Watching your baby fight sleep during naptime when they’re clearly tired is exhausting – for both of you! If you find the only way your baby will nap is if you rock, soothe, or stay in the room with them, sleep training for naps may be the next step.
Just like sleep training at night, nap sleep training helps your baby or toddler fall asleep independently, connect sleep cycles, get the restorative sleep they need during the day – which also can improve their nighttime sleep.
The difference? Sleep training naps can be harder because daytime sleep pressure and melatonin levels are lower, and the environment is naturally brighter and more stimulating. Not to mention babies often suffer major FOMO and struggle with the transition from playtime to nap time. With patience and consistency, your baby can get comfortable with falling asleep at naptime and enjoy better overall sleep.
Read on for more on what nap sleep training is, tips on how to start nap sleep training, and how to navigate common challenges with nap sleep training.
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What is Sleep Training for Naps?
Sleep training for naps is a safe, effective way to help your baby get comfortable falling asleep on their own during the day.
There are many benefits to sleep training, as quality naps are essential in the early years of life – they give your baby’s growing brain and body time to rest, recover, and process all the learning happening while they’re awake. Consistent daytime sleep also supports better nighttime rest, helping your baby get the right amount of sleep across a full 24-hour period.
Getting on the right nap schedule benefits you, too. A predictable nap schedule means more time for you both to recharge – and a happier, better-rested baby when awake.
Signs your baby may be ready for nap sleep training include:
- Relying on being held, rocking, feeding, or your presence to fall asleep
- Taking short naps
- Having inconsistent daytime sleep
- Struggling to fall asleep for naps
- Seeming overtired by bedtime
These signs also may be that your baby is in a sleep regression or that it’s time to drop a nap. Both are normal parts of your baby’s development in the first few years, but the changes could result in temporary sleep disruptions.
Nap sleep training can start any time after 4- to 6-months of age but pediatric sleep consultants, including myself, often recommend you only start nap training after your baby has successfully started falling asleep independently at bedtime.
When to Start Nap Training?
If your baby can fall asleep independently at night but still struggles with naps, it may be time to start nap training. Some parents begin nap sleep training around 4- to 6-months, while others wait until their baby is a little older – you can even nap sleep train a toddler.
Infant nap training is never recommended for newborn babies under 4-months-old. At that age, sleep cycles and circadian rhythms aren’t yet developed, so newborn sleep training is not possible nor safe.
Whenever you decide to begin, it’s best to wait until after your baby can fall asleep on their own for nighttime sleep. That’s because sleep pressure and melatonin levels are naturally higher at night, making it easier for your baby to settle and stay asleep. Once those nighttime healthy sleep habits are established, it becomes easier for your baby to get comfortable with falling asleep during the day.
Some babies naturally start falling asleep independently when their sleep schedule is well-aligned with their circadian rhythm and their sleep environment is quiet, dark, and comfortably cool. Others continue to need more help – and that’s where nap sleep training can make a big difference in helping your baby get the rest they need every day.
Nap training after sleep regression
Some babies need to start nap training following one of the many sleep regressions which happen every few months due to their many changes, growth, and developmental milestones. Sometimes a baby is napping well then will need to be nap trained after a period of sleep regressions.
How to Start Nap Training?
Nap training starts with a few fundamentals that can make a big difference. Oftentimes once these fundamentals are in place, nap training isn’t even necessary!
Set up a calm nap environment
Your baby’s room setup is the best place to start when nap sleep training. A dark, quiet, and cozy environment that’s the ideal temperature helps your baby fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer without extra support.
A pitch black room helps establish your baby’s circadian rhythm and helps with the natural onset of melatonin (the sleep hormone). It’s a common myth that babies should nap in the light – even for newborns, napping in the dark helps their body begin to understand the difference between day and night. Make sure you follow all safe sleep practices for naps as well as nights.

Follow a personalized nap schedule
It’s important to make sure your baby is on the right sleep schedule for their age and personal sleep needs, which change often as they age. Take this free sleep assessment to get a personalized sleep schedule which adjusts as your baby grows, and their sleep needs evolve.
Keeping your baby up longer or skipping a nap when they need one won’t help them sleep better at night. Following a personalized schedule prevents overtiredness which makes it easier to fall asleep at night.
On the other hand, trying to put your little one to sleep before their tired can also cause them to fight sleep and throw of the sleep schedule for the rest of the day.
Finally, if a nap is going longer than what the app says, wake your baby – you don’t want to throw off their sleep rhythm.
Create a consistent nap routine
Just like having a consistent bedtime routine, implementing a consistent nap time routine helps your baby know it’s time to nap. This can be a shortened version of your nighttime routine, or the same – think a fresh extra-absorbant diaper, book, cuddle, and one of your favorite lullabies.
Try to feed your baby before you start the routine (or even better, at the start of the wake window – following an eat, play, sleep routine). This helps separate feeding from sleep, which is a great way to help encourage independent sleep skills.
Ensure a long enough transition from playtime to chill time, moving to a cool, dark room for 10-15 minutes of quiet, calming play before starting the nap time routine. Aim to put your baby down calm but awake so they can get comfortable with drifting off in their sleep space. (More on how to get your baby to sleep in a crib)
Use a nap sleep training app
Nap sleep training takes time, patience, and consistency – and consistency is what helps regulate your baby’s circadian rhythm and build strong sleep patterns.
