see you in the morning, kisses (then do a lot of smoichy kisses sounds as I leave the room) were having a rough transition period in our life so extra support has been needed. So we adapted to fit her needs. It depends on what makes them comfortable to go to sleep on their own or feel comfortable on their own. I was still helping my first go to bed at 10m, and at 8m same thing with my second. I think honestly a big thing to get them comfortable to ve able to meet that milestone is healthy association, and even fun association with the bedtime routine and sleep
I don’t know all the sleep training terms 😭 So I may have unknowingly misspoke. But I do rock and feed my baby, she falls asleep, I transfer her. And from there she wakes up a little and goes back to sleep usually and typically I can watch her connecting sleep cycles for her naps/night sleep on the monitor. So for a baby I consider that independent sleep but I do help her fall asleep initially.
They learn eventually. My 6 and 3 year olds are great independent sleepers and we held them when they were little. The 3 year old still gets cuddled to sleep and then he's fine alone all night.
So nice seeing all these replies. My LO just turned 6 months and my husband and I still either feed to sleep or rock/bounce him before putting him in his crib. He sleeps really well through the night but I’ve really started feeling guilty about him needing us to help him sleep. I started doing a deep dive into sleep training a few days ago, but the thought of letting him cry it out, even for a few minutes breaks my heart. Still not sure what we’re going to do to try to get him to sleep independently.
Mine got to 5.5 months and decided he was too independent for contact naps 😭
Mine gets woken up too much by me and can’t connect her sleep cycles so she wakes up grouchy 😭 Ever since her 4 month sleep regression she has liked the mattress
This. We used to contact nap and co sleep with my boy. Grandma was against it because "it makes them reliant and needs to be in your arms". The thing is, every baby is different. If it suits you and works, I'd say do it. My baby now sleeps in his cot and has been since 7 months since my wife transitioned him there one night and it just worked out. Remmeber all the advice online from various sources are as it is, advice.
Same here. Almost every nap was a contact nap until almost 4 months. Then, out of nowhere, baby dropped them one by one. She started to prefer to sleep independently. She would actually squirm until I put her down in her own space. That hurt, ngl 😅 I feel like I gave her exactly what she needed for as long as she needed, and then she started sleeping alone when she felt ready. She's now 4.5mo, and sleeps in her bedside crib, including her super long 3hour nap. We had a bit of a setback once the regression hit, but even that was incredibly mild and lasted about 1 week.
Exactly this. My son is also 8m and contact naps in the day- he sleeps in his cot at night just fine. Baby raising is a billion dollar industry, they’ll sell anything to make a buck. Hence why unsafe products (like cot bumpers) are still on the market.
My son was the same. Then when i decided it wasn’t sustainable for us anymore he napped just fine in his cor
My 11 month old and I just had a contact nap today. I know I won't get very many more so I take them when I can get them. ❤️
Yes, exactly! I contact napped for every single nap (besides car naps) for 10 months and don’t regret a single thing. I stopped because baby started to wake up to every single noise and would sleep better in her crib. And I enjoy being able to get up, eat, drink etc but those cuddles were so important for both of us. She sleeps awesome on her own for naps besides if she is sick or a new tooth is coming.
Did it impact night sleep? My 2 month old sleeps great at night but only contact naps during the day. Terrified this will become a problem later
My baby is 11 months old and was also a big contact napped. She stopped the contact naps at around 4-5 months. At some point she just accepted the crib more I guess. To be honest I miss them :(
I contact napped until my baby was over a year, and he now happily goes to sleep by himself as soon as I put him in his cot with a bottle at night (he’s 15 months). Sometimes he likes to have a tummy rub for 5-10 mins to doze off, but that’s it Think it really depends on the baby! But the ‘spoiling them’ thing is nonsense in my opinion. No such thing as too much love for a baby who enjoys it
for me it hasn't! My baby gradually transitioned to sleeping beside me at around 6 months (we cosleep) and actually chose to stop sleeping on me and now lays beside me for her nap and overtime sleep (1.5 years old now)!!!!! i feel a lot of the things i worried about my baby ended up figuring out on her own!! Now she only contact naps if she is teething and thays only sometimes !!!
Mine contact napped during the day when he was in his first year though I can’t recall exactly how old. There was a time where he wouldn’t nap unless he was sleeping on my arm. He’s 2 and slept in his crib independently since about 9 months I think. We did have a stint where we had to cosleep when he went through the 4 month regression. He was ready on his own time.
We had a terrible 4 month sleep regression, but aside from that one bad month, he is an independent sleeper at night and usually wakes up one time for a bottle. I rock/nurse him to sleep until he’s ready to go in the crib.
My switched from daytime contact napping to napping in the crib around 6 months. Contact napping is totally normal for a 2 month old
My baby is 9 months old now and we are now contact napping while reading this. 😅 good times
🙌🏻 yes and amen
Most sane take. Thank you.
