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Should You Cry It Out For Naps? It May Be A Challenge

by Lindsay E. Mack

When it comes to naptime for your little one, chances are it will take a bit of trial and error to find the routine that works for you both. Although naps may sound like the ultimate luxury to overworked parents, babies are do not always agree with this idea. If you little one is fighting sleep in the afternoon, should you cry it out for naps or find some other way to encourage slumbers for your little one?

For starters, it's smart to understand the basics of cry it out. The cry it out method encourages caregivers to allow the baby to cry for a small amount of time prior to offering comfort, as noted on Baby Center. Understandably, not all parents like this approach. However, proponents of the cry it out method feel like it teaches babies how to self-soothe and promotes better sleep, as further explained in Baby Center.

So what about naptime? Even the most dedicated follower of the cry it out method may need to vary their routine a bit. In fact, according to the Baby Sleep Site, the cry it out method might be more difficult to implement for naps, because babies can sometimes cry for much longer periods during the day. After all, at night even the most vocal of babies will probably give it up after a few minutes, but the daylight hours are a whole other story. Because your little one may have way too much stamina, as further noted on the Baby Sleep Site, the cry it out method is only recommended for the first two naps of the day. After that point, responding to the cries may be a more peaceable solution for everybody.

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If you're still on the fence about whether to use the cry it out method at all for naps, remember that there may be some definite benefits. According to Healthline, embracing the cry it out method for naptime may eventually help children feel more comfortable falling asleep on their own for naps. This is great news for the kids, of course, and successful naps also provide an essential break for parents during the day. (Parental sanity is not to be underestimated.) Overall, whether you and your family adopt the cry it out method for naptime or find a different solution to the napping questions, hopefully you will all rest easy soon enough.