Why Cat Napping Happens — and How to Fix

Short naps are a normal and expected part of sleep development in the early months from 0-5 months.

However, if your baby is consistently waking after just one sleep cycle, particularly during the critical lunchtime nap, it can impact their mood, development, and night sleep.

The lunch nap — typically happening around midday — is the most restorative nap of the day. During this deeper sleep, your baby's brain strengthens neural pathways, consolidates memories, and supports emotional regulation.

Ensuring your baby can link multiple sleep cycles during this nap is one of the final steps toward mature, consolidated daytime sleep.

Several key factors influence your baby's ability to stay asleep and transition between sleep cycles. Addressing these areas can significantly improve nap length and quality:

1. Hunger

Hunger is a common cause of short naps. If your baby’s hunger needs aren’t fully met before their nap, it is highly unlikely they will connect multiple sleep cycles.

How to support:

• Offer an active feed during their awake window, not so close to their nap that they feed until drowsy.

• For babies over 6 months, a well-balanced solid meal including proteins, healthy fats, and slow-releasing carbohydrates at lunchtime will support sleep and gives you the confidence that if they wake during this nap, it's not hunger related.

• Some babies benefit from a “split feed” approach — a full feed earlier in their awake window followed by a top up half feed 30 minutes before the nap — to stay comfortable and satisfied.

  
  

2. Sleep Pressure

One of the most important factors influencing nap length is the balance of sleep pressure — the body’s natural drive to sleep that builds the longer we are awake.

If a baby is put down too soon, before enough sleep pressure has accumulated, they are undertired. This often leads to short, light naps because their body simply isn’t ready for deep sleep.

Signs of undertiredness can include long periods of babbling or playing before sleep, taking a long time to fall asleep, or waking up happy but early from a nap.

On the other hand, if a baby stays awake too long, they can become overtired. Overtiredness triggers the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, which increases alertness and makes it harder to fall into and maintain deep, restorative sleep.

Overtired babies often struggle to settle, wake early from naps upset, and show signs of stress like increased fussiness or difficulty transitioning back to sleep between cycles. See more on this here.

How to support:

• Follow age-appropriate wake windows carefully, adjusting based on your baby's tired cues (like staring off, rubbing eyes, or losing interest in play).

• Create a balance where your baby is sleepy enough to need a long, deep nap, but not so exhausted that their stress response interferes with sleep.

3. Sleep Associations

All humans naturally stir between sleep cycles. If your baby relies on external help (like feeding, rocking, or holding) to fall asleep initially, they may struggle to transition to the next cycle without that same help when they rouse mid-nap.

Independent sleep initiation — the ability to fall asleep with minimal external input — greatly improves the chances of your baby self-linking sleep cycles and staying asleep longer.

How to support:

• Introduce a consistent pre-nap routine that promotes drowsiness through cues like white noise, darkened rooms, and gentle winding down activities.

• Gently support your baby in learning to settle themselves back to sleep after partial arousals in a way that is responsive and respectful to their needs.

4. Sleep Environment

The environment where your baby sleeps has a direct impact on the quality and length of their naps. Light, noise, and temperature can all affect a baby’s ability to fall into deep sleep and stay asleep through sleep cycle transitions.

How to support:

• Darkness: A very dark room helps cue the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for making your baby feel sleepy and stay asleep. Blackout blinds or shades can significantly improve nap quality. Even small amounts of light can disrupt a baby’s ability to transition between sleep cycles.

• White noise: Consistent background noise helps mask sudden environmental sounds (like siblings, pets, or doorbells) that might otherwise wake your baby between cycles. Choose a steady, non-stimulating white noise and keep it running throughout the nap.

• Temperature: A slightly cooler room (around 18–22°C) is optimal for safe and comfortable sleep. Dress your baby appropriately in breathable layers to maintain comfort without overheating.

• Safe, familiar sleep space: Napping in the same place as nighttime sleep when possible (such as a crib or bassinet) creates strong sleep associations and a sense of security, both of which promote longer naps.

• Download my free environment checklist here.

If your baby consistently struggles to extend naps despite addressing these factors, it could be time for a more persionalised look.

A 1:1 sleep consultation can help fine-tune your baby’s nap schedule, environment, and settling strategies — giving you and your baby the tools to achieve longer, more restorative naps.

✨ Imagine having two peaceful hours every afternoon while your baby sleeps deeply — and knowing you’re supporting their healthy growth and brain development.

Ready to make short naps a thing of the past? Click here to book a consult — I’d love to help you unlock better naps and more predictable days!

You can also post your short nap questions below 👇🏻