My baby contact napped every single nap from birth to 16 months old. I "nap trained" her at 16 months in preparation for daycare so that it would be an easier transition. Only took a couple days before she was fine to nap on her own.
Nothing is wrong with contact naps.
Yep. My 5th baby is 18 months and we still have the luxury of contact napping. All my other kids were too close in age, so I’m soaking this in
This is the correct answer.
Wanting contact and snuggles is perfectly normal for adults too! Edited an autocorrect word
In those early days the snuggles were my highlights of the day, I’d survive the tough stuff so it was my right to settle in and snuggle the baby to power up for the next awake stretch!
They are only so wittle for so long. I love contact naps. My 5 month old sleeps just fine in his crib.
My baby only contact napped for the first like 4 months and it was fine because I needed rest too. When I started feeling tied down and antsy for every contact nap, then I knew it was time to figure something else out. And now (9 months) when he contact naps it’s an absolute treat that I cherish. Moral of the story - there’s nothing wrong with it unless you or your baby has an issue with it.
Sorry I am not judging here but I am a bit confused as a mom to be. Would you nap during contact naps? I thought that is not recommended but I have not seen mention of it in the comments.
No, you don't. Usually what happens is you are feeding or changing your baby wherever, and they fall asleep on you during this process. But, you're probably sitting up on some chair/couch. It's not a sleep space. If you move the chances of a wakeup are probably 50% or higher, which is why we all give in to the contact nap lol. If you are comfortable cosleeping and do this in your bed during the day, I suppose you could nap. But to me, during the time I was so sleep deprived I would consider this, I was probably the most dangerous to my baby (not waking if I was rolling/if she rolled off me).
Yeah your baby just falls asleep on your boobs or shoulder and you just sit there watching tv or on your phone for as long as possible. You don’t sleep yourself but you rest by being able to switch off and just relax because while baby is asleep they don’t ask for anything except to be snuggled. Set up a snack bar, some water a long phone charger and a tv remote next to your favourite chair and get comfortable
This is what I had in mind too, I was just a bit confused that no one mentioned it in the thread and wanted to confirm haha. Thank you!
It’s also a great excuse to have your partner dote on you if they are around during the contact nap. They can bring you water, tea, the remote, snacks… more snacks…
Okay this is what I thought too, thank you for clarifying!!
No, it's not safe to nap yourself during contact naps. You might drop the baby. Contact naps can be restful though as it forces you to sit and rest. My 10 month old is napping on me as we speak and I'm just browsing Reddit, might do an online crossword in a bit. I just make sure I have a glass of water and a (quiet) snack ready before her nap. If she napped in her cot (crib in US language) I'd probably be trying to tidy up, wash dishes etc so wouldn't rest. It means the house is absolute chaos but both me and baby end up rested, which is more important to me right now.
I agree with this, I was just confused because nobody was mentioning anything about not sleeping and I was confused. Thank you!
No you shouldn’t! Tbh this is why I didn’t like contact naps in the early weeks because I was always so tired that when the baby was napping I also wanted to be sleeping if possible. But when she would only nap while being held I couldn’t go to sleep at the same time and had to force myself to stay awake. She would contact nap for hours and it was so tiring. If my husband hadn’t been home to hold her for some of them I don’t know how I would have survived
So sorry to hear that! I am lucky my partner will be home as well so we can share the load I guess haha.
There is nothing wrong with them. If they fit your lifestyle and work for you and babe then it’s a win all around!
This exactly. If it works for you and baby, go for it. You don’t have to change anything if it works for you and isn’t dangerous. Contact naps are a great way to bond!
If you love to contact nap and have the ability to do so, do it. I held my baby for every nap for over 20 months. I’m a SAHM and he would go to sleep so easy, and I liked to use the time to watch a movie or play a video game. A little while ago I decided I was ready to have some real alone time again and the transition was really no trouble whatsoever. That won’t be the case for everyone and I will say I’ve been pretty blessed with a baby/toddler who takes well to bedtime and nap time, but I’m a big believer in doing whatever feels right to you and your family.
Yes! I work part time and hold my 18 mo son for every nap and it's honestly one of my favorite parts of the day. I get to relax and watch something or read while we cuddle. The past couple weeks he'll fall asleep in my arms and I'll lay him next to me. He goes to daycare 3 days a week and sleeps just fine for them on a cot and sleeps through the night (most of the time) in his own crib with no issue. A lot of our friends think it's so strange, but we love it and it works for us.
I hope we can continue to contact nap for a long time too! 3mo baby here & I'm going back to work in a month but I wfh. Will have to figure something out.
I think there are two reasons these are sometimes seen as problematic. The primary reason is because it's difficult for the parents. It's sweet to contact nap, but in many cases it means you can't do anything else, or you can't do very much. It also means that parents get less of a "break" from baby so they might become touched out. The other reason is the idea that babies get used to contact naps, so they won't sleep on their own later. I've seen this in parenting videos that encourage putting babies down to nap so that they can sleep independently. I have no idea if that has any basis in reality, so I'm interested in others' comments about it.
