I highly recommend Sleep Wise Consulting by Katie Pitts when it comes to sleep. The ladies on her team seriously make magic! Check this article out on why good naps beget good night sleep:
Babies who take good naps will sleep better overnight. It may sound counterintuitive, but we promise it’s true. Keeping a baby up longer during the day will not tire them out for a good night’s rest. In fact, one of the most important factors in sleeping through the night is a well-rested baby.
What Happens When a Baby is Sleep Deprived?
To understand why this is true, let’s take a look at what happens when a baby is not well-rested. Have you ever stayed up later than usual and experienced a second wind? That surge of energy is from the stress hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline. Your body produces them because it senses that something is wrong. You did not go to sleep when your body clock said it was time.
This is what happens to a baby who misses the right time to go down for a nap. The difference is that it is much harder for a baby to handle. His body experiences stress and the increased energy makes it even more difficult for him to fall asleep. If he continues to miss out on restorative sleep, his body becomes exhausted. Meanwhile, the stress hormones keep him more and more alert. It’s a vicious cycle!
This cycle of over-tiredness is why we cannot just let little ones sleep when they want to. They need our help. The primary goal of sleep training is a well-rested baby.
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