An app like Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers helps make the process smoother with step-by-step guidance for your chosen nap training method. It also includes a timer and automatically adjusts your baby’s nap schedule based on how each nap goes – helping nap training take less time and feel less stressful for both of you.
Build on strong nighttime sleep
Once your baby is consistently sleeping independently at night, nap sleep training often comes together more easily. The comfort and confidence your baby feels at bedtime naturally carry over to daytime sleep with a bit of consistency and the right environment.
*Other favorite nap training tips from a pediatric sleep consultant
- If your baby is struggling with contact naps, try naps on the go for a few days to break that association.
- If your baby is showing sleep cues before a nap, they may be bored – try changing up the activity to avoid throwing off the sleep schedule.
- If your baby is taking more than 1 nap a day, try nap training with the first nap to start – offer support as needed for other naps to make sure your baby gets the sleep they need and avoid overtiredness.
How to Establish a Nap Sleep Training Schedule?
Establishing a nap sleep training schedule starts with understanding your baby’s age-specific sleep needs. The easiest way to create and maintain a consistent schedule is with the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers app, which automatically adjusts your baby’s nap times based on how each nap goes and how their sleep needs change as they grow.
While every baby is unique, here’s a general guide to total daytime sleep by age:
- 3-months: 4-4.5 hours napping during the day, spread over 4-5 naps.
- 6-months: 2.5-3 hours asleep during the day, spread over 2-3 naps.
- 12-months: 2-3 hours asleep during the day, spread over 2 naps.
- 18-months: 2-3 hours asleep during the day in 1 nap.
- 24-months: 1.5-2.5 hours asleep during the day in 1 nap.
If your baby starts fighting naps or taking a long time to fall asleep, it could be a sign they’re ready to drop a nap. That’s a normal part of development and usually happens around predictable ages. Many babies drop a nap around 7-8 months (3 to 2 nap transition), around 14-18 months (2 to 1 nap transition), and sometime between 3-4 years (1 to 0 nap transition).
How Long Does It Take to Nap Sleep Train?
Every baby is different, so there’s no one set time for how long nap sleep training should take.
For most babies, nap sleep training usually takes longer than night sleep training. How long it takes to nap train can range depending on how consistent you are and the sleep training method you use – the methods that include more parental involvement typically take longer.
For some, it can take around 2 to 3 weeks or longer of consistent nap training. However, every baby is different. With the right schedule and environment in place as well, you may start seeing improvements in just a few days.
Common Challenges with Nap Training
If nap training feels harder than nighttime sleep, that’s because it often is. There are a few biological and environmental reasons daytime sleep can be more challenging:
- Sleep Pressure: Sleep pressure is the natural buildup of tiredness that increases the longer your baby is awake – much like hunger increases the longer you go without eating. During the day, sleep pressure is lower than at night, but your baby still needs naps to prevent it from getting too high, which can lead to overtiredness and even more difficulty falling asleep.
- Hormones: Melatonin, often called the sleep hormone, naturally rises when it's dark and drops when it’s light. This is due to light signalling to your baby’s brain that it is daytime, which can supress the melatonin production and make it harder to settle for naps.
- Light: Light doesn’t just reduce melatonin – it also can stimulate the brain. Even small amounts of sunlight can keep your baby alert, making daytime sleep tougher to achieve.
- Age and Wake Windows: Your baby’s wake windows change frequently throughout the first two years, which means nap length and timing are always shifting. It’s easy to miss the ideal sleep window or offer a nap too early, which can cause resistance or short naps.
- Distractions: Daytime is full of stimulation – voices, household activity, outdoor sounds – all of which can be far more interesting than sleeping. Babies experiencing separation anxiety may also find it harder to settle if they hear or sense their caregiver nearby.
These challenges can lead to shorter naps, nap resistance, or inconsistent daytime sleep patterns. With patience, the right environment, and a consistent routine, naps will begin to feel smoother and more predictable over time.
What are Nap Sleep Training Methods?
Just like with night sleep training, there are many baby sleep training methods ranging from low parental involvement to high involvement. There isn’t one right way to nap train your baby. One method may work well for one child but not so well for another – all babies are different, as are your needs and goals!
If you’re curious about sleep coach or sleep training, download Smart Sleep Coach which can walk you step by step through the methods. You can read more about each here, too.
- Gentle method for naps
- Responsive method for naps
- Pick Up, Put Down method for naps
- Chair method for naps
- Ferber method for naps
- CIO method for naps
Final Thoughts
Many parents who I work on nighttime sleep training commonly ask, “Should I do sleep training for naps?” If they are struggling with falling asleep at naptime, then the answer is yes: naps are an important part of your baby’s total sleep needs and nap training can help them get the rest they need.
While nap training can come with its challenges, patience and consistency will bring you to the finish line faster – and make it easier to re-sleep train if ever needed in the future. By establishing a consistent nap routine and optimizing the sleep environment with the darkness, your baby is on track to napping better and longer.
We encourage you to track your baby’s progress, make gradual adjustments as needed, and accept help from partners and caregivers. Remember, it’s normal for the process to take time.