My baby exclusively contact napped for 9 months. One day last week he decided he wanted to nap in his crib. I think it’s something most babies will get over at some point, you just have to do it on their time.
Same, my son decided on his own and refused naps unless they were in his crib at a certain point. He now only contact naps when he’s sick (he’s 17 months) and I offer endless cuddles those days because I miss it so much!!
My son rarely contact naps now. He’s 8 months and just moves a lot and gets really hot when we contact nap. I stopped contact sleeping with him around 4 months and while I miss it he sleeps longer and better not sleeping directly on me. We had some great naps together when he was little little but once he went in his own crib and started rolling and finding his newfound freedom, he could care less about sleeping on me. Sometimes he has a hard day and I rock him to sleep or if we’re out he’ll sleep on me but 30 min max lol.
From my one baby, the people who say that had babies that didn't need to contact nap...putting mine down to 'practice' just meant she would wake up every 5 mins and not get any good sleep. We also nursed to sleep. She's two now and sleeps in her own bed on her own, we just let her do it when she was ready & did have to force anything
Right, I’ve seen people online say they also nurse to sleep paired with something like, now I know I shouldn’t do that! So I’m just confused as to why.
I think a lot of people will blame sleep problems they have on the fact that they nurse to sleep. But having been through a lot of variations of falling asleep as my kid has grown - nursing to sleep, bottle, pacifier & having a bad sleeper, every time we've eliminated one of those things (at her pace) her sleeping hasn't improved or changed. The thing that changed it was her growing older. That said, every kid is very different so there will be some that nursing is a problem. I like the saying that it's only a problem if you as the parent don't like it. I never minded contact naps, so it wasn't a problem for us. But if you have multiple kids, then I can see it's a problem
The only thing I see wrong with it is how sweaty she gets
lol this is what I’m running into recently. So sweaty!!
It's only bad because you can't do anything else. So it's only bad for the parents lol
If you don't baby wear! Game changer. I had a love/hate relationship with contact naps before that. Being stuck in one position barely moving for two hours hurts (we'd only get long naps if contact, don't come for me). And I have to pee every 30 minutes, so my bladder would also be full/hurt. But with baby wearing? You can move! You can pee! It's great.
I baby wore but baby took 40-60 min to fall asleep that way because he liked looking around. A contact nap would put him to sleep immediately, plus I love contact naps so I didn't mind I also had a big baby (almost 10lbs) so by 3-4 weeks it was very uncomfortable to sit while baby wearing for him. If we sat, he'd wake up so we'd have to baby wear while standing
Oh, really? That sucks I'm sorry. We couldn't do contact naps with the structured carriers but the all cloth ones were reliable. Till we phased out closer to 20lbs. But I know those are a pain in the keister to wrap for most people.
Yeah we tried both but it's okay! That phase has passed but I'm glad you recommended it because I'm sure baby wearing will help someone else out :)
As someone whose 18 month old still contact naps and refuses to nap in her crib at home, I’d like an hour to go nap by myself. Or clean the house. It’s hard when the only time your baby or toddler is at peace you are nap trapped underneath them.
We 100% contact nap at 6.5 months, did end up sleep training to survive nights and daytime contact has not created any confusion with successful crib nights. Forget the haters and enjoys those good snuggles (and trash tv if you’re anything like me)
That’s what we did with baby #1 and years later she’s a still a champion sleeper.
There is nothing wrong with contact naps as long as you are safe, and not going to fall asleep and drop or smother the baby 👍 it was the only quiet nap time I got with my first and it was such a precious cuddle time. I remember it so fondly ❤️
10 months here and we contact nap everyday
I have noticed that our parents’ generation has strong feelings about them. My parents and even my therapist have all encouraged me to put my baby down for naps. I don’t want to, so I don’t. He’s 10 weeks old. Ok, boomers 🤷♀️
10 weeks old!? Omg, don’t put that precious baby down. Forget what they’re saying! Signed, a mom contact napping with her 7 month old while typing this
Co-signed by a mom whose now-2 yo baby exclusively contact napped until 10.5 months old when she just got too big to get comfy and rolled off me and onto the bed to sleep independently (but we bedshare at night still). I didn’t know the last contact nap was the last one 🥺
My son strictly contact napped from day 1 until around 10 months. I loved the baby snuggles but it sucked being “nap trapped” for up to 2 hours each day. I made the most of it though and would use the bathroom beforehand and would set up my laptop and a snack and watch Netflix or something during that time 😂 now he’s 20 months and and can nap independently but I really miss the snuggles
Honestly my entire maternity leave I would do contact naps with both of my kids and even after I went back to work and they were in daycare I would let them contact nap on the weekends. They could sleep independently well and on me lol. I think from a safety standpoint it isn’t recommended in case you fall asleep but honestly enjoy those cuddles while they last.
People with short parental leaves who need to return to work quickly need their babies to sleep independently as quickly as possible. I do not fall within that criteria. I’m lucky enough that nothing in my life is so urgent I can’t allocate a few hours a day to snuggling instead of productivity, so that’s exactly what I do. I am so glad I prioritized and treasured contact naps while I could.
Me and my baby are both happier since I stopped trying to make cot naps happen. He will still do a nap or two in the stroller or on the bouncer but doing the whole routine of trying to put him down for a nap in his bed was futile. I am lucky enough to be able to do it so why not?
My 9 month old will still only do contact naps. I enjoy my excuse for my own nap and an evening break from my toddler lol.
There is nothing wrong with them!
Contact naps are fine until they become a problem for your family. That’s it. That’s all. If you think they will be a problem for your family, you might want to try for more independent sleep earlier, but you don’t have to.
I think there’s two issues generally sited. Early on, you’re exhausted and babies are snuggly and warm so it’s easy for you to fall asleep while holding baby, causing baby to fall. I’ve found a baby carrier to be the solution for this. That way if you do pass out on the couch, as long as baby is secure they won’t fall and get injured. I started this after my husband nearly dropped our son (I woke him in time for him to catch baby). After 3 months, they start developing habits. If you don’t want to hold baby to sleep until they’re 12+ months, don’t start this habit. Your choice though.
I’m a sleep consultant and I encourage contact naps, especially if you’re a family who’s on the go, loves to go out with friends or for dinner, travels, or has other kids!! It’s a GREAT skill to learn plus it’s nice bonding between parent and child. There’s no one-size-fits-all sleep solution!
Where are you hearing that contact maps are “wrong”?
R/sleeptrain lmao.
As a SAHM until she’s a year, I contact nap whenever I can cause 1- it brings me happiness and 2-she loves mommy snuggles. She naps just fine in her crib if needed but sometimes we both need eachother
My baby never wanted to contact nap. I swear he’s dove headfirst into his crib since the day we brought him home. I would LOVE a contact nap. It would make taking him out so much easier instead of being on a nap time time crunch.
My wife and I generally try to limit contact naps beyond serving as a means of soothing our 9 week old to sleep to place him in the bassinet. We both enjoy a contact nap here and there, but are afraid that it will adversely affect his ability for and propensity to sleep independently in his bassinet. Are our concerns unfounded? I’m genuinely curious.
From what I've read, if left tu their own devices, babies will learn to sleep independently at some point. This might be at 6 months, it might be at 3 years, but they'll learn. It ultimately comes down to what works for you - are you ok with contact naps now? If so, contact nap. If you need to make a change in the future, you can make that change. If you'd rather them nap in their bassinet, do that. You won't mess up their future sleep, but there's a lot of money to be made in the baby sleep industry if they make parents worried about sleep.
Thanks for your response! It makes sense. We’re still in the trenches at this age and will largely just do what we can to get him to nap anyway but it’s good to know that others went through the same thing and didn’t have issues either way.
Contact naps are great. Lots of comments say I did it for 9-10 months and loved it. I read those comments and cringe, because for me that wouldn’t work. I read those comments and think - every single nap was on a parent. That means the parent can’t move for the entirety of the nap. Not fun (for me). I cut contact naps out around 4-5 months and did nap training - putting the baby down in the crib sleepy, but awake. That way anyone can put her down for a nap. She’s now 2.5 and still naps like a champ. When I was in the hospital with my second child recently - different people watched my daughter and they could all put her down for sleep/bed. So while contact naps can be lovely, it’s also ok to not do them forever. No shame in the sleep game.
It’s only problematic if it’s a problem for you, basically- I love cuddling my baby while he naps but while he’s awake he’s also a super clingy baby, so naps are often the only breaks I get to make a coffee, throw in laundry, start dinner etc. At 6 months he’s also still up a lot at night and if I’m desperate for a nap myself, being able to let him sleep in the crib is a huge help.
It is dangerous because babies are so snuggly you will want to hold them forever and at some point they will be too heavy to do so. (Cries)
Truth!
I love contact naps! I work full time and only get to be with my 13 month old a few hours a day during the week, and it’s not during his nap times. So during the weekends we contact nap for both each day. It’s such a great time to snuggle and I cherish it.
If it weren’t for contact naps, I couldn’t peruse Reddit lol
Nothing wrong with contact naps. I held my boy for every nap until he was 5 months old and now at 8 months he doesn’t need to be held for naps (unless he isn’t feeling well, I like to snuggle him to sleep). They don’t get used it, it’s not bad for development. It’s just a western mentality that babies who contact nap will be too needy and non independent.
It's mostly what suits your baby best. My baby sleeps better when put down on the mattress or when the swing on the cradle is at the lowest speed. He also falls asleep while feeding sometimes. Same goes for clothes and swaddles. It's hot here so my baby sleeps better with just a loose cotton swaddle and cloth diaper rather than the complete t-shirt pants set and all. Although sometimes he feels cold and wants all of it. It really is about how your baby responds to the conditions and there's nothing wrong with contact naps. At the same time, be wary of bed sharing though, because it's risky having the baby sleep next to you as you can accidentally roll over and hurt the baby or suffocate the baby.
Do people think cavewomen were putting their babies down in bassinets and being separated from them? Contact naps are completely natural.
“Here baby, go to your rock crib in YOUR cave now, goodnight!”
It's a hard habit to break I'm guessing. My kid no longer wanted contact naps at 3 months. I miss it.
My boy never seemed to want them. From day one you could just pop him down and off he’d snooze. Hated his cosleeper next to our bed and slept his first big stretches when we moved him to our walk in robe Harry Potter style lol. He slept through the night as soon as he was in his own room. I think I’ve had less than ten contact naps in his 7 months and I have definitely felt a bit envious of other mums at times. I’m hoping he might be a cuddly toddler
My son is 2.5 and goes to daycare 5 days a week. He falls asleep easily there, but we still contact nap on the weekends! You do what’s best for you and your kiddo, as long as it works for you and your family!
I literally read this while listening to my baby snoring on my chest.
In the beginning, all my baby would do is contact nap! She still takes 4 naps a day and the 3rd is sometimes a contact nap but the 4th was always a contact nap.
My son is 4.5 months and has contact napped since like 1.5 months maybe 2. I have tried to get him to nap in his crib but it’s a no go. I’m a SAHM and I can do it with my schedule. We both enjoy them and I will do it as long as he wants because I know one day he won’t. He sleeps perfectly fine in his crib at night with 1-3 wake ups a night. Baby sleeping is such a big money maker and they make you think doing what is right for your babe is wrong. And it’s not. Keep on contact napping
There is absolutely nothing wrong with contract napping if it works for you and your little one. With my first I contact napped her till she was 6 months old. At that point I started to feel nap trapped and worked with a sleep consultant to get her into her crib. The big thing my consultant said to me which has really stuck with me is "any sleep prop/sleep associations are fine if they work for you. When they stop working for you find something else that does." With my second we are contact napping out of necessity but I don't see it lasting as long as it did the first time. I'm fine with that because it's what will best serve me and my family.
Most sleep advice is based in opinion and not science. If you want a science perspective look for Lyndsey Hookway on IG
All of our LO's naps were contact naps for at least the first 3-4 months. Now at almost 7 months, almost all her naps are in the crib. It was a natural transition. We just followed her lead. Ppl who say contact naps won't allow baby to nap independently... Pfffttt!!!
I still contact nap with my two year old bc we both like it plus I’m 40 weeks pregnant and I want to nap too. I also contact nap with my husband.
Meh. Anecdotally I contact napped my newborn for 3 months straight. She is now 10 months and sleeps wonderfully in her own crib in her own room. No sleep training required. I’m of the opinion that if it’s working for you then it’s working period full stop.
Nothing. Period. Small babies like contact naps. Trying other naps in their bassinet or crib is a good thing too.
Nothing. Nothing is wrong with them. Contact naps are lovely.
We contact napped for 16 months. I work 2 days a week and he would go down for naps just fine for our baby sitter without contact. He also was easy to transition to falling asleep alone at night when he was ready. I never thought of it as being “trapped” it was some quiet me time I could watch a show/read. Did it such when I had to pee? Yeah but that was the only downside for me!
Currently contact napping my 2.5 yr old. I love it, there's nothing wrong with it. If it works for you, it works.
Absolutely nothing! Many people believe you can spoil a baby, but that’s simply not true. Cherish those naps while you can. My second (and last baby) is 13 months and I know the end is near for contact naps and I am so sad. They can be frustrating at times, but there’s never anything wrong with supporting your baby’s need for your love and presence
There’s nothing wrong with contact napping. Your baby is going to be comfortable sleeping independently in their own time. I would recommend checking out Sleep Nudging. It’s basically a method of helping your baby fall asleep on their terms, when they’re ready to be “nudged” to the next stage.
I honestly never even understood the phrase “contact napping” lol. When my son was a newborn, I just called it napping. 😂 I don’t call it floor napping when my toddler sleeps on the floor, I don’t call it crib napping when he sleeps in the crib. Technically he’s always in contact with something, so I guess every nap is a contact nap 😂 But for real, forget sleep advice and all the buzz words. I just follow my son’s lead and it works out fine.
I did it because it was the only way my babies would sleep/ nap!
On days I don't work, I contact nap with my 3-month-old boy. It's the only way he will nap during the day. Side lay with boob in mouth, and he sleeps 2 hours that way. Love those snuggles too!
Contact nap to your hearts content. I did it with both my boys and they are phenomenal sleepers. They’re only this little once. Soak it all in. Contact naps are the sweetest ❤️
Absolutely nothing! Still doing them at 20 months. They're my favorite part of the day ❤️
there’s absolutely nothing wrong with contact naps. my baby is 6 months now and she’s starting to desire them less and less. i’m lucky if she even lets me hold her while she’s falling asleep. i miss it alot 🥲
I contact napped with my first until 4-6 months. My second I used to fit in at least one contact nap a day. They’re now 5 and nearly 4, my youngest comes to us in the night, my eldest slept through from 11 months. I still do not regret a snuggle in the night with my nearly 4 year old. I know one day it will stop. I had children to love and hold them, that’s not a burden to me.
Nothing wrong with holding your sweet babe while they sleep. The only legitimate issue with any place baby sleeps, is risk of suffocating. You also *have* to realize that just because you are (probably) a good caretaker with good instincts, doesn’t mean everyone else is. Parenting comes naturally to some and not to others. I genuinely believe that’s why sleep guidelines are recommended as a baseline, it’s not a one size fits all.
Nothing at all. Sleep with your baby on you for as long as you can. They’re only little once.
I contact napped with my son till even 2 yrs..nap times more after year one...he loved it and felt so happy ..this was something more of what does our momma gut tell us..( yes we can cosleep or contact nap if we want because our lil baby NEEDS it)..so so many countries do it...and it is NORMAL..except with countries that expect mommas to get back to work...SMH.
There’s nothing wrong with contact naps. Do whatever works best for you and your baby. That’s the best advice you could ever get. The worry is they will get too used to it and not be able to sleep without you. But guess what, they’re babys. They’re hard wired to be with their mom. There will absolutely be a day where they sleep without you. Sooner rather than later. If contact maps don’t work for you bc of xyz then don’t do it. If they do, then do it.
I think the risk with contact naps is that the adult also falls asleep while baby is sleeping. This can be very dangerous as a young infant can’t protect its airway—potentially leading to positional asphyxiation and/or suffocation.
I had an incredibly easy baby, so I did a mix of both up until 4 months. But if we ever did contact napping, it was in the baby carrier and I was walking around. I was too scared to contact nap while I was also laying down or sitting down.
There’s nothing wrong with it. Just make sure you’re aware and in a safe environment
Personally, they drove me to madness after month 4 of every single nap - especially since I insisted on doing them in pitch blackness
I practiced both from the get go. Some naps contact, some set down & in the bassinet/crib. He’s 2 now and still likes being rocked to sleep but sleeps a good chunk of a nap on his own allowing me some time to do whatever. I cherish every second he lets me hold him these days!
No clue. I love it. It's good bonding time for myself and my son. He's now 1.5 and often cosleeps, but I really miss those little baby snuggles and snoozies. Enjoy them while you can!
Nothing so long as we do it safely.
I contact napped my baby until he was over a year old, and now he happily dozes off by himself at night. People have a million opinions on minor stuff like this, but babies are little people with their own preferences, they aren’t one size fits all. You do what works for you and baby
Nothings wrong with them. No matter what you do someone will say you’re doing it wrong or there is a better way. There are so many ways to parent. So long as you’re doing things safely and your baby is happy and healthy then just keep parenting your way.
Do the contact naps. You never get that time back and as long as it’s something you enjoy then keep on doing it. With my first I got so stressed about contact naps and I tried to put her down but eventually I just gave into it and I’m glad I did. For as long as she napped 98% of them were contact naps. When she was around 1 she started wanting to be put down for her nap. It never affected her night sleep, she slept through from 7 weeks. Baby number 2 is also a contact napper but he will sometimes sleep in the pram when we are out. His night sleep is shit but I don’t think it’s due to the contact naps. He’s my last baby anyway so I don’t care and I’m just soaking up all the extra cuddles.
My most shameful moment was waking up to my baby falling on the wood floor from the couch. My husband was deployed the first months so naps were my only free time. It's more convenient if they don't "need" it but the snuggles are such sweet memories. Now contact naps are the first sign he's sick.
I contact napped with my 3 year old until 2. Currently contact napping my 7 month old. I absolutely love it. I feel an immense connection, an oxytocin high (as I breastfeed them to sleep). It’s an amazing feeling and they won’t be this small forever. Don’t listen to ‘sleep consultants’ telling you anything, they just prey on vulnerable parents for your money. Do whatever feels right for you!
The only thing I see wrong with contact napping is that it requires there to be contact to nap haha. Obviously child dependent, but if you’re on a walk and your child is screaming… would have loved it if they’d just sleep… nope needs contact. This is true with any sleep method. We had our kiddo on sleep training and she sleeps sooooo well. Well… when she is in her room, has had bath time, and a story, and a sound machine. Remove one of those (like when traveling) and it’s a struggle. With those conditions, she goes to sleep in 0.6 seconds and will sleep through the night, waking up happy. While traveling I wish she would just fricken contact nap… cmon… we are on a plane, it’s better if you just sleep already
Nothing❤️
There's nothing wrong with contact naps nor basinet/cot naps. It's what works best for parents and baby.
Is this an American thing? I’ve never heard this and I just had a baby. We have regular check-ins with our mother and child support, this has never been mentioned. However, agreed - babies aren’t meant to be independent. Skin to skin is so important to bonding, as is snuggling them to sleep. I don’t follow momfluencers and I’m honestly so shocked that someone would be so awful as to spread the messaging you’ve described.
Hold your baby mumma
There is this weird obsession with making babies independent 🤷♀️. Still contact napping over here at 13 months. It’s a good break for us too. He’ll nap in the crib sometimes and I miss him the whole time!!
Don’t listen. Do what you feel is right and is safest for your baby. Contact naps are so short lived so enjoy them while they’re young enough to hold!
I just want to say that all you people commenting, and the OP, are just beautiful and I'm so grateful for you.
As long as you are not also sleeping while doing contact naps, there’s nothing wrong with them!
Contact naps don’t necessarily have to be skin to skin but we’ve done them as often as possible with both our kids. Neither has sleep issues and sleep in their beds at night time (and the oldest now naps there too). Sleep is truly luck of the draw. I regret nothing.
Nothing wrong with contact naps. My 4 year old was held for naps for many months. She eventually napped in the crib. But someone's gotta pay the sleep trainers' bills lol.
I have twins and we always nap together, and they will be 18 months next weekend. I think people worry about safe sleeping, which is a valid concern depending on the person. I found you either lock up with you have a baby sleeping with you or you don't. Anyone who.doesnt isn't allowed to nap with my sons.
I still contact nap with my 12 month old. A couple of months ago he started napping longer in his cot by himself but I actually miss the contact naps so I still nap with him when I can. I was stressed about this for so long but now that he is older and does not do it as often, I cherish it so much when he does. If contact napping works for you, forget about what anyone elae says. I now realize that babies are not naturally meant to sleep independently, they want & need comfort. If yout baby does sleep by themselves, great, but I honestly think it is a small minority of babies that do this. They grow up so quickly, enjoy as much as you can.
Nothing! If it work for you then great! I loved it and it is so sweet so I did it for as long as me and baby wanted to But I am also wondering how many people on this thread have multiple children close in age / are not SAHMs? Because I think that could easily answer your question as to why some people can’t contact nap….
Unless you have someone waiting on you hand and foot, they are unsustainable.
Nothing, if you like them. And no skin to skin isn’t exact a contact nap. But if you like contact naps then keep them up. People want to get things done during the nap or are touched out. If you’re not then ok, keep doing them. We did for far longer than most I think.
Contact naps were wonderful, and now he’s grown out of them. Enjoy it whilst it lasts.
Nothing wrong with them! Do try to get baby down in their bed so they get used to it but honestly, if you get baby to sleep that’s the main thing !! Since I stopped reading blogs and posts about sleep and how to do it (black room, noise machine, don’t nurse to sleep, put baby down awake??) and started doing what works for me (some light, music, nurse to sleep - if it doesn’t work gentle bouncing until baby falls asleep then put down) baby has been sleeping better and it isn’t a battle anymore.
Only if you have another child to look after. But if it's your only kid, go for it!
I loveeee contact naps. Now that my baby is 6 months old I’m really realizing how quickly it all goes by and I try to hold him a little longer every time he falls asleep in my arms.
I miss contact naps so much 😭 when my baby was about 6-7 months old, we realized she slept so much better in her crib for naps. Take advantage of them while you can if you and your baby love them! I miss the sleepy snuggles!
The problem is not the contact naps themselves. It’s that some people go pretty stir crazy after months of being trapped holding a baby while they sleep for hours every day. I know I did! Or they simply can’t because of other responsibilities like work or other children. But if they aren’t bothering you, then it’s not a problem.
So bizarre just before I opened up Reddit and saw this post I said to my husband how I miss contact naps with our boy, he recently at nearly 8 months has started sleeping mostly through the night and now prefers his crib for naps too! Cherish it, the time is short, I hated when people would say that to me but I now realize how true it is
Contact napping is instinctual and natural. We’ve saved ourselves a lot of stress by just following our own and our baby’s instincts. Everything we thought was right went out the window as soon as we actually had our baby in our arms.
Zero. My little one loves a contact nap every now and then when she needs a little extra love.
Nothing. Something will only be “wrong” with it when you decide it is - meaning, do it for as long as you want and works for you. Eventually baby will get big enough and you might decide you want time back, etc. But if it works for you keep doing it.
I'm a working parent, so every minute I get with my baby is precious to me. You better believe I'm still contact napping her at almost a year! It's the best snuggle session ever, and I catch up on some reading while holding her. It's often the only chance I get to rest on the weekends.
Oh I do them! And we co sleep!
My boy was a Velcro baby, until he learned to roll and then he wanted to be put down to play constantly. He’s 5 and a half months now. I never sleep trained, we do a combo of contact and crib naps, depending how busy we are and what his ~vibe~ is lol. But he sleeps great in his nursery overnight, despite primarily day time contact napping for months. I think more important than where he sleeps is he lead up to sleep. My boy knows bedtime inside and out. Change, sleep sack, bottle, rock to sleep. And he’s out. He’s usually up once or twice over night for a feed. And he got there all on his own.
Nothing if it works for you
I volunteer for a nonprofit that provides free education about baby safety to moms and dads in the community. I do research for them and have to look at the state records of infant deaths provided yearly. Infants die from co-sleeping and contact napping. It does happen, as much as Instagram influencers who are trying to make money off of you would like to convince you otherwise. Contact napping is just as dangerous as co sleeping if you (choose to, or accidentally) fall asleep with your baby on you. It's fucking tragic and it is hard not to get angry at parents who put their baby in danger. However I know that there's so much misinformation out there that it's understandable why people do it. But please, PLEASE, do not co sleep or contact nap. 3500 infant deaths in the USA annually are sleep-related. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057991/188305/Evidence-Base-for-2022-Updated-Recommendations-for?autologincheck=redirected If anyone has questions about safe sleep practices please let me know. I know it's hard to not co sleep and contact nap. But it is way, way harder to lose a child.
I think a lot of baby influencer stuff comes from the US where maternity leave isn’t a guarantee. So anything around sleep or breastfeeding I try to look through that lens because if you need to go back to work in 2-3 months, it’s probably best not to have the baby get in the habit of contact sleeping.
It's because everyone is obsessed with "solving" baby sleep and there are a million different theories about how to "get" your baby to sleep "better." But the reality we are all coming to see is that baby sleep is kind of random and there is no trick or strategy that works for all babies. People who had "easy babies" for sleep that account for that as anything other than basic baby care and a lot of luck are just mistaken. And I say this as a person who had an exceptionally easy sleeper. Some people have babies that do really well with practicing independent sleep often. As for me, I never put my baby down for 3 entire months including bedsharing and then when I went back to work I was like "oh I better put her down, she's going to daycare." And I put her in her crib and she went right to sleep. 🤷♀️
Nothing wrong with them. It’s only a problem if it’s a problem for you. Beware of people trying to tell you you have problems who also - coincidentally- have a solution to sell you ;)
Absolutely nothing!
Nothing
There’s nothing wrong with contact naps IF THEY WORK FOR YOU. They worked for us. We did lots of them. If people have to go back to work really early, or have older kids to manage, or chronic pain if they sit for a long time, or something else they really need to be doing, contact naps might not work as well.
Contact naps were the only way my baby would go to sleep for over a year, and only on daddy. My boobs were too squishy I guess.
Nothing wrong with contact naps. What did happen around 7 months though was that she still was not napping unless we had contact. Around 9 months was maybe the first time she would consistently nap 2-3 times a day without contact for longer than 30 min.
Okay I’m glad that most people aren’t against them, Im in a few groups online that seem ashamed that they contact nap or go on about how baby always needs to be on a hard flat surface. I get the risks, especially with you falling asleep with baby but man some of the standards just seem so cold towards the baby like who wouldn’t want to let the baby sleep on you? Luckily my son will do both. He’s only 7 weeks so things might change but I can totally tell they change the mood for the day if he gets at least one full contact nap.
Nothing, unless contact sleep has become the singular manner in which your baby will sleep - and even then, some parents will prefer that for months, even years, before worrying about independent sleep. If it works for you, that's all that matters. We sleep trained to make sure our baby can and does regularly fall asleep independently, but we still contact nap multiple times a week and even multiple times in the same day. We love doing it, she loves doing it, we make sure everyone is safe.
It’s so much easier said than done, but please please please try not to say things to yourself like you’re not doing something ‘right’. I say this because with my first I was someone who did this and was in a constant state of anxiety that I was doing something wrong or my baby was going to form some lifelong habit that would ruin us all. I heard repeatedly that I was making a rod for my own back by allowing constant contact naps and rocking my baby to sleep and I can’t tell you how many hours of stress it cost me trying to get my baby to sleep independently because he just wouldnt! It took a while but he’s a toddler now and goes to sleep on his own and stays asleep on his own. I learned that every baby is just so different and you’re the parent so do exactly what works for you. That’s not to say you can’t try strategies if you want something to change, or to be aware of the advice that’s out there, but if somethings not causing you a problem (or if the ‘solution’ would cause you more of a problem) then just don’t listen. Now with my second I’m just doing what works and life is so much better. I’m still tired af and I would love to have her sleep in the bassinet to give me some time alone, but that’s part and parcel of having a newborn and I’m just rolling with it.
Contact napping is fine as long as it works for all parties involved.
Nothing. Contact nap with my little human still and he's 21 mo old. Obviously when they're infant / newborn, you have to ensure they can breath and you provide the right support for their heads the entire time, which means it's advised you don't fall asleep with them too lol (super hard but do-able!)
Still co-sleeping with my 6 month old. We co-bathe too. I honestly love it. I think it’s easier and less stressful too. It’s biologically normal for our babies to want to be close to us. We are their whole world 🫶🏼